Ecuador said they were fed up with suggestions they could only win at altitude after beating Group A rivals Costa Rica 3-0 to qualify for the World Cup second round.

The South Americans powered through qualifying thanks to a dominant performance in home games which are played at 2,800 metres above sea level in Quito, where opponents are often left gasping for breath.

"It's not just the altitude," coach Luis Fernando Suarez told a news conference when asked why his team were so strong in the Andes mountains. "That's not the primary factor. We've demonstrated quite well that we can play in this altitude."

Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has been dismissive about Ecuador, saying "the only reason" they qualified for the finals was because they played home games at altitude.

Ecuador won seven of their nine home qualifiers, including victories over Brazil and Argentina. They lost six away matches.

"We want to show the world the progress we've made and to demonstrate Ecuador has an outstanding team, not just in South America, not just at home," said Suarez.

"On Tuesday (against Germany) we have another opportunity to become even more well known, to show the world the progress we've made."

Striker Agustin Delgado said Ecuador's opponents always brought up the "altitude issue" as a psychological tactic.

"Those who always talk about the altitude issue are mainly people from Poland and Germany," Delgado said.

"It must be some sort of attempt to influence the psychology."