ECUADOR PUTS ON A SHOW AT THE WORLD CUP! Curaçao, First Time at the Cup, Comes After 1-7 with the Germans - Beccacece Ain't Joking, Advocaat Cries on the Bench!

Yo, check it out what match is coming Saturday! Ecuador - Curaçao, in Group E of the World Cup, at 7 PM at Kansas City Stadium, live on Digi Sport 1. I already placed a bet, 'cause it smells like a show.

Ecuador, coached by Sebastian Beccacece, is the clear favorite. But don't get fooled - they're coming off an unexpected 0-1 loss to Ivory Coast, where Amad Diallo scored at the end. And just like that, the South Americans broke that streak of 19 unbeaten matches, 13 with a clean sheet. Ouch, first loss in two years! Beccacece probably tore the players a new one in the meeting, 'cause now they gotta bounce back.

On the other side, Curaçao is at their first ever final tournament. And what a debut: 1-7 against Germany! Man, they held on for 38 minutes, but then the dam broke. Coach Dick Advocaat, 78 years old - that's older than my mother-in-law Veta, who keeps saying she knows football - is trying to get his players to play the whole match the same way. Good luck, boss! 'Cause if you couldn't handle the Germans, with the Ecuadorians jumping like cats on the grass...

In the group there's also Germany and Ivory Coast, both with wins in the first round. They face each other directly. If Ecuador wins, they recover ground no matter what happens in the other match. But if they lose to Curaçao too, it's doom. The last match against Germany would be just for the record. So Beccacece can't underestimate anyone.

Ecuador qualified through CONMEBOL qualifiers, with a solid run based on defense and the altitude advantage in Quito. Curaçao came through CONCACAF, taking advantage of the expanded format and counterattacks. Now, on neutral ground in the USA, we'll see how long the story lasts.

Ecuador's squad is full of names: goalkeepers Galindez, Ramirez, Valle; defenders Estupinan, Hincapie, Pacho, Ordonez, Torres, Porozo, Preciado; midfielders Caicedo, Franco, Minda, Vite, Arevalo, Paez, Alcivar, Angulo, Valencia, Yeboah, Denil Castillo, Plata; forwards Enner Valencia, Kevin Rodriguez, Jordy Caicedo, Yaimar Medina. Don't forget: Enner Valencia is the captain, an old and experienced lad.

Now, if you ask me, I say Ecuador rules the group. Curaçao is a guest of honor, but that's about it. In the end, that's football: some come to enjoy the atmosphere, others come to win. Let's see what happens!