The goalkeeper left the University of Chile in the middle of the year in order to be closer to his team and to be a real alternative for coach Gustavo Alfaro. Finally, Rosario’s man was there in Qatar’s 2-0 defeat at the start of the World Cup.
One of the biggest doubts Gustavo Alfaro had about making up Ecuador’s starting XI against Qatar was who would occupy the goal. Finally, the Argentinian coach leaned towards Hernan Galindez who thus achieved his goal after leaving the University of Chile in the middle of the season: he started in the game that opened the World Cup.
The history between the 35-year-old goalkeeper and the U was short, but it had several episodes. In the end, it all ended with the departure of the nationalized Ecuadorian Argentine from the CDA in early July, after arriving at the start of the year as one of the great letters of Colombian coach Santiago Escobar.
Indeed, and after unlocking his exit, the goalkeeper trained at Rosario Central said: “I understood that it was imperative to return to my country to be a real alternative for the national team.”
It took a long time to get there. When the gatekeeper was negotiating his departure, he assured that he was receiving threats. Moreover, he insisted that he didn’t have a good time living in Chile. “I have received messages that my wife has received that have made us very uncomfortable (…) In a shopping center, a person made my son cry with his comments and that changed everything,” he said at the time.
On each occasion, he claimed that the Byron Castillo case was a case that accentuated his stay in the country. “The University of Chile fans never did anything to me, but I had episodes with fans of other teams when the Castillo issue came up,” he said.
Over time, the story has had contradictions. “My biggest fear, beyond the personal problems that occurred, was losing the opportunity to go to the World Cup, something I would never have allowed myself” revealed the player in an interview with the Trans-Andean newspaper Olé in October.
After a few twists and turns, Hernán Galíndez found himself in Aucas, Ecuador. There he played thirteen games, 1,150 minutes in total, and became that country’s champion. His performance convinced Gustavo Alfaro and this Sunday he started Ecuador’s 2-0 victory against Qatar, no less than at the inauguration of the planetary event.
Galindez’s words
“I still find it hard to believe . When I knew that I was going to play, it was a great joy. Two years ago, it was impossible for me to imagine myself in a World Cup . The truth is, it’s a dream come true. I am infinitely grateful to the coaching staff, the leadership and the people, the country. Ecuador is my country and I will defend it with everything I have,” Galíndez said once the Ecuadorian victory was consummated.
Regarding the game, the goalkeeper assured that “practically Qatar had no arrivals . The whole match was managed, we scored two goals and from a tactical point of view they did a very good job. We knew we were at a disadvantage, they had worked together for a long time, we had very few working days. But we focused on our work and I think it was an almost perfect match”.
On Ecuador’s future in the World Cup, he said that “there are still two games to go, but without a doubt starting like this against the host is important . In five days we have a very difficult duel and now we have to rest and prepare well”.
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Source: Latercera
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
