QUITO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador manager Sebastian Beccacece said concentration would be key as his team seeks to consolidate its position in South America's World Cup qualifying places against Paraguay on Thursday.

Ecuador are currently fourth in the 10-team CONMEBOL group with 11 points from eight qualifiers, two points ahead of seventh-placed Paraguay.

"It will be a match of very high risk and we will need maximum concentration," Beccacece told a news conference on Wednesday.

"We will try to control the match in the knowledge that Paraguay's defense can be hard to break down. The quality of our movement and the way we attack will be crucial."

The Argentine added: "We will need to be very well organized because a lapse of concentration or a turnover could be costly. Paraguay have fast players who can hurt you on the counterattack as well as being very good in aerial duels."

Beccacece played down the importance of playing at an altitude of 2,850m above sea level in Quito, saying it did not give his team a notable advantage.

"It's not such a decisive factor for us because the majority of our players are not from here and also don't play here," he said.

The top six teams in the group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The seventh-ranked side will advance to an inter-continental playoff. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)