NYCFC face CS Emelec on Wednesday night at a sold-out Estadio George Capwell but who are our opponents for this prestigious exhibition match?
Here’s a beginner’s guide to the Ecuadorian giants…
Foundation
Emelec were founded in 1929, making them 87 years old.
George Capwell, the American founder of the multisports club, was born in San Diego but went on to work at the Ecuadorian Electric Company in Guayaquil where he was the superintendent, responsible for overseeing the construction of the power plant.
In 1925, he installed a gymnasium on the second floor of the company offices and a soccer team was soon born, bearing the name, CS Emelec.
The rest is...
History
Since 1929, Emelec have won the Ecuadorian Football Championship 13 times, including an undefeated season in 1965.
They last won the league in 2015 and will compete in the Copa Libertadores in 2017 after finishing as runners-up last year.
Nicknames
El Bombillo (The Lightbulb)
Los Eléctricos (The Electrics)
El Ballet Azul (The Blue Ballet)
El Equipo Millonario (The Millionaire Team)
Head Coach
Alfredo Carlos Arias Sanchez
Sanchez is Emelec’s Uruguayan coach, who is a former player who represented teams in his native land, Spain, Chile and Mexico.
Since becoming a coach, he has taken charge of Montevideo Wanderers and Santiago Wanderers before becoming Emelec’s Head Coach in 2016.
The Stadium
Estadio George Capwell
This match versus NYCFC is the official launch party for the newly redeveloped stadium which holds 40,000 fans.
Form
Emelec’s season began at the end of January and to date they have played two games, drawing both against CD Universidad Carolica del Ecuador (2-2) and River Plate (0-0).
Rivalry
Emelec’s fiercest rivalry is with fellow Guayaquil club Barcelona SC – the derby matches are named “The Classic of the Shipyard”.
Honors
Ecuadorian Serie A (13): 1957, 1961, 1965, 1972, 1979, 1988, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015
Tune in
8:00pm EST - C.S. Emelec vs NYCFC live on NYCFC.com and MLSSoccer.com
