Mexico control their own destiny in this Copa América edition, and they will determine if they make it to the knockout stages against an opponent that brings back good memories: Ecuador. With four matches between these two sides in this competition, the Mexicans will try to get a win against La Banana Mecánica, a team that has lost its two previous games in the tournament, and has barely no chance of making it to the next round.
Even after a shaky performance in their first game against Boliva, El Tri gave their fans a taste of their quality and courage when they faced hosts Chile on Monday. Miguel Herrera's men was leading on two different occasions, and ended the match with a draw against La Roja. Coach Herrera will not have available Adrián Aldrete, one of the best players for the Mexican team in the tournament, while captain Rafa Marquez is still under medical surveillance. The rest of the team, including leading goalscorer Matías Vuoso, will be at Herrera's disposal.
Ecuador's performance in this tournament has not been rewarded with any points. After a controversial game against Chile, "the team from mid-earth" had a hard time defending Bolivia's strikers. After conceding three goals, Ecuador was able to score twice before the final minutes of the game, but their efforts did not pay up. If Gustavo Quinteros' side wants a spot in the next round, they have to beat Mexico and wait for the other groups to play, since their lack of points leaves them in a very compromised situation.
As we mentioned earlier, these two sides have met four times in this tournament. Mexico has the upper hand, having won three of those games. In fact, their first meeting happened back in 1993, with El Tri eliminating Ecuador in the semi-finals. Their next meeting happened in 1997, when Mexico also arrived to the tournament with what was considered to be a "B" side, just like this year. Their quarter-final meeting ended up with a 1-1 draw, with Mexico prevailing after the penalty shootout. Their last two games, which were held in 2004 and 2007, ended up with a couple of wins for Mexico with identical scores of 2-1.
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