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USMNT to face Ecuador in Copa America quarterfinals

Photo by Sean Pokorny/USA Today Sports
Photo by Sean Pokorny/USA Today Sports

The U.S. Men’s National Team handled its business on Saturday night in Philadelphia but still didn’t know which side they’d face in the next round.

After a surprising result between Costa Rica and Colombia saw Los Ticos win, the U.S. ultimately topped Group A and put Jurgen Klinsmann’s team in waiting mode.

Now, the U.S. knows they will face Ecuador in the quarterfinals, after their 4-0 thrashing of Haiti on Sunday. Ecuador currently leads Group B on points, but any result between Brazil and Peru will see either team leap over La Tricolor.

The USMNT and Ecuador met in a pre-Copa America warm up on May 25, with Darlington Nagbe’s late winner the difference between the two teams. The match will be played on Thursday night at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Would you rather the U.S. face Ecuador or another Group B opponent?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. So, Is fifa going to sabotage us with another Mexican referee in the QF’s? Or another South American yellow card distributor to further inhibit our advancement chances? Oh the corrupt politics of Fifa, doing all it can to insure no American major cup championships all the while taking full advantage of American resources.. stadia, TV, fan support, basic economics to fill the fifa coffers. One day…It’s my dream to win the WC~~~ then encircle it at center pitch, and turn it into a full team urinal.. then to walk off as it steams into the atmosphere.. Never to participate or support anything associated with world soccer again in all aspects! Love the beautiful game but hate the political corruption that leaves a permanent stain.

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    • Yeah. I’m not sure if in your head you heard your post in a kind of over-the-top, John Oliver-type of feebly unhinged comedic ranting? But that’s a really weird thing to say. I wish you a speedy recovery from adolescence.

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  2. I think the U.S. wins. That said, it’s a dangerous game and a loss would be a huge failure for Klinsmann. The team has to be expected to win at home vs Ecuador.

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    • I don’t know about huge failure… not the goal certainly… failure, yes… but Ecuador is really good. Huge failure? that’s a bit much. Lets see them play to win, look like a soccer team… and if they lose but played well, then so be it.

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  3. I’m sure this has been hashed out elsewhere, but I was paying attention to other business in life….
    But where is Matt Miazga?

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  4. Funny that in the end, we probably would have been better off finishing 2nd in the group. Peru with shorter travel and an extra day of rest would have been a better matchup, for sure. I hope the Seattle crowd is worth it.

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    • Preu…Ecuador…both are difficult. Seattle will be a better home atmosphere than NYC which I am guessing has more Ecuadorians.

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  5. Bunker ball is J.K’s bread and butter and i dont expect the U.S.M.N.T to play any different under this second rate coach. But hey…. A win is a win.

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    • Who wouldn’t bunker when you have 1-0 lead, are down a man and only need a tie to advance? Brazil isn’t exactly playing for a win right now either. And ask Colombia and Athletico Madrid if bunker and counter is a bad strategy?

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    • If not for this “second rate” manager Panama would have finished above Mexico and eliminated them from the 2014 World Cup.

      …Panama. Talk about “second rate”.

      Any post that doesn’t start or end with “Thank you Zusi” or “Thank you Klinsmann” from Mexican supporters should be immediately banned.

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      • Old school, What does J. K playing bunker ball have to do with mexico? I support U. S but i am not a fan. There is only one team that bleed for and thats Chivas and non else. You and Trashymenbashy just started watching this beautiful game cuz it just beacame cool so you and your hipster boyfriend want to jump on the bandwagon. I grew up on futbol, i bled futbol, broke my leg playing futbol so words from a vigina like yourself will never faze me.

      • Given that history, it is a little surprising that your posts so consistently show so little understanding of the game.

    • Wow you guys are actually mad because i made you realize that the U. S style of play is to bunker and counter. Nice

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      • You are the only one that appears to be mad. That usually happens when you are wrong or can’t get any vigina. Or both.

  6. The back four should be the ones who ended the game on Saturday. And just go with the 4-4-2. I am curious why do people not like this formation?

