#23-Ecuador

#23-Ecuador
Nickname-La Tri (Tri-Color)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#23
Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras)
Projected Results...
Loss to France
Tie to Switzerland
Tie to Honduras
Manager-Reinaldo Rueda
Qualified through fourth place in CONMEBOL Qualifying
3rd World Cup Appearance (2002, 2006)
Projected Finish-Third in Group E

I really don't find Ecuador to be that good of a team, but they benefit from a pretty bad group, aside from France.  France are the real winners, having been drawn with Switzerland as the top team in the group.  That being said, they do have Antonio Valencia, who plays on the wing for Manchester United.  No other player on this team really gets me too excited, probably because I am unfamiliar with a lot of the players (that doesn't make them necessarily bad).  I don't think Ecuador has the players to qualify in this group, but I guess they could finish second if things go really well.  Here are three players "La Tri" will rely heavily upon:

Antonio Valencia-Winger for Manchester United, and he has a ton of pace. 28 years old, and is the captain of the team. He has nearly 70 appearances, and is not so much relied upon for goals, but his playmaking ability.  He can be inconsistent but he is fast as hell.  Check this out: 

Renato Ibarra-Defender who plays for Vitesse in the Dutch league.  He's 23, probably their only defender with experience in a bigger European league. 17 appearances for the national team.  He will be relied upon heavily to hold down the defense.

Felipe Caicedo-Plays club for Al-Jazira in the UAE.  He is the best striker option that Ecuador has, and he better make the most of his opportunities.  He's a huge body with a blazing shot, and he has some speed for that size. 47 appearances and 15 goals. Again, he really needs to capitalize on his chances.

Ecuador could come second, but I just don't believe in the players they have. Third place seems more likely.