QUITO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador coach Hernan Dario Gomez has recalled forward Enner Valencia and center-backs Robert Arboleda and Frickson Erazo for friendlies against Jamaica and Guatemala.
Valencia, who joined Mexico's Tigres from West Ham United last year, and Sao Paulo's Arboleda have not represented the national team since last October due to disciplinary problems. Erazo has been absent from recent Ecuador squads because of his poor form at club level.
"He is one of my favorite players in his position," Gomez told reporters on Thursday when asked about Erazo, who joined local club Barcelona in July after a disappointing spell at Brazil's Vasco da Gama. "He is a good leader and I'm not going to let him go to waste."
As expected, the 22-man squad did not include Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia, Lazio striker Felipe Caicedo and Swansea City winger Jefferson Montero as Gomez tests players based in the Americas.
Ecuador, who failed to qualify for this year's World Cup in Russia, will play Jamaica in New Jersey on September 7 and Guatemala in Illinois four days later.
The matches will be the team's first since Gomez took charge of Ecuador for a second time last month after parting ways with Panama's national team.
The 62-year-old guided Ecuador to their first ever World Cup finals in 2002 during his first spell as coach.
Ecuador squad:
Goalkeepers: Alexander Dominguez (Velez Sarsfield), Pedro Ortiz (Delfin)
Defenders: Frickson Erazo, Mario Pineida (Barcelona de Guayaquil), Gustavo Vallecilla (Deportivo Cuenca), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Juan Carlos Paredes (Emelec), Jhon Espinoza (Aucas) y Cristian Ramirez (FC Krasnodar)
Midfielders: Sebastian Mendez, Angelo Preciado, Steven Franco (Independiente del Valle), Fernando Guerrero, Edison Vega, Jefferson Orejuela (Liga de Quito), Fernando Gaibor (Independiente), Junior Sornoza (Fluminense), Renato Ibarra (America), Romario Ibarra (Minnesota United)
Forwards: Miller Bolanos (Tijuana), Ayrton Preciado (Santos Laguna), Enner Valencia (Tigres).
