Really? He's one of the top 10 coaches in the world imo. There's a reason Colombia was throwing money his way BEFORE Pekerman. We went after him 2x! And both times rejected Since his start as DT in Paraguay's league championships in 2002 (retired as a player in 96' and coached some samller 2nd division teams afterward), he claims 4 titles for 2 clubs in 4 years. He then took a modest Paraguay thru their best performance in a world cup in 2010, losing only to eventual winners Spain 1-0 (and could've won that game). This while convincingly having COASTED thru Conmebol wcqualifiers and losing their star player, Cabanas. Also, took Paraguay to a Copa America FINAL (in only his 2nd try). And while most DTs would easily have boasted that 2nd place as a "victory" (Maturana and Bolillo come to mind) and gone back to the federation and demanded a $1mm raise + a guaranteed contracts of 5+ years, what does he do? He states after coming 2nd in Copa America, "I've gone far enough with this team and I feel they've reached the best level I can reach with them". How damn honest was that! One only has to see the current Paraguay to see his impact. Then he goes on to coach Newells in 2012 who at the time was basically a team fighting relegation zones. One short year later, has them winning the Argentinian league and getting to semifinals in Copa Libertadores for 2013. Pretty bad $%# if you ask me. I think the guy is a brilliant coach and is a superb find for Barcelona. The ONLY thing that I could see being a challenge for him is that this is after all Barcelona. A team who only has high demands not simple expectations like some of the teams he's coached in the past. Having no language barrier will help as will the fact that there have been many successful Argentinian coaches in Europe with the 'newer' crop being very good: Bielsa and Simeone come to mind. You can even throw the Chilean Pellegrini who is now at Man City as South American DTs that have done very well in Europe. Messi is a Rosario native and having him as DT will only bring the best Messi (if that's even possible!)
he never coached Paraguay when they were a last place team. If I remember correctly he left after being 2nd in the Copa America. What he did with Newells was sick. Although he's a great coach, it did kind of take me a bit by surprise that Barcelona chose him to be the new coach. But there's no denying this guys quality as a coach. I remember he was one of the options we had in mind when Rueda was about to peace out after the Copa America. I could only imagine what he would have done with our NT.
What do you guys think of Tenorio coming back to the NT? It's speculation from the press that he will be on the NT.
He doesn't start for Vasco which isn't a good sign. He didn't look to good in the state championships either. His conditioning is very bad. If you guys need another target 9 instead of Caicedo for the bench he might be useful I did see him have a few good games last year.
I think Tenorio coming back, considering the current situation on the NT with Chucho's passing, as a pretty good idea. He's a proven goalscorer for us, has pace, and tends to play better with the yellow shirt on. As for his fitness/durability, that's definitely a question. I think his talent/skill set even at his age sets him apart from Yoya and Borja- good header of the ball, vision in the box, footwork. His experience will also carry over into the locker room and will act as an anchor for the team alongside Ayovi. I think our bigger concern, even more than replacing Chucho on the NT is to think about how to set up our midfield where creativity lacks. I think Mendez needs to come back.
Before I mention any players or strikers I want to say that Chucho is irreplaceable, but reality is that life goes on and we have a Qualifier coming up and a friendly against Spain in Guayaquil even before that. That being said, our game is just in a few weeks and our morale isn't the best right now. Reinaldo Rueda's father passed away like 2 weeks ago, now Chucho. So it's not just our players, but our coach is probably destroyed inside. Some of our players (to be more specific, our defense) in certain positions aren't performing well this season- JC Paredes, Erazo and other are coming back from injuries like Campos...just to name a few. Castillo is all the way in the middle east and who knows how he'll adjust coming back to Quito. Valencia is in pre-season and last year he was in a funk year long. Caicedo is slowly but surely getting minutes, but he needs to be more active IMO to be at the level we are used to seeing him at. Saritama hasn't been the best at LDUQ this year and his performances are just ok but he isn't at the level he usually was at when he played in D. Quito. And of course the worst of all, Chucho will not be with us anymore. All these things put together worry me and I'm sure they worry Rueda. I think a player like Mendez or Tenorio's possible return won't hurt b/c we just lost a player on the team who's presence was felt in and out of the field (Chucho). I think it would mentally benefit our guys if Tenorio or Mendez or both return to the NT, at least for these next two games. We need someone to step up and lift our spirits up and both of these guys have the personality, experience, and leadership to do so. BUT, we must also not just rely on players that are closer to retirement over players who have a promising future. That being said, i'll name a few of my candidates to play along side Felipe Caicedo. With the loss of Chucho up front, one thing we gotta keep in mind is that we won't have an explosive guy that will come receive the ball in the middle of the field and drag it back up. Some of us here ( i think Manolo is one of them) always saw Chucho as a player who had the qualities to be a play maker on the NT. Our NT didn't play with a Mendez or a #10 this entire qualifier b/c we had Chucho- someone who could replace the need of a Mendez or a #10 w/ his passing, his pace, agility, his ability to break a defense apart etc. Do you guys remember the game vs. Argentina? Predictable wing play if I remember correctly. The reason we saw it that way is because there was nobody playing up front that would run back to receive the ball and create danger through the middle of the field and up. So the main we have to do now is find a player with qualities to do that job, which is going to be pretty damn hard. But there's one player from Emelec who I did see complete that job today and it was a player who i've always said should be on the NT- Miller Bolanos. This kid knows how to distribute the ball across the field, he's not selfish, his vision and long distance shooting has always been admirable, and with a month or so of playing time I think he'll only get better. Fidel Martinez, Jaime Ayovi, Juan Anangono, Cristian Suarez, Marlon De Jesus, and Joffre Guerron are the names that immediately come to mind as well. Of course each of these players have different styles of playing, some have never been called up to the NT or have little experience and others have more. Some may work well with Felipao, others may not. My question is: Who do you guys consider a good option to play alongside Caicedo from now on and why (based on their playing style/qualities)?
