Gustavo Alfaro: "Reinaldo Rueda gave regularity to Colombia" | Colombia Selection | Colombia vs Ecuador

The Argentine strategist recognized that Ecuador is obliged to win in Barranquilla to reach Qatar 2022.

Ecuador's coach, Argentine Gustavo Alfaro, assured that Thursday's match against Colombia will be a very tough battle, on the twelfth date of the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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"We know what Ecuador is playing and also Colombia, we know what the moment of competition is, what this means," he said at a virtual press conference from Venezuela, where the Tri since Sunday.

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For its commitment on Thursday, crucial for the Ecuadorian qualifying aspirations, the team plans to travel directly: "La Tri will train until tomorrow (Wednesday) in Caracas and will travel to Barranquilla at night in a charter," federal sources informed Efe.

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Alfaro, who on Sunday acknowledged that the defeat against Venezuela could complicate things, assured that the key to this Thursday's game will be having the ability to handle the ball, because it is very difficult to exert pressure due to the temperature with which it is going to play. .

And he considered that the two teams will have space to be able to play in the middle of the court and then resort to the ability to hit the opportunities that are given in front of the goal.

"Goal opportunities are not abundant" in such games, he said, referring to the recent meeting between Colombia and Brazil, which ended in a goalless draw.

In his assessment of the Colombian team, he said that he is very practical, that he knows very well what he plays since Reinaldo Rueda took over and gave him regularity.

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“Colombia is a level team, very difficult to violate, which ties many games to maintain a regularity. The rest of us win or lose, but we don't draw. We don't have that regularity, ”said the coach.

With 16 points, Ecuador is in the third position of the World Cup standings, the same as Uruguay, but with a disadvantage of four away games and three at home, but two of them against Argentina and Brazil, leaders of the table.

For Alfaro, except for the latter, who are out of the question due to the good time they pass, "the rest of us live similar moments in the absence of seven dates."

"The other eight teams have options," with a generalized performance irregularity similar to that of Ecuador.

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For this reason, Alfaro said, Tri he must take care of each point and for this he has asked the players to strengthen themselves internally to fight for the dream, beyond any questioning that may exist.

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Regarding Colombia, which on Thursday could snatch third place from La Tri and send it to fifth if Uruguay beat Brazil, he insisted that: "it will be a match between two very even teams."

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As for the line-up, which has varied from game to game, despite the criticism that this has caused, Alfaro acknowledged that he has some players with discomfort who he will wait until hours before the game.