Group C team preview: Ecuador

          Giannina Lattanzio's clutch goals in qualifying helped Ecuador secure its trip to the Women's World Cup. AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa
          • Monica GonzalezMay 18, 2015, 05:16 PM ET
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              ESPN analyst and sideline reporter Monica Gonzalez is a native of Dallas and played college soccer at Notre Dame before becoming founding member of the Mexican national team in 1999. She was captain of the Mexican team from 2003-07 and was named to the FIFA World All-Star team in 2007.
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          Group C: Japan | Switzerland | Cameroon | Ecuador

          How will Ecuador fare in its first Women's World Cup? The squad faces many hurdles.

          The journey

          Last year, Ecuador wouldn't have been anyone's pick to be among the Women's World Cup field. In June, the squad was just 125th in FIFA's rankings, but it jumped to 46th by February after finishing third while hosting the 2014 Copa America Femenina. That finish earned Ecuador a spot in the international playoff, where it disappointed neutral viewers -- but thrilled its nation -- by defeating fan favorite Trinidad and Tobago. Now headed to its first Cup, Ecuador's "nothing will stop us" motto seems all the more apt.

          World rankings

          Ecuador peaked at No. 46 in last year's FIFA world rankings

          The rep

          Ecuador plays in a standard formation, and most of its players are homegrown and of similar style; they are not particularly strong or technical, but hardworking and determined. Coach Vanessa Arauz provides an important balance of youth (she's only 26) and experience to the team; she was the first female graduate of Ecuador's football institute and has been in charge of all women's national sides since 2013. Ecuador will not score a lot of goals -- it had just seven in seven games in the Copa -- but it is ready to take its chances when they come.

          Projected formation

          Ecuador is expected to use a 4-4-2 lineup:

          The question

          Will Ecuador be able to keep up with the competition? Despite high altitude conditions at home, Ecuador's fitness level tends to fade around the 35th minute of each half. The team becomes disorganized, and movement off the ball is scarce. As the half wears on, the back line takes longer to push forward, which causes the team to get spread vertically and leaves the midfield essentially defenseless. Ecuador's players will have to be careful to hold position and not get overwhelmed. In a group with defending champion Japan, which thrives on short passes, this squad will be tested.

          Players to watch

          Here are three players who should be on your radar:

          • Giannina Lattanzio, F: Born in Italy, Lattanzio lived there for much of her life, until she moved to Ecuador four years ago at age 18. Highly technical thanks to a debut season in Serie A, she excels at precise crosses and possession.

          • Carina Caicedo, F: Caicedo is always a threat to defenses because of her speed; she spent most of her life as a sprinter and vied for national titles during her college career (she graduated with a degree in the culinary arts last year).

          • Ingrid Rodriguez, MF: Rodriguez will stand out as the team's hungriest player -- she has told friends she has already dreamed about playing in a knockout game. Her aggressiveness up the sideline surely will cause opponents problems.

          Group-stage schedule

          Ecuador's first two matches will be held at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, while the third will be played at Winnipeg Stadium:

          • June 8: Cameroon, 7 p.m. ET
          • June 12: Switzerland, 7 p.m. ET
          • June 16: Japan, 5 p.m. ET

          Foudy's take

          Julie Foudy

          Defending champion Japan leads Group C with three teams playing in their first Women's World Cup, including Ecuador. With Switzerland benefiting from the expanded field after coming oh-so-close in the past, I can't see Ecuador or Cameroon advancing as a third-place team from this group.

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