Its tough year for the NT. So much bad luck going around us at a critical time. If us, as the public feel down with Chucho's passing and other things, I cannot imagine how the players feel. It must be so hard to play without Chucho. Many of them grew up together since they were kids. I just hope that Chucho's work ethic and professionalism is admired and learn by the young kids that are going to be called to the NT. I also think its a nice time for Tenorio and Mendez to go back to the NT. Probably not to play a lot and only like the first half or so. Their influence though should be felt throughout the locker room. Specially through these tough times the NT is going through.
Agreed! I also say that Martinez, Suarez, and Ayovi can be looked at as potential add-ins. I want Anangono to continue adapting to Chicago first and foremost- he still needs to prove his spot. Pertaining to the issue of Jefferson Montero- is it a crazy idea to have him play alongside Caicedo and slot Ibarra into his spot? With Chucho's spot, being as b9 so clearly stated, irreplaceable, I can at least see Montero's pace, and skill set on the ball being interesting to complement Caicedo in the striker-forward combo. Ibarra is faster than Montero, and has a great desborde. Could it be that this is a new set-up? Just thinking out loud. 2- Montero/Caicedo 4- Ibarra/Castillo/Noboa/Valencia or play with 1 defensive midfielder and put Mendez behind Montero/Caicedo?
I was thinking a 4-5-1 with Montero, Noboa, Castillo, Valencia but Alex Colon as an enganche. I feel like he adds another dimension to our game which is our lack of creativity in the midfield. Not only that but the dude has a good outside shot which our team drastically needs. I can't remember 1 goal from outside the 18 these entire qualifiers! I did like the idea of playing Montero next to Caicedo. He's beginning to show he can score or make that smart final play that we felt he lacked not too long ago. I think Fidel Martinez could play the left wing if that's the case. We can also add Ibarra as a super sub into the mix as well as Suarez and Guerron who would be great to have back in our NT again..
