The United States didn't play a fantastic match against Puerto Rico over the weekend, but it did manage to get a victory against a lesser foe. The real questions will start being asked on Wednesday against Ecuador when Jurgen Klinsmann has a full side and is facing a fellow team the Yanks will be matched up against in Copa America.
We'll have lines on all of the matches the United States Men's National Team plays the rest of the summer. Check out our soccer odds at BookMaker.eu.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Yanks are sure to be the favorites in this match, but this is going to be a much tougher match than the 3-1 victory was on Puerto Rican soil over the weekend. Ecuador isn't one of the cream of the crop teams in South America, but it's a club which can beat these good CONCACAF teams if they aren't careful.
The fact that this match is on American soil in Houston will surely help, but we can't imagine the United States being favored by more than a goal on the Asian Handicap, if that.
ROSTER ANALYSIS
The roster which the United States used in Puerto Rico looked nothing like the Copa America roster. There were 16 players who were still tied to their club obligations over the weekend in the MLS and in other leagues, but by Wednesday, everyone will be reported. You can bet that the Starting XI selection by Klinsmann will look a lot like the roster which he'll want to use in Copa America next week.
Bobby Wood played well against Puerto Rico, and he might be earning himself another start. He's on the Copa America roster and could very well be lining up next to Clint Dempsey while Jozy Altidore is out injured.
Ecuador is going to use this match to try to get its problems up front corrected. Jaime Ayovi, Enner Valencia and Fidel Martinez are all potential options up front, and these men and midfielders Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia will be playing key roles here for La Tri.
LIVE BETTING
The real questions we have here for the Americans is at the back. They had two of their regular starters back there with John Brooks and DeAndre Yedlin, and these men were nothing special on the defensive end of the pitch. Puerto Rico isn't the type of team which should be scoring with any sort of regularity against the United States.
It's been a tough year for Ecuador so far. The team was beaten 3-1 on the road by Colombia in World Cup qualifying a couple months ago, and that came on the heels of drawing at home against Paraguay. Prior to that though, the Ecuadorians had won six straight matches.
QUICK PICK
We still really think the Americans are going to be in a lot of trouble here. We aren't really worried about the result against the Puerto Ricans since that match came against a lesser team with a lesser roster. What we are worried about is the way Brooks has played at the back both in the Stars and Stripes and for his club Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga. Klinsmann just doesn't have an answer right now in defense, and we aren't sure he's going to find one between now and a week from now.
Ecuador is going to present great value here. These South American teams are used to being challenged by the other fantastic teams in CONMEBOL. Sure, the United States has a really good team, but we're just not sure it would be anything more than the sixth or seventh best team in CONMEBOL, especially after a horrible failure at the Gold Cup.
Though we know Ecuador still has more questions than answers up front, we still think it is more likely to get its problems worked out than the United States. Expect a high-scoring match on Wednesday. Take the Asian Handicap with Ecuador, but don't be surprised if it wins this match.
Soccer Odds: Ecuador 3, United States 2
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between United States and Ecuador will take place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at Toyota Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
