SANTA FE, June 30, 2011 (AFP) - Ecuador's national football team, which is part of the Group B of the Copa America 2011, did their first training on Thursday, in the Argentine city of Santa Fe. The team is motivated to make this their best tournament in its history and are preparing for their first game on Sunday against Paraguay.
Under the guidance of Colombian Coach Reinaldo Rueda, who directed Honduras in the 2010 World Cup, the Ecuadorian team trained at the sports complex in Club Colon at about 2PM and with a temperature around nine degrees centigrade.
"Although we will not be at the height of Quito (2.850m), we´ll still have cold weather at this Copa America," commented midfielder Christian Noboa on the morning of the team's training in Santa Fe.
For midfielder Rubin Kazan of the Russian club, the forty-third edition of the Copa America is a good opportunity to improve their historical fourth place in the editions of 1959 and 1993, in which Ecuador was host.
"We want to get to the finals, this is our goal. We will demonstrate that we have a great team and we want to go far, and that means the final,” Noboa said.
"We cannot think we came to the Cup just for a walk, we have a great group, a good coach and we will be able to demonstrate that Ecuador may also be the champion" [of the Copa America]. The Copa America begins on Friday with the match between Argentina and Bolivia for group A and ends on July 24 in Buenos Aires.
Ecuador which is part of Group B will play against Brazil, the defending champions, Venezuela and Paraguay. They came to Argentina carrying a tough 1-0 defeat against the Mexican U-23 national team, in Quito, in the last match during preparation. This resulted in criticism and disapproval of the press.
For the goalkeeper Máximo Banguera, of Barcelona in Guayaquil, the Copa America is presented as a good occasion to show "the new Ecuadorian football". He considered that his team cannot be dropped from the list of favorites for the title.
"This group is working as a real team, just like a fist. We will play a good tournament and we have football and the players who will be fighting for the title, "said Rueda’s keeper of 1.88 m high, who is making his first appearance in the Copa America.
The Colombian Alexis Mendoza, assistant coach of Ecuador, referred to Paraguay as an opponent with "a lot of variety" and considered that the Ecuadorian team will come in perfect condition to face their first challenge in Copa America.
"There are three days before Ecuador’s debut and we believe that we will do well. We are putting our team together to find a tactical idea that can give us the possibility of playing a good match. Undoubtedly it will not be easy, but we have great confidence in this group and to start with a victory will give us the possibility to continue" in the tournament.
Under the guidance of Colombian Coach Reinaldo Rueda, who directed Honduras in the 2010 World Cup, the Ecuadorian team trained at the sports complex in Club Colon at about 2PM and with a temperature around nine degrees centigrade.
"Although we will not be at the height of Quito (2.850m), we´ll still have cold weather at this Copa America," commented midfielder Christian Noboa on the morning of the team's training in Santa Fe.
For midfielder Rubin Kazan of the Russian club, the forty-third edition of the Copa America is a good opportunity to improve their historical fourth place in the editions of 1959 and 1993, in which Ecuador was host.
"We want to get to the finals, this is our goal. We will demonstrate that we have a great team and we want to go far, and that means the final,” Noboa said.
"We cannot think we came to the Cup just for a walk, we have a great group, a good coach and we will be able to demonstrate that Ecuador may also be the champion" [of the Copa America]. The Copa America begins on Friday with the match between Argentina and Bolivia for group A and ends on July 24 in Buenos Aires.
Ecuador which is part of Group B will play against Brazil, the defending champions, Venezuela and Paraguay. They came to Argentina carrying a tough 1-0 defeat against the Mexican U-23 national team, in Quito, in the last match during preparation. This resulted in criticism and disapproval of the press.
For the goalkeeper Máximo Banguera, of Barcelona in Guayaquil, the Copa America is presented as a good occasion to show "the new Ecuadorian football". He considered that his team cannot be dropped from the list of favorites for the title.
"This group is working as a real team, just like a fist. We will play a good tournament and we have football and the players who will be fighting for the title, "said Rueda’s keeper of 1.88 m high, who is making his first appearance in the Copa America.
The Colombian Alexis Mendoza, assistant coach of Ecuador, referred to Paraguay as an opponent with "a lot of variety" and considered that the Ecuadorian team will come in perfect condition to face their first challenge in Copa America.
"There are three days before Ecuador’s debut and we believe that we will do well. We are putting our team together to find a tactical idea that can give us the possibility of playing a good match. Undoubtedly it will not be easy, but we have great confidence in this group and to start with a victory will give us the possibility to continue" in the tournament.
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