Ecuador will face “mature” rivals , according to Rueda

Technical director of the Ecuadorian soccer team, Reinaldo Rueda,  said yesterday that the team will play against  “mature” rivals as France and Switzerland in the 2014 World Cup, so the team cannot have any distraction in the initial phase of the competition.

The tricolor is part of the Group E  alongside Switzerland, France and Honduras, which Rueda directed in the World Cup of South Africa 2010 .

“They are selections that have World Cup experience, very mature teams and we must face all with the same intensity as all the matches will be very intense”, said the Colombian technician in reference to European rivals.

Ecuador went through a hard South American eliminatory, in which it finished fourth to enter its third World Cup after not qualifying for South Africa 2010.

The Ecuadorian team will play against Switzerland in Brasilia on June 15, with Honduras in Curitiba and with France in Rio de Janeiro.

Rueda said that the cities that the team  will play  have climatic conditions in which Ecuadorian soccer players “have a good performance “.

Ecuador will seek to at least match their performance at the 2006 World Cup, where they passed to the second round.