Rather than bringing in all the big names ahead of the new season kicking off this weekend, Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque is looking to the future as he travels with his team to face Ecuador on Wednesday.
Ecuador vs. Spain: Preview and TV schedule
Vicente del Bosque will give some of the up and coming Spainish stars a chance to shine in a friendly match against Ecuador.
Regulars like Xavi, Juan Mata and Gerard Pique are not in the squad, replaced by members Spain's U-21 European Championship winning side like Inigo Martinez, Isco, Koke and Thiago. There's still plenty of experience with Iker Casillas, David Villa and Sergio Ramos all on the roster, but it's clear Del Bosque is giving some of the younger players a chance to get experience with the senior side.
This is Spain's first match since suffering defeat against Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. The loss brought a 23-match unbeaten streak to an end, causing Spain's recent dominance to be questioned. It makes sense that Del Bosque might be looking to shake things up a bit ahead of next summer's World Cup.
Cesc Fabregas had been named to the roster but was forced to withdraw after suffering an ankle injury in Barcelona's final preseason match.
Ecuador are win-less in their last three matches but still sit in third place in CONMEBOL qualifying for the World Cup. It’s the first meeting between the two teams in over 10 years with Spain having won their last match 4-0 behind a Fernando Morientes hat-trick.
Match Date/Time: 3:55 p.m. local, 3:55 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
TV: beIN Sport en Español (U.S.)
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