(Getty)
Four straight wins. Ecuador has opened World Cup qualifying undefeated, winning four straight matches and shooting to the top of the CONMEBOL standings. That includes wins over World Cup staples Uruguay and Argentina, and outscoring opponents 9-2 in their matches.
Ecuador reached the World Cup for just the third time in history in 2014, but didn’t advance past group play with a 1-1-1 record. They are now front-runners to return to the tournament, ahead of other CONMEBOL favorites like Brazil and Colombia.
One of Ecuador’s advantages is a difficult home stadium. Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa, site of tonight’s match, is nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. That elevation makes it tough for visiting teams to catch their breath, and Paraguay have been training in the nearby city of Guayaquil to acclimate. Ramon Diaz has Paraguay right in the thick of CONMEBOL qualifying, losing just once in their first four matches.
Here are the basics:
DATE: March 24, 2016
CHANNEL: beIN Sports
KICKOFF TIME: 5:00 p.m. Eastern
LOCATION: Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa
LIVE STREAM: Click here for all the live stream information
THE LINEUPS
Ecuador: Dreer, Paredes, Erazo, Guagua, Ayovi, Quinonez, Noboa, Martinez, Montero, Cazares, Ayovi
Paraguay: Villar, Valdez, Da Silva, Gomez, Samudio, Derlis, Ortigoza, Ortiz, Benitez, Lezcano, Benitez
Find out how to watch this game in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
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Ecuador vs. Paraguay: Time, Channel, & Lineup