David Beckham and the rest of England's players should not rely on reputation and the global influence of English football to put the frighteners on little Ecuador in their World Cup knockout match in Stuttgart on Sunday.

Ecuador want the world to know they are not intimidated, a fact which striker Carlos Tenorio put firmly, if prosaically, at their Bad Kissingen training camp.

Tenorio, who scored in his team's 2-0 group win against Poland, said: "When the monster is far away you always fear it must be terrible. It's only when you see it up close you realise it's not so bad."

It was Ecuador's way of relaying that they have not been impressed by England's march through the group phase. They do not consider the Three Lions to be roaring at this World Cup.

They are equally quick to point out that they are used to meeting big nations, having beaten Argentina and Brazil at home in qualifying.

Inevitably, Aston Villa's Ulises De la Cruz has been their main spokesman in the run-up to Sunday's game, the rest of the squad speaking no or limited English.

De la Cruz said: "We play Brazil and Argentina all the time. You need a positive mentality and everybody working together for the team.

"We know it will be very difficult. England have good players all over the pitch. But everybody is focused, this is a good time for Ecuador."

De la Cruz insists no-one should read anything into the 3-0 defeat by Germany. It was a match played when qualification for the knockout phase had already been secured and after coach Luis Suarez had rested five key players.

One of those was former Southampton striker Agustin Delgado, who is Ecuador's record goal-scorer and has scored in both the games he has played here so far, winning the man-of-the-match award in each.

It belies the sticky time he endured at Southampton when he was beset by a string of dubious injuries and played just two full league games after being signed for £4million.

De la Cruz has also struggled to settle at Aston Villa, even though he is an automatic choice for Ecuador.

His defending has been described as "suspect" but there is no doubt he gives the team width and penetration coming from right-back and Joe Cole and Ashley Cole will need to be alive to his threat.

Much of Ecuador's preparation has surrounded De la Cruz's knowledge of the Premiership.

He said: "I've played many times against Wayne Rooney and everybody in the England team. I understand the tactics, the system and the players and I have helped the coach to maybe surprise England on Sunday.

"In the last game against Germany we played a different team, but I think when everybody plays together we have more power and ambition."

Not that Suarez hid behind a depleted side for that result.

He said: "If we play like we did, then we will fall flat on our faces."

Anyone looking for omens should know that England won their first World Cup match on Sunday's date June 25, but in 1950, against South American opposition, a 2-0 victory against Chile.

And how about this? The venue in Stuttgart was the same stadium in which, back in 1993, home athletes Sally Gunnell and Colin Jackson set world athletics records and Linford Christie won the 100metres world title.

In Ecuador there are no such omens. They just live in hope, magazine Estadio's headline perhaps expressing the moment as good as any: "May we never wake up from this dream."

(reopens) Suarez, however, believes Ecuador face one of the best England teams in history, adding: "It is an historical opportunity to the Ecuadorian football as they will be able to show all their advances.

"It will be more important because we will face one of the best national teams of the English football history."

Suarez is still confident despite the defeat to Germany, adding on Caracol radio: "We do not have problems. We lost against Germany, but our moral is well good."

The coach added that the players are very happy to play against England and he also think that the match could last 120 minutes.

He added: "Our physical condition will be decisive. The English are slower than the Germans. England have lot of good players, although I think that Germany are faster."

Of the other South American teams, Suarez believes Brazil "obtained nine points playing half that they know".

"After their 4-1 victory over Japan, they will wake-up," he added.

"It is a pity for Mexico to confront Argentina. They are the main candidate to win the cup and the Mexicans will have to show their potential."