La Tri Comes Home: Gallardo Chases His First Win vs. Costa Rica and Bolivia
La Hinchada · BSC Store USA
Ecuador plays its last two games of 2026 at home, and Gallardo is still chasing his first win.
La Tri · What happened
Back in Quito after nine years
La Tri is playing at home again. Marcelo Gallardo named a 29-man squad on November 8 for two friendlies in this FIFA window: Costa Rica on Friday, November 13, at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, and Bolivia on Tuesday, November 17, at the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil. Ecuadorian outlets point out that the Quito game is the senior team's first at the Atahualpa in roughly nine years.
This is only Gallardo's second squad, and he is still waiting for his first win. His Asian tour brought a loss to South Korea and draws with Japan and Panama, and Ecuador lost both of those on penalties, as Primicias and Vistazo report.
The big names are back. Moisés Caicedo and Piero Hincapié return after missing the previous camp through injury, according to Vistazo. Kendry Páez is also back, and FC Cincinnati's Bryan Ramírez gets a call-up. Two players are out: Atlético Mineiro's Alan Minda and Alan Franco were released from the squad this week with muscle injuries, reported by Vistazo, El Mercurio and El Diario.
For fans in the US
Why it matters here
Ecuador and the East Coast are on the same clock right now, so kickoff in Quito is kickoff in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Both games start in the early evening, easy viewing after work. These are also La Tri's last games of 2026, so this is the final chance this year to see Caicedo and Hincapié in the yellow shirt. And for fans in the Midwest, Ramírez is a familiar face from MLS.
Fixtures
What's next
Times are shown in local time where the game is played (Ecuador) and in US Eastern (ET), where we are based. Right now both are the same.
| Match | Date | Local time (Ecuador) | US Eastern (ET) | Where · US TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador vs. Costa Rica | Fri, Nov 13 | 7:00 PM | 7:00 PM | Quito · Friendly · Fubo (PPV) |
| Ecuador vs. Bolivia | Tue, Nov 17 | 6:30 PM | 6:30 PM | Guayaquil · Friendly · Fubo (PPV) |
| Universidad Católica vs. Barcelona SC | Sat, Nov 21 | 4:30 PM | 4:30 PM | Quito · LigaPro · Zapping |
How to watch in the US: both Ecuador games are pay-per-view on Fubo, and Barcelona SC's LigaPro games stream on Zapping, which works outside Ecuador. (In Ecuador, La Tri is on Teleamazonas.) Barcelona SC comes back from the break sixth in the first hexagonal with 49 points, after a 1–1 home draw with Liga de Quito on November 8 that came with a red card and a late goal ruled out by VAR. According to Extra, the club also has a rescheduled game against Independiente del Valle on November 25.
Opinion
Our take
We like this window. After the Asia trip, Gallardo needs a result, and Quito's altitude with a full Atahualpa behind the team is the best chance he will get. Having Caicedo back in the middle changes how this team looks. Our bet: La Tri wins at least one of the two, and the Atahualpa reminds everyone why it was home for so long. For Barcelona, the trip to face Católica decides whether this season still has something to play for.
— David, BSC Store USA
Gear up
Wear the yellow
Watching from the US? Wear the same yellow as the team. The home jersey is the authentic player version by Marathon Sports, and the Caicedo #23 edition carries his name and number in the World Cup font, a good way to celebrate his return. Both ship from Milford, CT.
Sources
- Primicias – Ecuador's squad for Costa Rica and Bolivia
- Vistazo – Ecuador announces squad
- Vistazo – Minda and Franco out injured
- El Mercurio – Ecuador vs. Costa Rica on free-to-air TV
- El Universo – Ecuador's friendlies this week
- Teleamazonas – Ecuador vs. Bolivia in Guayaquil
- CRHoy – Costa Rica visits Ecuador: time
- El Comercio – Barcelona SC 1–1 Liga de Quito
- Primicias – Barcelona SC vs. Liga de Quito
- Extra – LigaPro matchday 7 schedule and table
- Studio Fútbol – Matchday 7 schedule