Player Ratings vs. Poland

It’s time to take a stab at player ratings after the 2-0 win against Poland on day 1 of the World Cup.

Ratings are out of 10. They may seem a little high, but it was probably the biggest win in Ecuador’s history, so you’ll have to forgive some hyperbole.

Starters:

Cristian Mora (GK) - 6 - On the one hand, the defense made sure Mora wasn’t too tested today. On the other hand, without some saving graces and woodwork and blocked shots by the defense, things could have been much different. But considering the clean sheet and the sweet face paint, good on ya Mora. Let’s hope FIFA doesn’t convene tomorrow and outlaw warpaint like Mora displayed. (Mora had Ecuador’s flag painted on each of his cheeks. On his face.)

Ulises de la Cruz (D) - 7 - UDLC was part of a defense that carried Ecuador and frustrated Poland all day long. I though he sort of disappeared at times, but he was rarely out of position.

Ivan Hurtado (D) - 9 - El Capi, El Bam Bam. Before his injury, Hurtado was a complete rock in defense. One thing that always strikes me is that even when things are going to hell, Hurtado is calm and cool. Assuming his injury is not serious, he will be the key to Ecuador’s chances at advancement. And nobody else has appeared in more World Cup qualifiers that Hurtado. Ever.

Giovanny Espinoza (D) - 9 - Some readers think La Sombra should have been the man of the match. There are many candidates, and Espinoza is a good one. Again, he was part of a defense that just wouldn’t allow the Poles to score. A very solid performance.

Neicer Reasco (D) - 8 - Reasco played great defense against Poland, and also had some nice runs that kept the Poles honest in their half of the field.

Edison Mendez (M) - 6 - Provided nice leadership, and placed some dangerous free kicks, but didn’t seem to dominate midfield like he is capable of doing. No real complaints, but just no dominance. I expected more from Mendez, even though it didn’t matter in the end.

Segundo Castillo (M) - 5 - Some very nice shots at the beginning of the match, but seemed to take on a reduced role as the game wore on.

Jose Valencia (M) - 8 - Some nice aggressive play from young Valencia. He’s going to be a special player. Hey, maybe he already is.

Edwin Tenorio (M) - 7 - The Heart of Ecuador acquitted himself nicely in this game, helping to ensure some nice transitions up field from his side.

Carlos Tenorio (F) - 8 - Super Teno was a beast in the first half, and netted the team’s first goal. Beyond that he really kept the Poland defense on their collective toes. He ran out of steam in the second half, although I will allow that he has been injured as of late. He and Tin proved to be a nice strike force, at least today.

Agustin Delgado (F) - 9 - I thought El Tin was out of the match for long stretches of time, but still he managed to score a goal and get an assist. Hard to nitpick at that kind of World Cup performance. Even though the ESPN announcers called him the “Tin Man”, I gotta give him his proppas.

Subs:

Ivan Kaviedes (63’ for C. Tenorio) - 7 - Kaviedes’ first several touches seemed clumsy, and El Nine didn’t seem to get into the flow for some time. As a likely 2nd-half sub for the remainder of the tournament, he’ll need to get into the groove sooner. Still, he did assist the game-clinching goal. And hey, my Ecua shirt has “El Nine 10” on it, so I can’t complain.

Jorge Guagua (69’ for Hurtado) - 6 - It’s a tall order to sub for the rock that is Bam Bam Hurtado, but Jorge did a fine job in maintaining the nice form of Ecuador’s defense against Poland toward the end of the game.

Patricio Urrutia (83’ Delgado) - NA - Not really on enough to rate a grade. Came on more to give El Tin a break that anything else.

Coaching:

Luis Suarez - 10 - What can I say? Coach Suarez was secretive and, frankly, a little odd in the run up to the tournament. The friendlies seemed destined to failure, and the lineup seemed up in the air until the last minute. But maybe LFS is crazy like a fox. The team seemed completely prepared, and stuck to their guns until the game was won. No real complaints from the Ecuador Blog. But man, is there a lot left to accomplish in the next two weeks.

So just how ridiculous are these ratings? Let me know!