Country profile: Ecuador

Ecuador overcame tragedy on the way to the 2014 World Cup when striker Christian Benitez, who scored in three of their World Cup qualifying matches, died of a heart attack in Qatar where he was playing his club football.

The 27-year-old passed away in July, little more than one month after playing in the qualifier away to Peru which turned out to be his final game.

"Christian will always be in our hearts and our minds, wherever we go," said captain Antonio Valencia after they clinched their place in Brazil.

Ecuador qualified largely to thanks to their form at home in Quito, at 2,800 metres above sea level, where they dropped only two points in eight games.

With Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero on the flanks, and two full-backs who also push up in Juan Carlos Paredes and Walter Ayovi, they are formidable going forward although their attacking prowess is not matched by the current crop of defenders.

A 4-2 friendly defeat to a second-string German side, where the Ecuadoreans found themselves four goals behind after only 23 minutes, in May was a rude awakening.

Their 4-0 defeat to Argentina in the qualifiers has also raised doubts about their ability to defend against world class opposition.

Like Hernan Dario Gomez and Luis Fernandez Suarez, the previous two coaches who have led Ecuador at the World Cup, the 56-year-old Rueda is from neighbouring Colombia.

He will be making his second successive World Cup appearance, having led Honduras in South Africa in 2010, although they went out in the group stage without scoring a goal.

Rueda was under severe pressure after his team finished bottom of their group in the 2011 Copa America but clung on to his job on the back of some important wins in Quito and rebuilt the side.

He was not a professional player himself and began his coaching career with Cortulua, Deportivo Cali and Independiente Medellin. After spells coaching the Colombian under-20 team, he was in charge of the senior side from 2004-06.

The worldwide audience will be more familiar with Antonio Valencia on the right flank, yet the Manchester United player could find himself overshadowed by Jefferson Montero on the left.

The 24-year-old's speed, trickery and electric finishing make him an instant crowd pleaser and he can be unplayable on his day.

In his best performance of the qualifiers, he single-handedly shredded the Paraguay defence to ribbons, scoring two goals and brilliantly setting up a third.

Montero's progress has been hampered by a rather chequered club career. Already, he has played at Emelec and Independiente Jose Teran at home, been loaned to Sinaloa in Mexico, moved to Villarreal in Spain, then loaned to Levante and Betis. He is now at Morelia in Mexico.

Fourth in South American qualifying group.

Previous World Cup appearances (2): 2002, 2006.

Best performances: Last 16: 2006.

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