Ecuador Names Squad

No surprises as Ecuador name World Cup squad


QUITO, May 2 (Reuters) - Ecuador has named the 23 players who will represent them at their first World Cup as they became the first South American country to decide on their squad for the tournament in Japan and South Korea.

Ecuador have one of the world's most settled teams and there were no surprises as coach Hernan Dario Gomez named his squad on Thursday, 19 days before the final FIFA deadline.

Gomez, a Colombian who led his own country at France '98, stuck by the players who took Ecuador through the South American World Cup campaign.

Veteran captain Alex Aguinaga, who has been dogged by a troublesome knee in the last year and will be 34 when the tournament starts, and striker Agustin Delgado, who has also been plagued by injury, were both included.

Delgado, Ecuador's leading scorer in the qualifiers with nine goals, has only played four matches since last November, having undergone two knee operations in that period.

There was no last-minute reprieve for strikers Eduardo Hurtado and Angel Graziani, who have both been dropped by Gomez early in his reign as coach.

The small Andean nation has been gripped by World Cup fever since the start of the year and Thursday's event was broadcast live on television.

"I'm always happy when I watch Ecuador play but we do not have a history in the World Cup," said Gomez.

Ecuador travel to the United States on Monday, where they played Yugoslavia in a friendly, before going to the Far East.

They face Croatia, Italy and Mexico in their first round group G.

Goalkeepers - Jose Cevallos (Barcelona), Geovanny Ibarra (El Nacional), Daniel Viteri (Emelec)

Defenders - Ulises De la Cruz (Hibernian, Scotland), Augusto Porozo (Emelec) Ivan Hurtado (Barcelona), Geovanni Espinoza (Aucas), Raul Guerron (Deportivo Quito), Marlon Ayovi (Deportivo Quito)

Midfielders - Edwin Tenorio (Barcelona), Luis Gomez (Barcelona), Alfonso Obregon (Liga de Quito), Edison Mendez (Deportivo Quito), Cleber Chala (El Nacional), Juan Carlos Burbano (El Nacional), Alex Aguinaga (Necaxa-Mexico), Wellington Sanchez (Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Emelec)

Forwards - Carlos Tenorio (Liga de Quito), Angel Fernandez (El Nacional) Ivan Kaviedes (Barcelona), Nicolas Ascencio (Barcelona), Agustin Delgado (Southampton, England)
05/02/02 21:27 ET