A few days ago the important Spanish newspaper ACE After observing the performance of the different teams in the first two dates that compete in the Copa América, he drew his conclusions about the level of several of them and included Ecuador. Unsurprisingly, the host was labeled the strongest candidate to win the title. On Argentina he said that he should improve if he aspires to be the winner. He described Chile as a complicated team, because it knows how to defend itself and counter-attack dangerously. De Colombia said that the triumph over La Tri represented a key victory, without fanfare. And about our selection, the newspaper made a diverse reflection, but very close to the truth. The comment revealed the unfortunate performance that the Ecuadorian cast has shown in their latest performances: “A remarkable step back in recent months for Gustavo Alfaro’s team, from which much more was expected in their match against Colombia. Very far from generating the danger that it showed not so long ago in the qualifying matches to Qatar 2022. The talent that the Tri accumulates must take a step forward ”.
This analysis of ACEIn its context, it reveals a general framework that without much effort is envisioned by those of us who live with our championship and the performance of our players abroad on a day-to-day basis. Those of us who know the sad stories of tied calls, the best moments of the National Team, but also the deplorable eliminations, know that in Copa América we have always been closer to pitiful failures than to successful events. Those of us who are aware of all these elements do have the obligation not to remain only in the context of the Spanish newspaper, but to deeply analyze the reasons. The Ecuadorian fans would not forgive us if we dedicate ourselves to giving diagnoses without analyzing the reasons and giving a prescription that could be adequate, a journalistic style that does not always appeal to leaders and selectors.
What happened to Alfaro so that he has lost the north of the team, so that in such a short time the applause has been exhausted and the criticism has arisen? I think that, in understandable words, he has taken a belly dive, because with his initial successes, a product of logic in his performances, he now took it upon himself to do the opposite of what he had prematurely accustomed us to. What is striking is that, being Alfaro a strategist with a career, it is very rare that all that has happened so quickly. There is still a veil of intrigue about where he should have more certainties than blunders, such as: a good call, an adequate alignment and a correct tactical disposition.. To everyone’s shame, in these last three games not even the modifications made, which they tried to correct, were decisive, because they were all late amendments. The use of players without rhythm, without ownership in their clubs has also attracted attention, a subject of which no one has dared to give a credible explanation.
What has been surprising in recent press conference interventions is that, in the style of a pulpit priest, Alfaro insists that he is following the steps necessary to find the philosopher’s stone that others have led him astray. He referred, trying to mitigate errors, to extra-football issues that to date have not had an explanation. The arguments only tried, without success, to explain and even justify the reason for the defeat against Peru in Quito (1-2). The DT must know that this old habit of blaming motives without identifying them makes him a partner in complicit silence. Something similar happened in the fall against Colombia (0-1), where his explanation went more to make us believe that we should have triumphed, when we know in practice that Colombia won the game by playing badly.
However, the key question at the moment is: is it feasible that Gustavo Alfaro can set course? I sincerely believe that, as long as the Argentine coach echoes his own convictions, he must understand that in times of crisis he should find the solution in himself. It has to land in reality, being self-critical, logical, coherent, firm and autonomous. Alfaro must commit himself again to all those people that he himself deluded. To achieve this, you must be reactionary enough and modify your work plan, under your sole responsibility.. Keep in mind that, in football, at the moment of triumph, the truck will be full of heroes and in failure you will be left alone with no one helping you get off.
A question that took shape in the Ecuadorian soccer society after the three losses in a row was: who advises Mr. Alfaro? And that questioning has weight when analyzing the alignments that give the impression of not being their absolute responsibility, because of their misguidance. Only a stroke of the rudder will help the technician to show us that, both in victory and in defeat, everything is his absolute responsibility and responsibility..
I am convinced that what Alfaro did in the first round of the qualifying rounds was not a stroke of chance or a coincidence in Pascuales. Those triumphs against Uruguay (4-2), Bolivia, (3-2) and the beating of the linajuda Colombia (6-1) were the product of their knowledge. For that reason, I still trust that I can recover the identity and originality that the football of our team showed the world a few months ago.
Hopefully the Copa América will not become a laboratory again, claiming that the main thing is qualifying for the World Cup, as the Guarachero from Medellín repeated a thousand times.. Turning this contest into an experiment is nonsense, because, although Conmebol has made great efforts to discredit it, it is still, due to its history, an important and desired cup by most countries, even by those who have already registered their name. as champions. With these antecedents surrounding our performances from 1949 to date in the tournament, even the following question may be valid: is the Copa América a ‘cursed’ tournament for Ecuador? If we stop to review the numbers that confirm the resounding failure, it would seem that a curse has always been lurking.But those of us who believe in soccer and its intrinsic nature know that the origin of failures are not curses, but bad decisions and in the case of the America’s Cup those reasons have abounded.
Will Brazil 2021 be the same as always for our national team? A timely correction releases future regrets. Alfaro must be clear about it and demonstrate it. He is the project leader. Let her power depend less on words and more on the quality of her governance, without allowing anyone or anything to distract her. That everyone in the environment, including the players, understand that the success of the results is closely linked to external and internal preparation, on the court and in the offices. May the coach remember that phrase he uttered when he first took over the Tricolor: “This is a matter of belief and I can tell people to stay calm, because everyone in the national team is predisposed and committed.”
That’s right, Mr. Gustavo Alfaro, we also hope that this is the case, because, after all, a popular illusion is at stake. (OR)