International Career
Although not always a first choice for his club, he remained an important member of the Ecuador national football team. De la Cruz won 101 caps for his country, between May 1995 and May 2010. He was a fixture in the Ecuador team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup which reached the second round.
In his homeland, de la Cruz is one of Ecuador's most popular players, both for his footballing talent and his charitable projects. The Supporters Trust At Reading (STAR) organised a facility to allow supporters the means to donate to the Ulises de la Cruz Foundation.
Due to Ecuador's poor start in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, de la Cruz and his teammate, Ivan Hurtado sharply criticized the coach and the atmosphere in the team. As a result, they were excluded from selection for the last two matches of 2007 against Paraguay and Peru.
Read more about this topic: Ulises De La Cruz