Not crazy at all. It's actually an idea that came to my mind as well. Montero has improved a lot lately. He doesn't only play on the left wing. In some games it looks like he's another striker on the field and with the number of goals hes scoring lately, i don't find the idea crazy at all it's actually something I was thinking about too. Either him or Ibarra. But I honestly think Montero is more prepared to play alongside Caicedo than Ibarra is. Ibarra as a left winger isn't a bad idea either. He's the best of all wingers after Montero and Valencia. I'd say the most complete. I think it depends on the formation we play. If we continue with the 4-4-2, Montero, Fidel Martinez, Cristian Suarez, Juan Anangono, Jaime Ayovi and even Guerron are all players that can play up front with Caicedo. I actually saw a few minutes of Guerron's game like 2 days ago out of curiosity and he's positioned as a long striker in his team. It's a position that Guerron has been playing a lot in the last few years. The issue is that Rueda won't call him up, but he's still got that sprint. Fidel Martinez can adapt to this position as well. He played up front with Duvier Riascos in Tijuana the entire season, sometimes as a striker and other times as a winger. Fidel Martinez can score when given the chance too. Cristian Suarez hasn't played as a forward in a long time (since he was in El nacional). When he played in that position he was devestating, although he did miss a ton of opportunities on goal. I think in that aspect, he's gotten better. He has speed, strength, maybe not as much agility as chucho, but he has similar qualities- he uses both feet when dribbling and shooting. Juan Anangono is a good option to sub in for Caicedo, but i don't think he'd play well next to Caicedo. As far as Jaime Ayovi, he's just about to debut in Liga. I think it's positive that he's back in Ecuador and although he has a lot of haters that don't believe in him, some of us actually see good qualities in him that could suit us well. I think Jaime and Felipe would be an interesting combination as long as Felipe drops back a bit in the field. and as much as some of you might not like the idea, I'll step up and put Marlon De Jesus in as a good option. Marlon is a player that suffered the same issues Benitez did at the beginning of his career- creates danger but has poor finishing. Maybe Marlon's issue is to a higher degree than Benitez, but I think it's important to work with him. Many commentators in Ecuador (even in Fox Sports) say that if Marlon had better finishing, he'd be playing in one of the top leagues in Europe, and I don't doubt that. He's physically a beast if you ask me. Strength, speed, he can dribble and hold the ball pretty well compared to other tall ecua strikers, and his positioning is good....the one thing he drives everyone nuts about is his finishing- which is the most important thing a striker must have. But I have hope that in the near future he'll fix that problem and it will go away slowly. My dad told me Agustin Delgado's early stages were similar to Marlon's and that el Tin was rejected by the majority of people when he was younger b/c of the mamadas he'd have. But I think we should invest time with De Jesus, there's potential there even though I know there will be times he'll make us suffer.
Chucho's passing is catastrophic on all levels, no less from a footballing perspective. Timing couldn't have been any worse - the year before the World Cup with must-win matches ahead. Aside from recent few matches, this has been widely acknowledged as our best team ever, reaching the FIFA Top 10 ranking. Now a fundamental piece is gone. Ironically the last game against Argentina happened to be where everyone realized exactly how much he is needed on this team. As b9d says, he is our link between midfield and attack. I said a few times on these forums that he's our Messi, and "Chucho, we can't live with him, and we can't live without him". We are now forced to live without him under the most terrible of circumstances. So a major loss requires a major change. I honestly have no idea what Rueda will come up with, but we will have to play with an improvised striker, because all of our other options up front have major drawbacks: Yoya - just returned from a long injury Anangono - untested at this level; not a prolific scorer at club level Guerron - has not been part of the process; playing in a low-caliber league Martinez - untested at this level Tenorio - aging and injury-prone de Jesus - untested at this level I don't have a solution at this point. Montero has no experience playing in the middle of the field, and he does best with space to run into. But I guess he's the only option with a similar playing style to Chucho. Then who goes on the left wing? Ibarra and Valencia have only ever played on the right wing. Christian Suarez has lost his club form. I like Michael Arroyo but he never gets called up (why not?). Joao Rojas is clearly not the solution either. Unfortunately there are only questions at this point and very few answers.
One question...someone probably knows the answer- Is Felipe Caicedo suspended for the game against Colombia? He got a yellow against Argentina if i'm not mistaken and he already had one to his name before that. So that's a double downer for the next game against Colombia if im correct. I just noticed right now and the game against Spain is in 13 days. So it's not premature to start drawing names for this upcoming list. I think a few new faces won't hurt this time around. GK: Dominguez, Banguera, Bone Def: JC Paredes, John Narvaez, Jairo Campos, Fricson Erazo, Gabriel Achilier, Oscar Bagui, Walter Ayovi....there's space for one more name and I'm liking what Im seeing from Pedro Velasco the last 2 months or more. He knocked Paredes out of the starting line up completely. Not a bad idea if you ask me. Narvaez plays as a right back in Emelec, but he's no stranger to the center back position so i'd include him in this list as either or. Mid: Noboa, Castillo, Saritama, Gruezo (i think it's time), Colon/Arroyo/Mendez, Valencia, Ibarra, Rojas Fwd: Caicedo, Montero, Tenorio, F. Martinez/ De Jesus momentarily, i'd discard Anangono b/c he just came to the MLS and he hasn't been active, J. Ayovi would be out the list only b/c he hasn't had playing time yet and he's coming back from an injury, Suarez is coming back from an injruy as well, and Guerron is an option but Rueda most likely won't select him. And i don't know if you guys have been watching Gabriel Corozo (juvenil) from Liga. That kid is the future. Flawless in defense. Never seen an 18 year old ecuadorian defender like that. I dare to say he's the best in the country right now due to his performances in the campeonato as both a center back and a left back. He won't be in ecuador too long, players like that don't come too often. But due to his age and lack of international experience it will always be considered a risk to include him in this list.
