Chivas USA might not be the trendy pick to send a player to the World Cup, but the Goats now have two chances after veteran midfielder Oswaldo Minda was named to Ecuador's 30-man preliminary roster this week by Colombian manager Reinaldo Rueda. Newly acquired Chivas USA midfielder Marvin Chávez had already been named to the preliminary Honduras roster.
Minda, 30, represented Ecuador at the 2011 Copa América. Now in his third season as a holding midfielder for Chivas USA, he has scored two goals in his MLS career but is most notable for his remarkable ratio of 23 yellow cards in 44 regular-season appearances. He will hope to make the final 23-man roster, which must be submitted to FIFA by June 2.
Ecuador are returning to the World Cup after failing to qualify in 2010. In their last appearance, 2006, they reached the second round before being eliminated by England.
Ecuador's roster includes five players from that 2006 squad, including Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia. Seven players ply their trade in Liga MX, including Clausura 2014 leading scorer Enner Valencia and Tijuana players Jaime Ayoví and Fidel Martínez, who played against the LA Galaxy in this year's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.
Prior to the World Cup, Ecuador will play friendlies in the United States against both Mexico and England. On May 31, Ecuador and Mexico will meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (get tickets), while Ecuador will take on England at SunLife Stadium in Miami on June 4. At the World Cup, Ecuador will face Switzerland, France and Honduras in Group E.
GOALKEEPERS (3):
Máximo Banguera (Barcelona SC - Ecuador / 27yrs)
Adrián Bone (El Nacional - Ecuador / 25yrs)
Alexander Domínguez (LDU Quito - Ecuador / 26yrs)
DEFENDERS (8):
Gabriel Achilier (Emelec - Ecuador / 29yrs)
Walter Ayoví (Pachuca - Mexico / 34yrs)
Oscar Bagüí (Emelec - Ecuador / 31yrs)
Frickson Erazo (Flamengo - Brazil / 26yrs)
Jorge Guagua (Emelec - Ecuador / 32yrs)
John Narváez (Emelec - Ecuador / 22yrs)
Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona SC - Ecuador / 26yrs)
Cristian Ramírez (Fortuna Düsseldorf - Germany / 19yrs)
MIDFIELDERS (11):
Michael Arroyo (Atlante - Mexico / 27yrs)
Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal - Saudi Arabia / 31yrs)
Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart - Germany / 19yrs)
Renato Ibarra (Vitesse - Netherlands / 23yrs)
Fidel Martínez (Club Tijuana - Mexico / 24yrs)
Édison Méndez (Independiente Santa Fe - Colombia / 35yrs)
Oswaldo Minda (Chivas USA - United States / 30yrs)
Christian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow - Russia / 29yrs)
Pedro Quiñónez (Emelec - Ecuador / 28yrs)
Luis Saritama (Barcelona SC - Ecuador / 30yrs)
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United - England / 28yrs)
FORWARDS (8):
Jaime Ayoví (Club Tijuana - Mexico / 26yrs)
Felipe Caicedo (Al Jazira Club - United Arab Emirates / 25yrs)
Ángel Mena (Emelec - Ecuador / 26yrs)
Jefferson Montero (Monarcas Morelia - Mexico / 24yrs)
Cristian Penilla (Barcelona SC - Ecuador / 23yrs)
Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul - Mexico / 24yrs)
Enner Valencia (Pachuca - Mexico / 24yrs)
Armando Wila (Barcelona SC - Ecuador / 29yrs)
