The United States couldn't have asked more than this. The Americans got off to a shaky start to the tournament by losing to Colombia, but they ultimately won Group A and have earned the right to play in one of the most soccer-crazy cities in the nation in Seattle in the quarterfinals. Ecuador though, is a stout opponent, and this match in the last eight surely won't be a walk in the park.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
United States +176
Ecuador +170
Draw +226
Over/Under 2 (over -135)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Even though the United States had a great last couple matches in Group A, it isn't even the favorite in this match. The Ecuadorians were good in Group B as well to finish second best, and they are the very slight PK -114 favorites on the Asian Handicap.
All three potential results here in play for sure. Ecuador winning is the favored side at +170, but neither the Stars and Stripes ( +176 ) nor the draw ( +226 ) are that far away.
TOURNAMENT UPDATE
There's a question as to just how good the United States has been in this tournament. Sure, it got six points and won its last two matches, but Ecuador is a tougher team than either Costa Rica or Paraguay, and this fixture has the potential to look a bit more like that matchup against Colombia which was lost 2-0 than anything else we've seen so far.
Ecuador set the tone for its Copa America campaign right away when it put forth a solid defensive effort against Brazil in a scoreless draw. Little did we know that Brazil wasn't going to end up being all that great in this group, though.
The Ecuadorians fell down 2-0 early against Peru and fought back for a 2-2 draw, and it finished the job of advancement by beating Haiti 4-0. A 1-2-0 mark isn't the most impressive ever, but it was good enough to capture the second slot in Group B ahead of Brazil.
LIVE BETTING
The Americans just flat out didn't have all that many chances against Colombia at net, but they were able to get forward a lot more often against Costa Rica and Paraguay. The 4-0 blitz of Costa Rica was one of the most impressive showings of the tournament regardless of team, and the 1-0 win against Paraguay was a lot more comprehensive than the final score suggests.
Clint Dempsey is right at the center of it, but Michael Bradley is crucial to the assault as well. These two men were fantastic in the last two matches of the group stage, but the first match against Colombia was miserable for both.
If the Americans are going to succeed, it's going to come right up the center of the pitch. Dempsey and Bradley are going to have to be the heroes, but that job is going to be a lot easier said than done.
QUICK PICK
Ecuador is a slight favorite in this match for a reason. The oddsmakers are banking on all of the American bettors coming through for bets on the Stars and Stripes, and after two straight wins, there's going to be a lot of optimism here for sure.
It's really unfounded, though. Jurgen Klinsmann has been up against it for a reason because his team just can't win matches like this one. The Americans aren't on the same plane as the Ecuadorians are, and as soon as this match starts to get a little bit tougher and physical, we're not sure the hosts are going to be able to adapt. It might take some extra time to get the job done, but we like Ecuador to advance.
Copa America Odds: Ecuador 2, United States 1 ( AET )
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