Ecuador coach Beccacece slams Mexico travel chaos

Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador's coach, voiced his displeasure with the organization of the team's travel in Mexico City ahead of their World Cup match. The press conference, scheduled for 7:45 PM, was delayed, and Beccacece appeared visibly annoyed by the itinerary disruptions.

“

We don't know exactly what happened. We were scheduled to arrive at 6:00 PM (Mexico time). The players still haven't reached the hotel (past 9:00 PM). A flight of a little over three hours plus 1 hour and 20 minutes of transfer ended up being nine hours.

Beccacece detailed a journey that was supposed to take three hours but stretched to nine. "We don't know exactly what happened. We were scheduled to arrive at 6:00 PM (Mexico time). The players still haven't reached the hotel (past 9:00 PM). A flight of a little over three hours plus 1 hour and 20 minutes of transfer ended up being nine hours," he explained. He contrasted this experience with the punctuality observed during matches against Costa de Marfil, Curazao, and Germany in other cities.

Despite the organizational challenges, Beccacece stressed that the team is prepared for a physically demanding game against Mexico, one of the tournament hosts. He acknowledged Mexico's strong performance in the group stage, winning all three matches and benefiting from home advantage. However, he asserted that external factors would not decide the winner, but rather which team demonstrates greater concentration and effectiveness in front of goal.

“

Here it has not been the same.

Goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle echoed Beccacece's sentiment, downplaying internal factors and emphasizing the team's unity. He stated their readiness to play for 90 or 120 minutes, and potentially go to penalties. The team arrived in Mexico City, a vibrant host for its third World Cup, with decorations reflecting the tournament's history.

“

External factors will not be decisive in determining the winner of the match; the final result will depend on which team is more concentrated and has greater effectiveness when it comes to breaching the opponent's goal.