Cuadrado: "The game against Ecuador will be like a final for us"

Colombian players are trying to forget the 1-6 loss against Ecuador almost a year ago in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Their goal is to take revenge on Thursday to enter the group of four teams directly qualified to Qatar 2022.

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, key in the formation and absent on Sunday in the 0-0 draw against Brazil, will reappear after being suspended due to two accumulated yellow cards.

The draw in Barranquilla meant that Colombia cut off Brazil's perfect run at the Qualifiers.

Ecuador, however, was surprisingly beaten 1-2 by Venezuela in Caracas.

Now, the match against Ecuador "is like a final", for Cuadrado.

Colombia is currently 5th, with 16 points and would have to play an intercontinental playoff, if the Qualifiers ended today.

But Los Cafeteros are only one point behind Ecuador, currently in third.

(Spanish): Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, Colombia midfielder:

"I believe it will be important to attack because it's a game of supreme importance for us, like a final. We must play convicted that we need the result the same way we did against Chile. We can't live in the past, of what we have done. This is a new opportunity to do better, this is one of them."

"Let's say that, against Brazil, many people thought Brazil would beat us, that would be an easy game for them. And we, together with the coach, planned to win this game. Obviously, we knew that we were facing a great squad and winning one point was valuable."