Pacho leads Ecuador’s 5-goal defense in 18 qualifiers
pacho sits at the center of Ecuador’s case as one of the toughest teams in World Cup qualifying. Under Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador has conceded only 5 goals in 18 matches, a run built around a back line that has made the team hard to open up.
Beccacece has directed Ecuador since August 2024 and has leaned into a defense-first setup that gives the side room to protect results. William Pacho, Joel Ordóñez and Piero Hincapié are the three defenders most clearly tied to that plan, and the structure can shift between a 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2 depending on who is available.
Pacho with Ordóñez and Hincapié
Pacho plays for PSG, Ordóñez for Club Brujas and Hincapié for Arsenal, giving Ecuador a back three built from players operating at high level in Europe. That trio has carried the load while Ecuador has limited opponents to five goals across the full qualifying campaign.
The setup also lets Moisés Caicedo move with more freedom into attack. That is the tradeoff in Beccacece’s approach: Ecuador protects itself first, then asks Caicedo and the forwards to use the space that the defensive shape creates.
Beccacece’s attacking support
The back line is only part of the picture. Pervis Estupiñán scored after coming off the bench in Ecuador’s latest friendly against Guatemala, showing that the defensive base does not shut down the attack.
John Yeboah added 10 goals in Venezia’s promotion to Serie A last season, while Enner Valencia enters his third World Cup at age 36 as Ecuador’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 6 goals. Those names matter because Beccacece does not have to ask the defense to do every job alone.
Kendry Páez, born in 2007, is now on loan at River Plate after a difficult first half of the season at Strasbourg, and Chelsea paid 10 million for him. Denil Castillo, born in 2004, also gives the squad another option after posting 5 goals and 4 assists last season for Midtjylland.
For Ecuador, the practical edge is clear: the team can survive on a slim margin because the defense has already done the hard work. Pacho’s role is not just to hold a line; it is to keep the whole plan stable enough for Beccacece to choose between a 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2 without losing control of the game.
