A (nearly) complete history of sporting encounters with Ecuador
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Your support makes all the difference.Greg Rusedski started the match but was injured in the first game against Nicolas Lapentti, and went on to lose in five sets. However, Tim Henman had given Britain some hope in beating Luis Morejon. But a surprise defeat in the doubles, when Henman and Parmar lost their match against the Lapentti brothers, left Britain 2-1 down. Henman then won his second singles match, but in the deciding rubber the Ecuador team claimed a historic victory.
Their next meeting, in 2001, brought a turnaround for Great Britain, who nearly completed a whitewash had it not been for Barry Cowan's defeat to Morejon. Earlier Rusedski had beaten Nicolas Lapentti in the opening rubber, then Henman put Britain in a commanding position when he defeated Morejon 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. The pairing of Henman and Rusedski put Britain further in command. Martin Lee swept aside Giovanni Lapentti 6-0, 6-4. Apart from the defeat, Britain were almost perfect, unlike 14 months earlier.
The only time England played Ecuador in football was a pre-World Cup friendly on 24 May 1970 when England were still world champions. The result was a 2-0 victory for England with goals by Francis Lee (below) and Brian Kidd. But the match was marred by controversy off the pitch. Before England's friendly against Colombia three days earlier Bobby Moore was accused of stealing a bracelet from a jewellery shop.
After making a statement Moore was allowed to stay at the home of a football official rather than spend time in jail while the matter was sorted out. Eventually he was released and cleared of the charge six days prior to the World Cup.
Jaime Tunstall
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