I say right now the best option for Caicedo is Montero and/or Matinez. Both have preformed great in the Mexican league and in Libertadores (Martinez). IMO I'd keep Montero on the left and have Martinez as a FW. So more of a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1. I cannot name any Ecuadorian that has preformed as good as both of them in any league. There is no one else that deserves the call up more than Martinez. I'm a "Ayovi" hater lol. I think he just isn't good. He failed in Mexico and Middle East!!! He only preformed good in Ecuador because Ecuadorian team have terrible defenders.
I've been hearing good things about Corozo, but do you think Rueda is so bold to make a move like this? I think he's actually been pretty conservative in his call-ups. To be honest, it's when he's risked a little more that we've got that big result.
I think there's always exceptions to the rule when there's players at Corozo's level. When Antonio made it into the NT, he was that good. At 18 or 19 years old. Gabriel Corozo is a future crack and even today he's far more talented than almost all defenders in the country. Maybe Erazo, Achilier, and Campos have the upper-hand on him due to experience, but I personally think Corozo is that good. I hope in a few years I can go back to this post and see that my prediction was right, but I think he'll be a key player to our NT in the next Qualifier at some point. And if I compare him with Hormiga Paredes, there's no way Paredes is better than Corozo and I'm convinced of that. Carlos Gruezo from Barcelona is another great player, although he does have his flaws but he's another one with a bright future. Last year I saw him as one of the best juveniles and this year is no different. But if Rueda left him out the list (which is most likely to happen), I'd be ok with it and understand. Pedro Quinonez's experience knocks Gruezo out the ball park. The good thing is that Gruezo has had some international experience now with the U-17 in the World Cup and with Barcelona in both Copas as well as winning the campeonato. So I don't doubt Rueda has him somewhere in his mind as an option, it's just that Gruezo isn't leading the list. The reason I would include Gruezo on the list is b/c I believe that it will help the "proceso" so it doesn't kick our asses as bad in the future. If you think about it, we have Saritama (29 or 30 yrs old), Castillo (31), Noboa (28), Pedro Quinonez (27). Where's the future center mid? At least one? That's why we need to start including a young prospect so we don't go insane a few years from now b/c Castillo is gone or b/c Noboa is injured and no one else can substitute him. As far as Pedro Velasco, I think he can make the cut this time. He's been getting lots of playing time since he was 17 yrs old in D.Quito all the way til now that he's in Barcelona and benched JC Paredes, the starting right back of the NT. Velasco has had a decent amount of international experience at his age playing Libertadores and Sudamericana. And there's no doubt John Narvaez should make the list too based on his performances in Emelec. I'm not saying these guys should get any playing time at all if Rueda doesn't need them, but we need to think in the future and start including these guys in. Their performances lately and their experience accumulated at their young ages makes them deserving of it.
I can't deny that for the next call up I would like to see Fidel Martinez, Michael Arroyo, Yoya Ayovi, Joffre Guerron and both Luis and Miller bolanos. I think that this would be an arsenal of offense against a team like Spain and even more against the Colombians and Bolivians. FIdel Martinez I see as a huge asset especially since he's been scoring frequently in Xolos de Tijuana., Martinez isl ike our version of Neymar at least to me he resembles him
when they're all at their best they are fierce. The problem is Yoya is just coming back from a long injury and recently just got a few minutes w/ Liga this weekend on Sunday against Manta. So we may just have to wait for him. Luis Bolanos....hmmm we'll see. I always thought Bolanos was a great player, but his lack of discipline pissed me off, I hope he's changed for the better. He wasted the best years of his career doing nothing and wasting time. i hope he realized that and takes advantage of the last few years he's got left (he's 28 now). Fidel Martinez- he's ready to go. I'd love to see him on the NT. Same with Guerron. He may not play in the best league in the world, but if he's professional and stays in top shape like I'm pretty sure he does, he'll be a great addition to the NT. If there's one player Rueda should not ignore, it's Guerron. Benitez and Caicedo both made it in THIS qualifier after going through hell in the last one. Guerron would have had his shine in this Qualifier, but Rueda didn't allow it. Arroyo- YES, i think it's the right time to bring him back.
I can't wait for the convocatoria against Spain for next weeks friendly, I'm excited to see if Guerron or Fidel Martinez make the list even the Bolanos. I want to see our team become an attacking machine so that we could qualify peacefully to the world cup. I think with Michael Arroyo and Guerron on the field we would be pretty lethal against opposition such as Colombia and even more Bolivia. Lets keep our fingers crossed that we get some good offensive call ups and qualify to Brazil next year!R.I.P Chucho you are really going to be missed.
Of all the matches left, Colombia is the one where I'm least optimistic of getting any points. They are on a great streak and have top players in every line. Chucho's passing obviously has an enormous impact. Psychologically it could motivate the team, as you can see almost all of our guys have scored for their clubs which is one of the most amazing things I've seen. However most of our options are severely limited, and someone is going to have to step up and shine to fill Chucho's shoes. My vote goes for Fidel because he has the qualities of a supporting striker, but Chucho was such a fixture on the NT that nobody else has been tried in that position for 6 years. Or we can try Montero there and put Fidel or bring back Arroyo on the left side. At least Arroyo has shown that he belongs on the NT. Guerron is also an option but a supporting striker needs to pass more, I can't see him and Caicedo making a good partnership. I find it strange how quiet Rueda has been about this whole thing. I understand his father passed away recently, so he's probably been away. But Chucho's death was tragic and historical for Ecuador in both football and national respects. When is he going to issue some statements and talk about the impact on his plans for the team?
The list is out guys: Arqueros: Banguera Máximo (Barcelona) Domínguez Alexander (Liga de Quito) Bone Adrián (El Nacional) Defensas: Paredes Juan Carlos (Barcelona) Corozo Gabriel (Liga de Quito) Achillier Gabriel (Emelec) Erazo Frickson (Barcelona) Guagua Jorge (Deportivo Quito) Ayoví Walter (Pachuca de México) Bagüí Óscar (Emelec) Volantes: Noboa Christian (Dínamo Moscú de Rusia) Quiñonez Pedro (Emelec) Castillo Segundo (Al-Hilal de Arabia Saudita) Méndez Edison (Liga de Quito) Saritama Luis Fernando (Liga de Quito) Arroyo Michael (Barcelona) Montero Jefferson (Morelia de México) Rojas Joao (Cruz Azul de México) Delanteros: Caicedo Felipe (Lokomotiv de Rusia) De Jesús Marlon (Emelec) Ibarra Renato (Vitesse de Holanda) Mina Narciso (América de México) Great call by Rueda. The only player who doesn't belong on this list in Jorge Guagua. WHERE IS JOHN NARVAEZ??? What else does this kid have to do to make it to the NT? I'd say Narvaez and Fidel are the only players missing, but for that to happen Guagua and Mendez would have to be cut. Everyone else deserves the call up. The surprise of the list (although it shouldn't be a surprise at this point), is Gabriel Corozo, 18 year old center-back/left-back/right-back from Liga de Quito. THANK YOU RUEDA! I knew that between Gabriel Corozo, John Narvaez, and Pedro Velasco, one of these guys was going to make it to the NT. At first I gave Narvaez and Velasco the upper-hand because they're more experienced and have been part of the U-20 process on the NT and both of them have international experience at club level. But knowing Rueda, it's not much of a surprise that he chose Corozo. All three of these players can play multiple positions- and that's something that Rueda loves. Corozo has proved to be absolutely flawless in defense. He's played as a left back, right back, carrilero on both sides, and mostly plays as a center back despite him not being so tall. I said it a few days ago, this kid is the present and future. He's bound to a be a star. I thought Rueda wouldn't call him up b/c he's too young, but honestly he's one of the few that's an exception to the rule. Good luck to Corozo, he's gonna give Paredes a headache for the starting position without a doubt and might even fight for a starting spot as a center back. The good thing is Corozo can literally play anywhere in defense. Besides that, I'm glad Arroyo is back I think he's almost back to the level he was at last year and has been improving a lot lately. I'm happy to see Mendez on the list since Antonio isn't going to be with us for this game. Rueda didn't call Mendez up by accident- it's more so to motivate Mendez and to make sure there's a leader present in the squad, especially in times like these where we need motivation and someone to lift our spirits up and help our players believe in themselves. Good call Reinaldo! I think we could have seen Carlos Tenorio on this list, but i'm pretty sure Rueda wants someone who is 100% compromised w/ the cause and Tenorio seems like he's undecided right now. Good to see Marlon on the list, i think he's definitely a player we should start working on just like we did with Chucho 6 years ago. I know a lot of people won't agree with me, but if we are patient and work hard with Marlon I'd like to think we'll see a great goleador in the years to come. Dominguez; Corozo, Achilier, Erazo, Ayovi; Noboa, Castillo; Ibarra, Mendez (Arroyo), Montero; Caicedo 4-2-3-1 or Dominguez; Corozo, Achilier, Erazo, Ayovi; Ibarra, Noboa, Castillo, Montero; Arroyo (De Jesus), Caicedo