POLITICS

Short-term presidents

Ecuadorians express their displeasure with politics by taking to the streets. Frequently, the result is a new head of state: five presidents have come and gone in the past seven years. Alfredo Palacio, the current leader, faced a mountain of challenges when he took office in April 2005. In the late 1990s natural catastrophes and plunging oil prices drove the equatorial country into economic crisis; the banking system collapsed. Over a period of 20 years the country's currency, the sucre, lost 99.9 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar, and was replaced completely by the greenback in 2000. Today nearly half of Ecuador's 13 million inhabitants live in poverty. Many have already emigrated or are planning to leave. Emigrant money transfers are the country's second largest source of income after oil revenues. The traditional banana plantations now generate very little money.

THE SPORT

One country, one goal

Football is becoming increasingly important in economically-embattled Ecuador, especially since its national team learned to stand up for itself. In the mid-1990s, the Colombian Francisco Maturana was appointed coach and set about establishing a more professional environment. He schooled his players in tactical discipline, and it didn't take long for his labors to bear fruit: in 2002, the country qualified for the World Cup for the first time, even beating Croatia in the group stages of the finals before bowing out. Following the introduction of the dollar, its professional league began to flourish as well, with top players like Edison Mendez now earning approximately $10,000 a month. But Maturana and his successors' ability to unite a team once divided by the country's social and ethnic conflicts may prove their most lasting legacy. "One land, one goal," is the watchword of current head coach Luis Suárez.

TEAM AND TACTICS

On a high

During qualifying for this year's World Cup, Ecuador turned quite a few heads with their impressive home form. La Tricolor racked up 23 of its 28 qualifying points at altitude in Quito, even proving too strong for Brazil and Argentina in the capital. But they were unable to match these feats away from home, managing just a single win - against Bolivia in a game played at 12,000 feet in La Paz. Doubts persist about the team's ability to compete in Germany - at sea level. Nearly all the players coached by Luis Suárez, who employs a 4-4-2 system, are professionals in the domestic league. Luis Antonio Valencia, a midfielder at Champions League semifinalists Villarreal, is a rare exception.

STAR PLAYER

Agustín Delgado

In 2001, Agustín "Tin" Delgado became the first Ecuadorian to feature in one of the major European leagues. But despite the threat he posed in the air, the 6'2" striker found the going tough at English Premiership club Southampton. He was repeatedly sidelined with a slipped disc that was only diagnosed much later. In 2002 Delgado netted his country's first-ever goal at the World Cup finals. With an impressive record of 29 strikes in 67 international appearances, he is regarded as a national hero in Ecuador. He has since returned from England. These days, he spends his spare time running a football school in El Chota, his hometown in the Andes. Delgado, who grew up in poverty, says he wants to return some of the benefits that the sport has given him. This World Cup will be his last, the reward for the hard work and sacrifice that have been part of his life since childhood.