Now Gomez finds himself in a similar situation - with the added poignancy
that this is Ecuador's debut at the top level.
It is the one and only chance that Alex Aguinaga will have to show his skills on a stage that he has deserved to tread for well over a decade.
In 1985, Aguinaga was chosen as the outstanding player in the South American
Two years later he was playing senior international football, and in the 1989 Copa America he fired the first shot in Ecuador's battle to establish themselves as a serious force.
His goal brought victory against Uruguay, the reigning South American champions.
It was a win which set up Ecuador for the advances of the following decade - fourth place on home soil in the 1993 Copa America, and a respectable showing in qualification for France 98.
All through the 1990s, Aguinaga was Ecuador's most important player, and as the
2002 qualification campaign began the team was built around him.
The midfield adopted the diamond formation, with Aguinaga at the cutting edge.