EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Ecuador’s coach Sebastian Beccasese ran toward the stands, his long blonde hair blowing in the wind.
The 45-year-old Argentine climbed out of the field to hug his wife and other loved ones. world cup Fans within reach clapped him on the back, and tens of thousands of people around the stadium jumped and cheered.
The emotional moment after Gonzalo Plata scores the winning goal Against Germany On Thursday, the coach was relieved of the intense pressure he was under after being criticized for leaning towards Ecuador’s worst performance at the World Cup. Instead, Beccases is being praised for helping the South American country reach the knockout stages, but he wants everyone else to celebrate as well.
“We came back to life to feel it,” Bekkases said through an interpreter after a 2-1 victory over a favored opponent who was already certain of finishing first in the group. “Sometimes we feel the pain of defeat, but sometimes we feel the satisfaction of victory. The key is to find a balance. This won’t change my life. It won’t. But we have to bask in this joy.”
Beccasese said he has fallen in love with Ecuador since taking over and is delighted with the style of players that makes the country fall in love with them as a team. He also said there are bigger things in this world than football and that prioritizing family is the most important thing.
“It’s all about understanding that there are moments in life that you can share with your family, with your man, with your mother, with your sister, with your friends,” Beckases said. “My father is missing, watching us from above. But I think we need to celebrate this moment anyway. I think of the people of Ecuador, 19 million people, hugging each other and drinking beer, celebrating this historic victory.”
Ecuador would have gone home had Plata not found the back of the net with his left foot after Kevin Rodriguez headed home from a Pedro Vité corner. A loss would have ensured elimination, but even a draw would have made it mathematically almost impossible to advance to the round of 32.
Rodriguez came on as a substitute for Beccase in the 64th minute and provided the needed spark with an assist in the 77th minute. Beccasese said winning against Germany was a turning point, but he didn’t want to be satisfied with just moving forward.
He raised his expectations even higher.
“Ecuador couldn’t make it to the quarterfinals,” Beccasese said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get to the quarterfinals? Why not? Well, we’re striving for that. I hope we can do it because this team and these people deserve it.”
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