Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado.

EL-CHOTA, THE SOCCER VALLEY OF ECUADOR, GETS GLOBAL ATTENTION

By Tokunbo Ojo, Special to CBC Sports Online

HAMBURG - Prior to the World Cup finals in Germany, many reporters never even heard of the El-Chota Valley, one of the poorest areas in South America. But the artistic display of Ecuadorians in this World Cup has drawn more media attention to the impoverished El-Chota Valley where most of the Ecuador's top players came from.

Reuters reporter Alonso Soto described El-Chota as "Ecuador's soccer talent factory," while the Los Angles Times called it the cradle of Ecuador's soccer civilization.

Five star players of the country's current World Cup squad are from the valley. Among them is Agustin Delgado, who scored Ecuador's second goal in the 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Hamburg on Thursday to secure the team's passage into the second round. Others include Aston Villa defender Ulises De La Cruz, Giovanny Espinoza and Edison Mendez.

In 2002 when Ecuador made its World Cup debut, eight of the national team's players also came from the area

Located about 190 kilometres north of Ecuador's capital, Quito, El-Chota is the home to roughly 20,000 people, the majority of whom are descendants of black slaves that were brought to work on sugar plantations in 19th century. Although the plantation's slave trade was stopped several decades ago, farming still remains the primary source of income for the inhabitants of this arid land that is notoriously hot year round.

With nothing else to do after long hours of toiling on the farms, soccer is the favourite pastime for the people in the area.

"It is a normal part of life," said Victoria Olcott, who is covering the World Cup for the Diario El Universo, the Ecuadorian equivalent of the New York Times. "People there just love soccer and this is why our best soccer players are from there."

With the success of players such as Delgado, who recently started a soccer foundation for young kids in the area, many are now seeing soccer as a way out of the abject poverty that have marked their lives since the day they were born.

"Really, soccer has turned into an opportunity to live a better life," said Delgado immediately after he was presented with man of the match award for playing his heart out against Costa Rica. "Not only in Ecuador, but everywhere. For they [the young ones] will be able to move forward and grow up in a better way."

Delgado and other players from El-Chota are not only helping to develop future soccer stars, they are also providing financial support to the social programs in the valley. De La Cruz donates almost $70,000 US a year towards medical and educational costs for about 200 families.

"With their contribution, they are making a difference," Olcott noted. "For a long time to come, El-Chota will be a place where most of best future soccer stars will be emerging.