CORNERFLICK
Ecuador head into their meeting with France after an awkward travel day, but Sebastián Beccacece has brushed aside the delay and insisted his side are ready to compete.
Ecuador reached the knockout stage after beating Germany 2-1, having taken just one point from their first two group games. France, by contrast, won all three of theirs, scoring six goals without conceding.
Beccacece said pre-tournament predictions had already been proved wrong and argued that only what happens on the pitch matters. He described France's stadium as a fortress and called the match a difficult but attractive challenge.
The Ecuador coach said the team had planned to arrive at 5pm, only to get there at 8.20pm after a nine-hour trip. He said the reason for the delay was unclear.
Despite that, Beccacece refused to use it as an excuse. He said Ecuador would go, compete and play "without complaints and without excuses" and added that a place at the World Cup should be treated with gratitude.