GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador could use some good news.
Many prefectures are under a state of emergency. Thousands of military and police are battling a surge in crime by drug traffickers. There are many curfews. The fuel crisis caused severe disruption. The border with Colombia is unstable.
But Ecuador’s hopes are high and will not fade. world cup.
The team entered the South American qualifiers in second place against World Cup champion Argentina, but lost only twice in 18 games, both by one point to Argentina and Brazil.
La Tri supporters believe they are good enough to surpass their best World Cup result to date, the last 16 in Germany in 2006, when Ecuador were eliminated by a David Beckham free-kick.
“I bought a huge TV on credit to watch Ecuador win the World Cup,” says Mario Uquilas, a 43-year-old shopkeeper who lives in downtown Guayaquil.
“I hope that at least La Tri gets to the quarter-finals. It’s about time, because we have a great team.”
Other shops in the vast La Bahia market are also taking advantage of the opportunity, offering Ecuador World Cup jerseys. The most popular ones include the names of Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Willian Pacho.
Hincapie brought smiles to the faces of Ecuadorian fans this week. Arsenal wins the Premier League It’s been 22 years. For these supporters, it’s another chance to see the homegrown star win a big trophy when Hincapie and Pacho clash in the Champions League final next weekend.
players killed
Local soccer was not immune to the country’s violence. In fact, the scene is stained with blood. Last year, five players were killed and three more were victims of armed attacks.
The most dramatic incident occurred last December in northern Guayaquil, when a gunman murdered Mario Pineida, a left-back for local club Guayaquil Barcelona and a former national team player.
Pineida was at the butcher’s shop with his mother and female partner when two assailants shot him repeatedly. Her mother was injured and her partner died. One of the perpetrators was arrested, but the motive for the attack remains unclear.
Guayaquil, 270 kilometers southwest of the capital Quito, ranks eighth among the most violent cities in the Americas, according to the international platform Numbeo’s crime index. According to Ecuador’s Organized Crime Monitoring Service, Ecuador recorded 9,216 violent deaths last year, at a rate of 50.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Living in the country’s most violent city, especially in the vast slums where children played soccer in the streets, prompted families to take precautions. Nowadays, people are often confined to their homes at night for fear of frequent shootings, robberies, and attacks.
Yet, even in this environment, soccer manages to thrive, thanks to Ecuador’s most popular club, Guayaquil Barcelona. It offers dreams of a better life, starting with the Youth Academy, where Hincapie once attended for a short time. However, he would not now perceive the facility to be safe and protected from organized crime.
“My dream is to become a professional.”
Nearly 300 young people attend this soccer school. Piero Ortega, 10, is in his fifth year at the academy.
“My dream is to play for PSG or Real Madrid,” Ortega says. “My dream is to become a professional soccer player.”
The coaches’ shouts of instructions echo throughout the academy. The boys and girls repeatedly chase the ball and correct their play. They never seem to get tired of running.
Another 10-year-old, Washington Berra, has great skill in controlling the ball, dodging opponents and sending accurate passes.
Berra said, “I want to play for the national team as a right winger,” and expressed his desire to one day “score a goal for the national team.”
Enrique Benavidez is the coordinator of Guayaquil Barcelona’s academy, keeping children safe and making their dreams come true at the same time.
“Insecurity is limiting us. Fear has entered every neighborhood and every community. No one is safe,” Benavidez said. “Given the insecurity situation, this school offers children the opportunity to join the pitch and train safely. Previously, children could play in the park or in the street at any time of the day, but now this is no longer possible due to the insecurity situation.”
That’s why there’s so much piggybacking on Ecuador at the World Cup to distract supporters, even temporarily, from the violence outside their homes.
As expected, the passion of the fans knows no bounds.
“I used to dream of participating, but now I hope they reach the quarterfinals or semifinals of the World Cup,” said Guayaquil’s lawyer Daniel Sanchez.
Matias Hoyola is an Argentinian who recently transitioned from player to sporting director at Guayaquil Barcelona. He’s also drank the Kool-Aid.
“The World Cup for Ecuador will be a continuation of our achievements in qualifying,” Oyola said. “It’s going to be great.”
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
