Deportivo Cuenca at Emelec Saturday Night -- Free on Teleamazonas

Saturday Night Football -- From Your Couch

If you've caught the Deportivo Cuenca bug this season, here's your Saturday plan: Deportivo Cuenca vs Emelec, this Saturday, April 4 at 7:00 PM, broadcast on Teleamazonas (free, open signal -- no cable subscription needed).

It's an away match at Estadio Capwell in Guayaquil, so you won't need to fight for parking at the stadium. Instead, this is a perfect excuse to watch from home or find a bar with a screen and some cold Pilsener.

Where Things Stand

Deportivo Cuenca currently sits 8th in the LigaPro table with 8 points after six matches. That's a solid mid-table position, and a win against Emelec would push them up closer to the top half of the standings.

Emelec, historically one of Ecuador's biggest clubs, have had a turbulent few seasons. Playing them in Guayaquil is always a challenge -- the heat, the hostile crowd, and the Capwell atmosphere make it one of the tougher away trips in Ecuadorian football. But this isn't the Emelec of old, and Deportivo has been competitive this season.

Match Details

The Big One Is Coming: Santos FC, April 8

As exciting as Saturday's match is, the real marquee event is just around the corner. Deportivo Cuenca hosts Santos FC of Brazil in the Copa Sudamericana Group D opener on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:00 PM at the Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar.

That's the one you want to be at in person. International continental football in Cuenca, against one of Brazil's most historic clubs. Tickets went on sale April 2 online, with in-person sales running April 3-5 at the stadium box office. If you haven't gotten yours yet, don't wait -- demand is extremely high with over 4,000 season passes already sold.

Saturday's Emelec match is a great warmup to get into the football mood before the big Santos showdown.

What This Means for Expats

• Watch for free on Teleamazonas. If you have a TV with an antenna or any basic cable package, you've got Teleamazonas. No special subscription needed. The channel is open signal throughout Ecuador
• 7:00 PM Saturday kickoff makes this easy to plan around. Watch at home, head to a bar in El Centro or along the river, or gather some expat friends for a watch party
• If you're new to Ecuadorian football, an away match on TV is actually a great way to start. You can learn the players, understand the flow of the game, and get invested before experiencing the madness of a live match at the stadium
• The Santos match on April 8 is the big one. If you can only attend one match this month, make it Santos. But watching Saturday's Emelec game will get you up to speed on the current squad
• Bars and restaurants that show football will have this on. Most places in Cuenca with a TV will default to the match on Saturday evening. It's a natural social opportunity

Vamos, Cuenca. Beat Emelec on the road, then bring that energy home for Santos.

Source: El Mercurio