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    • We used to cry for the 4-4-2 because Jozy could not score as a lone forward (sorry Bizzy I’m only talking Nats here) when he was teamed with Dempsey or Johnson he started scoring like crazy. Last year during the Gold Cup and Concacaf Cup it became the blame for poor play and little offense. It was still in effect for the loss at Guatemala. After that game we switched to the 4-3-3 and went 4-0 with a combined score of 12-1. And as much as anything else the 4-3-3 is not a good formation for Wood, but probably is better for Pulisic and Nagbe and two fan favs on the pitch over one I guess is preferred.

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      • Gotcha, I am not a big fan of it either but it has worked the last 2 games. I would prefer a 4-5-1 or 4-1-4-1 with true wingers and Wood up top. But with Dempsey in good form right now and not having true wingers I’m OK with it. I do wish CP22 and nagbe would get on the pitch and maybe switch it up.

  7. Without Yedlin available some difficult decisions will need to be made regarding the back line. Depending on what JK and his staff does will have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the team. I can see 4 possibilities for how Yedlin’s absence can be addressed…..
    1) RB is filled by either Orozco or Birnbaum with the other 3 remaining the same.
    2) Fabian moves to RB and either Castillo or Besler slots in at LB
    3) Cameron slides into the RB spot and Birnbaum fills in as RCB
    4) Bedoya drops back into the RB spot Jones moves to the right side and Nagbe or Zusi slot into the Left Midfield spot.

    Based on the speed & quality of the attack from Ecuador I’d go with option #4. Bedoya’s work rate and speed would allow him to fill in for Yedlin while Nagbe (my preference) would provide a bit more possession to the midfield.

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    • I can see the first 3 happening, but the 4th not at all. That’d be JK reverting back to playing players out of position and at this stage of the tourney he’d be doing the team a disservice in my opinion. JK will absolutely have some tough choices to make with the lineup when you consider yellow cards and possibly tired legs from having not changed the lineup through the first 3 games. Jurgen has gotten it right up to this point and seems to have figured this team out finally so here is to hoping that remains the case.

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    • You’d have a better shot at switching to a 3-5-2 with Birnbaum/Besler, Cameron, and Brooks than Bedoya making his first career start at RB.

      Birnbaum played the first match up with Ecuador so that seems plausible to me, but unlikely. JK went to Orozco almost immediately after the red card I give it a 95% its Orozco on Thursday.

      I thought about Fabian at RB to match Montero’s speed, but with ManU Valencia available on the Ecuador right side this game I think he will need to stay there.

      I am not sure Cameron can match Montero’s speed at RB.

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    • Monrtero can be such a handful coming down the right, I’d move Johnson there, then maybe Orozco on the left. Maybe Besler on the left depending on who looks best in practice.

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    • Honestly… at this point I think the only thing we will see is 4-3-3 with Oroszco.. The man played a decent 45 a man down. He has plenty of confidence going into the next game… The question will be how our press is working or whether Ecuador can pin our wing forwards back on D… The thing is this… the US has a ton of confidence and ultimately they just beat Ecuador… so I totally can see us doing it again… remember, Ecuador has not played super awesome this tournament either. I thought the performance against Brazil was great… then I saw Brazil against Peru and Ecuador against Peru and now… well the US had better be fancying its chances.

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    • I think Orozco will play RB – he did pretty well against Paraguay. I could see Cameron moving to RB with Birnbaum coming in but I think the Cameron/Brooks pairing has worked well and JK will not want to mess with that.

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  8. I’m worried about Montero without Yedlin. Do we start Nagbe, who caused Ecuador fits last time or bring him on in the 2nd half like we did in the warmup? Jk talked about not wanting to sit back, but take the game to the opponent in the knockout stage, so do we see a more aggressive lineup or formation than Saturday?

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      • We haven’t bunkered and countered to date, don’t see a need to start it now. Like JK said, we need to consistently go at teams and attack them, put them on their heels and also pressure the ball. The second half vs Paraguay was an anamoly, we were down a man but still played some aggressive football when given the opportunity and being a man down I thought we looked competent and uber gritty

      • I’m saving this and I’m going to bring it up during the game.
        It’s like you all are trying to out-stupid each other.
        See you then.

    • I won’t be hard to find, just make sure you’re here…..and when things don’t go the way you’ve prognosticated please don’t disappear with your tail between your legs

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