ENGLAND v ECUADOR - MATCH PREVIEW
Andy Morgan

England - 1st, Group B

Group Statistics: W2 D1 L0 F5 A2 Pts7
Top Scorer: Steven Gerrard, 2 (40% of England's goals)
Clean Sheets: 2
Failed to Score: 0
Best World Cup record: Won once, 1966
2002 World Cup Record: Quarter-final defeat to Brazil
Overall World Cup statistics: World Cups, 12 P53 W24 D13 L16 F70 A47
Interesting Stat: England have been knocked out of the final stages of a World Cup by a South American side five times, in 1954 (Uruguay), 1962 (Brazil), 1986 (Argentina), 1998 (Argentina) and 2002 (Brazil).

Ecuador - 2nd, Group A

Group Statistics: W2 D0 L1 F5 A3 Pts6
Top Scorers: Agustin Delgado, Carlos Tenorio, 2 (40% of Ecuador's goals each)
Clean Sheets: 2
Failed to Score: 1
Best World Cup record: 2006 Finals
2002 World Cup Record: Did not qualify for Second Round, finishing bottom of Group G Overall World Cup statistics: World Cups 2, P6 W3 D0 L3 F7 A7
Interesting Stat: With two goal assists, Edison Mendez is second-top of the assist league alongside Francesco Totti, Luis Figo and David Beckham.

Match Preview

England's reward for finishing top of Group B is a seemingly straightforward Second Round tie against Ecuador in Stuttgart. Yet despite being beaten 3-0 by the hosts in their final Group game, the South American side will be no push-overs. They rested several key men against the Germans and will be far more acclimatised to the heat in Stuttgart, which is expected to top 32C. It looks like another Paraguay-style performance could be on the cards for England.

The major news is that centre-back Rio Ferdinand is likely to start, having shaken off the groin injury he sustained against Sweden. He is expected to return in a defence that also sees Owen Hargreaves replace Jamie Carragher at right-back. Hargreaves has earned his place in the side after a sterling performance as defensive-midfielder against Sweden and it is hard to believe that the Bayern Munich midfielder is still only twenty-five years old.

He has made thirty-one appearances for England but this will be only his eighth start. He does have a wide range of England experience and his versitility will be a positive against a changeable Ecuador side. Plus anyone who can play for Bayern Munich week-in week-out should not deserve the hostile reception he got when he came on against Argentina last November.

Tottenham Hotspur's Michael Carrick is expected to claim Hargreaves role against Sweden, playing just in front of the defence in a 4-1-4-1 formation. This is a risk as he only has two caps to his name (and both of those came as substitute) but there is no doubting his pivotal contribution in Spurs' success last season. He combines both elegant distribution and workman-like graft in the centre of the park and his performance could be the key as to whether England can thwart the Ecuadorians.

The 4-1-4-1 formation means that England's in-form striker Peter Crouch will be demoted to the bench in favour of Wayne Rooney. All eyes will be on the Manchester United frontman who also impressed against Sweden, which was his first England start during this World Cup. Expect Crouch to come on towards the end of the game however as with the crippling heat and Rooney still not completely match-fit then a replacement may be necessary. With Michael Owen out and England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson unwilling to play Theo Walcott, Crouch looks the obvious covering choice.

Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez believes that the nullification of Rooney is vital to his side's chances of progressing. Knowing that the striker can change the course of a game in a second, and that he is likely to punish Ecuador through his pace, the majority of the South American's preparations have been centred on trying to contain him. He is also taking little solice from England's poor World Cup performances so far, citing Brazil's lack of creativity in their opening two games as indicative of the threat England have the potential to cause.

With the threat of Rooney, the key to Ecuador's success may rest in the performance of Aston villa defender Ulises De La Cruz. The left-back states that the fact that Rooney is still not 100% match fit will be a benefit to his side and he threatens he will test the strength of Rooney's foot early in the game. Knowing that rattling Rooney may be the only way his defence can contain him, he insists that they will defend as a unit rather than mark players individually to snuff out not only the threat of Rooney but of England midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Ecuador will still be a threat because despite their mistake-littered defeat against Germany, they impressively saw off both Poland and Costa Rica in their opening group games. They also have a fully fit side with first-choice strikers Agustin Delgado and Carlos Tenorio both likely to start. Both players have scored twice already in this World Cup and Delgardo will be looking to go out on a high, having already announced that he will retire after this tournament.

Eriksson has already described the game against Ecuador as 'life or death', perhaps harking to his determination to leave a positive England legacy once Steve McClaren takes over from him on July 10. He cites the physical nature of Ecuador as their major strength and will be relying on Gerrard, Lampard and particularly Carrick to win some clattering challenges in the midfield.

His 4-1-4-1 formation is designed to do this in an attempt to nullify Ecuador's traditional 4-4-2 arrangement. Eriksson clearly believes that Ecuador will provide his team with space in the midfield and that a five-man midfield is best placed to exploit this. He is also aware that Ecuador thrive on the simple pass made in midfield and so the battle in this area is the one that must be won if England are to progress.

This is where Michael Carrick comes in and you feel it is his performance that is pivotal here. Against two strikers in Delgardo and Tenorio who like to hold the ball up, his ability to break down their attacks and play the simple ball to Lampard and Gerrard to attack with is the key to this game. After the defensive debacle against Sweden however, Eriksson insists he will keep to the same man-marking techniques he has tried and tested.

England should have too much for Ecuador and a comfortable victory is expected. But the heat will be of concern to Eriksson, who saw his side limp to a 1-0 victory against another unfashionable South American side in the first game of this World Cup. Despite this however, the stakes are higher now and it is hard to see beyond an England victory here. It may be torturous, it may be tight, but expect England to come through. But only just.

England are 2/5 to win in 90 minutes with Coral, a draw at 90 minutes is 5/2 with Coral and Ecuador are 7/1 to win in ninety minutes with Coral.

There are plenty of other betting options on the Coral England v Ecuador match coupon. You get a £10 free bet when you open a new account at Coral.

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