{"id":42181,"date":"2022-03-29T14:16:11","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T18:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=42181"},"modified":"2022-03-29T14:16:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T18:16:11","slug":"the-hard-part-is-over-for-ecuador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/03\/29\/the-hard-part-is-over-for-ecuador\/","title":{"rendered":"The hard part is over for Ecuador"},"content":{"rendered":"

The hard part is over. <\/span>Ecuador<\/a> has made it back to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Head coach Gustavo Alfaro has managed to take his team, the youngest in South America, back to FIFA\u2019s premier tournament despite suffering a 3-1 away defeat to Paraguay<\/a> last Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Results elsewhere ensured that Alfaro\u2019s men won\u2019t mind their loss too much, as the bulk of their hard work had already been done earlier in the campaign anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Historic campaign<\/h2>\n

Historic wins, first a 6-1 mauling of Colombia, and then a historic first away victory in Chile, were hallmarks of qualifying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ecuador were only beaten once at home during CONMEBOL play, notorious for being the hardest confederation to qualify from. Their 26 goals during the qualifying round were second only to Brazil and a big reason La Tri<\/em> will be going to their fourth World Cup out of the previous six.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But after missing out on the 2018 edition, and the country being so close to qualifying for various match days<\/a>, 18 million Ecuadorians were urging their countrymen forward. Stuck on 25 points since last February\u2019s draw against Peru, there was still the feeling in the air that perhaps something could go wrong yet again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where they got some help.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Uruguay win over Peru would make it mathematically impossible for Ecuador to not qualify.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why, even after Ecuador\u2019s defeat against Paraguay, there was cause for celebration. Aside from the revelry, there is a palpable sense of relief, yet defiance, among the citizens of the small nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udd25 \u00a1Gracias Tri por esta alegr\u00eda interminable!<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd70 Por estas l\u00e1grimas. Por el festejo del pueblo ecuatoriano en las calles. Por los que apoyaron desde el inicio, incluso los que ya no est\u00e1n en este mundo (los recordamos con respeto y cari\u00f1o).#JuntosAQatar<\/a>\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udde8 pic.twitter.com\/GmNWNqVkFK<\/a><\/p>\n

— La Tri \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udde8 (@LaTri) March 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n