After quite a dubious start of the tournament, the United States' National Team will try to reach the semi-final stage of the Copa América for the second time ever, which could boost Jürgen Klinsmann's chances of keeping his job with the Stars and Stripes after enduring harsh criticism. Nevertheless, Ecuador will not be an easy opponent to beat, particularly because they have never won a single edition of the continental tournament.
With that in mind, we analyze the reasons why the USMNT could make it to the competition's semi-finals for the second time ever.
1. Home field advantage
The USMNT have played five games at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and they have won each and everyone of them. If you add to those numbers all the games played by the Stars & Stripes in that city, you'll find that the North American team has only lost one of their nine matches in Seattle, none of them in the 21st century. Having one of the noisiest MLS crowds witnessing this match could come in handy for Klinsmann's crew.
2. Klinsmann FINALLY found his Starting XI
Much of the criticism against Jürgen Klinsmann was based on the fact that he was too keen on changing his lineups depending on their opponent. During the course of this tournament, the German boss refused to change his starting lineup, providing some much-needed continuity to the team. Even if DeAndre Yedlin is not around after being sent off against Paraguay, maintaining ten of his usual starters in this competition could provide the USMNT a competitive edge over their Ecuadorian counterparts.
Klinsmann's job was severely questioned after being eliminated in the 2015 Gold Cup semi-finals, adding up some poor performances thereafter.
3. Clint Dempsey's form
Yes, age might be an issue when referring to Clint Dempsey as the USMNT's top-caliber striker. Nevertheless, the former Tottenham Hotspur forward has proven that no one can deliver for the Stars and Stripes as he does, even if some of his critics believe he's not fit for the job. Proving that he has some good miles left in his tank, Seattle Sounders' striker is the joint top scorer of the tournament, sending the ball into the back of the net three times.
Dempsey needs seven goals to become the Stars & Stripes' all-time top scorer.
4. John Brooks' recent performances
The international center back has proved he can be very reliable for the team, especially when they seem to need him the most. The USMNT defender has been key to keep two straight clean sheets, denying Costa Rican stars Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz from any goal scoring chances. Furthermore, his antics against Paraguay stole all headlines, when he kept his cool despite being outnumbered by three Guaraní players. If things get tough, Brooks seems to be the man for the job.
Have a look at Brooks' impressive defending against Paraguay.
John Brooks #USMNT super stud!#CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/Uz3fyyXS8f
— Arsene In (@dariendude2) June 11, 2016
5. Ecuador's sloppy Copa América record
History usually doesn't have a say when it comes to this kind of games, but in Ecuador's case, that notion doesn't seem to work every time. The Ecuadorian side has only reached the semi-finals of this tournament once, back in 1993. Since then, Ecuador has only been able to get past the Group Stage once, and this is the first time in the last seven Copa editions that saw them get past the first round. It remains to be seen if Ecuador's talented strikers can be able to end their hoodoo against the USMNT, but their history in this kind of games surely gives the Americans an ego boost.
Ecuador's men up front will be quite challenging to stop.
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