Big Task for Ecuador as they take USA in the Quarterfinals of Copa America Centenario

By administrator1 June 15, 2016 23:05

By Francisco Romero. – Ecuador and the United States Men’s National Team will face each other on Thursday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle in a quarterfinals match.

USA will enter the game as the favorites, but don’t take Ecuador for granted as they already beat Argentina in Buenos Aires in a World Cup qualifying game; as a matter of fact they sit in second place behind Uruguay in the CONMEBOL.

Ecuador is currently six games into their quest to qualify for back-to-back World Cups for only the second time in federation history.

Ecuador’s team is composed of players who have had success abroad and domestic such as Four Barclays Premier League players – Enner Valencia, Antonio Valencia, Jefferson Montero and Juan Carlos Paredes.

Dating back to 1984, the U.S.A. has faced Ecuador 13 times, and USA’s record

against Ecuador is 3-5-5 (9 GF, 11 GA). On May 25 of this year, a Darlington Nagbe goal in the 90th minute gave U.S.A. their first win against Ecuador since 2007 when the U.S. won 3-1 in Tampa, Fla.

The quarterfinal will be the first meeting in official competition between the sides since the 1993 Copa America. As hosts, Ecuador knocked out the U.S. following a 2-0 win in the second game of group play. La Tri would win all of its three group games en route to a fourth-place finish.

This is Ecuador’s first trip to a Copa America quarterfinal since 1997 when they lost to Mexico on penalties. Nineteen years later and back in the knockout stages, Ecuador is hoping to make the final for the first time in team history. They have twice finished in fourth place in the competition (1959, 1993).

For the United States Men’s National Team this game is one to give it all they have, “It’s a moment for a player to shine,” said Jurgen Klinsmann, the Stars and Stripes head coach. “The whole world is watching them, and I think the players understand that right now and they know if I want to define myself as an individual, this is the place to be.”