Giovanny Espinoza

Espinoza's strong physique and speed helped his old club side LDU Quito win two league championships in 2001 and 2004. His nickname is La Sombra, which translates as "the shadow", because of his very dark skin color. In the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup, Espinoza was nominated for a place in FIFA's ideal 11, which rewards the top players in each position. On 25 January 2007, Giovanny Espinoza was transferred from LDU Quito to Vitesse. There he has to replace Ruud Knol. He signed for one-a-half-year until June 2008. On 10 February 2007, he made his Eredivisie debut for Vitesse against SC Heerenveen. The following match, he made his first appearance at home in a 0–0 draw against Roda JC, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute for Colin van Mourik. The following season, he became a regular starter. On 14 January 2008, Espinoza was signed by Brazilian club Cruzeiro. He captained of the side and showed some very impressive displays and leadership on the field. There were many rumors swirling around in late 2008, some had Espinoza signing with Argentinian struggling giants, River Plate and that unspecified English teams were also on the hunt for La Sombra. On 15 January 2009, it was confirmed that Espinoza would be playing for Barcelona Sporting Club and that his presence was asked by the head coach Benito Floro. His final club was Deportivo Quito.

Birmingham City

In June 2009, Espinoza's agent claimed that a fee had been agreed for the player to move to…

Espinoza was named in the Ecuador national side for the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. He currently is the seventh highest capped player for his country behind Luis Capurro with 100 caps. He made his international debut in 1996 just a week after his 19th birthday in a World Cup qualification match where Ecuador beat Peru 4–1. Espinoza and Hurtado together hold the international record for the longest unbroken pairing in the position of centre half – they have played the last 65 games together, dating back to 1999. This is partly due to South American nations playing more international qualification matches than any other region. In the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup, Espinoza was nominated for a place in FIFA's ideal 11, which rewards the top players in each position. He was also included in Ecuador's squad for the 2001, 2004, and 2007 Copa América.

International

Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Espinoza goal.