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| USA v Ecuador: Copa América quarter-final – live | USA v Ecuador: Copa América quarter-final – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.14am BST | |
| 02:14 | |
| Kickoff is roughly 20 minutes away. Here’s a few newsy notes ahead of tonight’s meeting: | |
| 1.52am BST | |
| 01:52 | |
| The teams | |
| Here’s a look at today’s teams. With USA’s first-choice right back DeAndre Yedlin unavailable after picking up a red card in the final group-stage win over Paraguay, Klinsmann has inserted Matt Besler at left back and moved Fabian Johnson to the right side. Michael Orozco, who was broadly speculated as Yedlin’s replacement, will start on the bench. | |
| USA | |
| XI: Guzan; Johnson, Cameron, Brooks, Besler; Bradley, Jones, Bedoya; Zardes, Dempsey, Wood | |
| Substitutes: Birnbaum, Nagbe, Howard, Orozco, Beckerman, Kitchen, Pulisic, Wondolowski, Zusi, Castillo, Horvath | |
| Ecuador | |
| XI: Dominguez; Paredes, Mina, Erazo, W. Ayovi; A. Valencia, Noboa, Gruezo, Montero; E. Valencia, J. Ayovi | |
| Substitutes: Ecuador: Banguera, Ramirez, Gaibor, Martinez, Arroyo, Dreer, Mena, Larrea, Cazares, Arbedola, Achilier, Bolanos | |
| 1.49am BST | |
| 01:49 | |
| The American Outlaws are on the ground. The national team’s most famous supporters’ group, as profiled by Guardian US before the tournament, have started their walk to the stadium. | |
| Here they come! #AmericanOutlaws #USMNT pic.twitter.com/OoG7IgAgcn | |
| 1.39am BST | 1.39am BST |
| 01:39 | 01:39 |
| Preamble | Preamble |
| Hello and welcome to tonight’s first Copa América quarter-final between the United States and Ecuador. Los Amarillos enter with an advantage of five wins, three losses and three draws in the all-time series, but all three of USA’s victories have come in their last five meetings, including 1-0 result on a late Darlington Nagbe winner in Dallas only weeks ago. | Hello and welcome to tonight’s first Copa América quarter-final between the United States and Ecuador. Los Amarillos enter with an advantage of five wins, three losses and three draws in the all-time series, but all three of USA’s victories have come in their last five meetings, including 1-0 result on a late Darlington Nagbe winner in Dallas only weeks ago. |
| Tonight’s meeting at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field is a rematch of a Copa América 1993 clash which saw Ecuador win 2-0 at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. | Tonight’s meeting at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field is a rematch of a Copa América 1993 clash which saw Ecuador win 2-0 at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. |
| Now the shoe is on the other foot as USA are hosts. Can Jürgen Klinsmann’s men reverse that result and book a place in the semi-finals, where the winner of Saturday’s match between Argentina and Venezuela will await? | Now the shoe is on the other foot as USA are hosts. Can Jürgen Klinsmann’s men reverse that result and book a place in the semi-finals, where the winner of Saturday’s match between Argentina and Venezuela will await? |
| 10.20pm BST | 10.20pm BST |
| 22:20 | 22:20 |
| Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at Steve Brenner’s preview of tonight’s match from Seattle. | Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at Steve Brenner’s preview of tonight’s match from Seattle. |
| This time no unhelpful outbursts are needed. Just hours before the previous make or break encounter for Jürgen Klinsmann, the Copa América Centenario group match with Costa Rica, which followed the dispiriting opening defeat to Colombia, the head of US Soccer Sunil Gulati saw it fit to heap more pressure on the German’s shoulders. | This time no unhelpful outbursts are needed. Just hours before the previous make or break encounter for Jürgen Klinsmann, the Copa América Centenario group match with Costa Rica, which followed the dispiriting opening defeat to Colombia, the head of US Soccer Sunil Gulati saw it fit to heap more pressure on the German’s shoulders. |
| More wins was the order from on high. No more chances could slip away. Just what you need four hours before kick-off. The response, however, was rapid and on point. Two wins – 4-0 against Costa Rica and 1-0 against Paraguay – quickly followed, Klinsmann was able to wallow in the afterglow, and now all roads lead to Seattle and a chance to reach the semi-finals of the Copa. | More wins was the order from on high. No more chances could slip away. Just what you need four hours before kick-off. The response, however, was rapid and on point. Two wins – 4-0 against Costa Rica and 1-0 against Paraguay – quickly followed, Klinsmann was able to wallow in the afterglow, and now all roads lead to Seattle and a chance to reach the semi-finals of the Copa. |
| An unchanged line-up for the first three games saw the German, for once, keep his tactical nerve and hit the jackpot. To paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson: international soccer? Bloody hell. | An unchanged line-up for the first three games saw the German, for once, keep his tactical nerve and hit the jackpot. To paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson: international soccer? Bloody hell. |
| “It has been a real team effort and the atmosphere from the playing staff to the coaches has been excellent,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan told the Guardian on Wednesday. “We cannot control what happens on the outside and will let others judge on how we are doing.” | “It has been a real team effort and the atmosphere from the playing staff to the coaches has been excellent,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan told the Guardian on Wednesday. “We cannot control what happens on the outside and will let others judge on how we are doing.” |
| But they can control how they play on Thursday night. If they beat Ecuador, Klinsmann will have set up a tantalising semi-final with Argentina in Houston next Tuesday. Ecuador, whose Premier League triumvirate of Antonio Valencia, Enner Valencia and Jefferson Montero will pose a multitude of questions – especially with DeAndre Yedlin suspended following his red card against Paraguay – are an improved team, in form and riding on the crest of a wave. | But they can control how they play on Thursday night. If they beat Ecuador, Klinsmann will have set up a tantalising semi-final with Argentina in Houston next Tuesday. Ecuador, whose Premier League triumvirate of Antonio Valencia, Enner Valencia and Jefferson Montero will pose a multitude of questions – especially with DeAndre Yedlin suspended following his red card against Paraguay – are an improved team, in form and riding on the crest of a wave. |