Hurtado sets his sights
on the World Cup....
...but that will not be at the
expense of Hibernian - STUART
CROWTHER
EDUARDO
'THE TANK' HURTADO will set out
on a mission today, to show cynical Hibs fans that just because they have
not heard of him until his name was first mooted as a imminent signing on Hibs.net
this week, that does not mean he is not a half-decent player! And
the giant Ecuador international will also be out to show his national
coach that his career at that level is far from over, with a call-up to
the World Cup squad very much on his mind.
Hibs
fans only have to think back to Russell 'who?' Latapy when he first
arrived at Easter Road, not exactly a household name around the environs
of Leith but very soon to become one. Hurtado has arrived with a
great goal-scoring pedigree, but as that pedigree was built on stages not
well known here in Scotland, the assumption by many is that in some way
the amiable giant has been performing at something of a lower level.
That sort of arrogance is part and parcel of football followers in this
country, many holding an insular view that is often shown to be
spectacularly wrong! Time will tell if both Hurtado and Ulises de la
Cruz manage to make a mark similar to that of other foreign players who
have served the club, or else vanish form the scene in somewhat less
publicity than they arrived. Today Hibs fans will have their first
glimpse of Hurtado, and the smart money is on the striker making a big
impression among the Easter Road faithful.
Eduardo Hurtado - club will come before country (sns)
Hurtado
is seeking only one thing, success at club level, the 32-year-old seeking
a final fling on the European stage having spent almost his entire career
in the Americas. "I am
going to try and stay here beyond this season because it is a big
opportunity for me," Hurtado
said yesterday of the contract he signed until the end of the current
season, with an option to extend. And the good news for Alex McLeish
is that while Hurtado would dearly love to return to the Ecuador national
scene, for him club comes very much before country, and that is the main
reason why he was not involved in the latter stages of Ecuador's World Cup
campaign, choosing instead to help his Argentine club side avoid
relegation. He said: "It
is very important to be in the national team but if I do well here they
will call me up for the World Cup no matter what else might happen.
"The
Gold Cup really is not that big a deal and it is really held to sell
tickets - I want to stay here at Hibernian."
That will be music to the ears of Hibs boss McLeish, who has already made
it clear to Ulises de la Cruz that he wants him to shun any call-up to
play in the Gold Cup in January, a tournament that could yet claim
Canadian Paul Fenwick. In Fenwick's case it would appear that any
decision to play in the Gold Cup could lead to exactly the same position
for the defender as he faced the last time he played in the tournament,
returning home to find himself all-but sacked by Morton. Hurtado is
however very much the man of the moment, being seen as just the type of
striker that has been missing from the Hibs squad since the departure of
Mixu Paatelainen in the summer. Hurtado's knowledge of the Scottish
game is based on perhaps a mistaken believe that it consists only of high
balls from defence to attack, not a style that Hibs fans will recognise
since Alex McLeish took charge of the club. Hurtado said: "I
played against Scotland in the Kirin Cup in Japan back in 1995, when I was
marked by Alan McLaren, and we lost 2-1. I have also seen Alex
McLeish play in the World Cup for Scotland. The football here is
very fast and physical with a lot of high balls up to the forwards, and I
think I will like that."
Hurtado and Alex McLeish after the Ecuadorian signed yesterday (sns)
Hibs
Youth side recorded a stunning victory at Almondvale last night in the
Scottish Youth Cup, and once again it was a superb 4-goal display form
Gary O'Connor that caught the eye. The striker will be in the Hibs
squad today but it is unlikely that he will play any part given the
gruelling 2-hour marathon in West Lothian, the match going to extra time
after O'Connor had twice put Hibs in front only for Livingston to level
the tie. Hibs looked down and out after the first period of
extra-time when they conceded twice to go 4-2 behind. Then O'Connor
was once again the terror of the Livi defence, striking twice to level the
sides once again before a hand-ball in the area in the dying seconds
provided Derek Riordan with a penalty - the Hibs striker calmly slotting
that away to give Hibs an unlikely 5-4 win and a quarter-final tie at
Brockville against Falkirk.
The
SFL last night finally took a decision on the venue for the CIS Insurance
Cup Semi-Final. Hibs will face Ayr United at Hampden on Wednesday
6th February, with the tie between Rangers and the winners of the
Celtic/Livingston Quarter Final to be played the previous night. Ayr
had asked that the tie be moved to Fir Park, Motherwell while Hibernian
expressed a preference for Hampden, but Hibs.net
understands that there was never any
question of the tie being moved from Hampden Park. Hibs will be
hoping for a good turn-out from fans on the night in a game that will be
televised live by Scottish Television.
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