Ecuador leave out Castillo in last-named World Cup squad

Nov 14, 2022, 2:05 AM | Updated: 4:06 pm

FILE - Ecuador head coach Gustavo Alfaro watches during the first half of an international friendly soccer match against Cape Verde, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador’s was the last squad to be known among the 32 in the World Cup, and its coach Gustavo Alfaro did not include a player who put the team’s presence in the tournament in doubt.

Alfaro announced his squad on Monday evening, close to the deadline, and did not include defender Byron Castillo despite all the legal troubles Ecuador soccer authorities went through since they qualified in March.

Chile and Peru argued before sporting authorities that Castillo was actually Colombian and illegally played several World Cup qualifiers. The claim was rejected and Ecuador was allowed to feature in Group A with hosts Qatar, Senegal and the Netherlands.

Ecuador and Qatar will open the tournament on Sunday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that Ecuador will lose three points before the start of South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup due to the use of false information on Castillo’s birthday and birthplace in its proceedings to grant him a passport.

Alfaro called up striker Kevin Rodríguez, who plays in Ecuador’s second division.

Ecuador is in the World Cup for the fourth time, all in this century.

___

Ecuador:

Goalkeepers: Moisés Ramírez (Independiente del Valle), Alexander Domínguez (Liga de Quito), Hernán Galíndez (Aucas).

Defenders: Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (Los Angeles), Félix Torres (Santos Laguna), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp).

Midfielders: Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), José Cifuentes, Jhegson Méndez (Los Angeles), Moisés Caicedo (Brighton), Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton), Alan Franco (Talleres), Ángel Mena (León), Ayrton Preciado (Santos), Gonzalo Plata (Valladolid), Romario Ibarra (Pachuca).

Forwards: Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell’s Old Boys), Énner Valencia (Fenerbahçe), Kevin Rodríguez (Imbabura), Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul).

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE - Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago