FOX Sports’ coverage of the U.S. vs. Ecuador Copa America Centenario quarter-final was watched by a viewing average of 2.132 million people. There was plenty of action on the pitch, which came down to the final seconds, but in the end, it was Team USA on top winning 2 – 1.
Advertisement
Clint Dempsey scored his 52nd worldwide goal in the 22nd minute when he headed the ball inside the left post to give U.S. a 1-0 lead.
Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez, lies on the pitch, as he reacts after United States’ Gyasi Zardes scored his side’s third goal during a Copa America Centenario quarterfinal soccer match, Thursday, June 16, 2016 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
Michael Arroyo scored for Ecuador in the 74th minute, making for a tense ending, and Enner Valencia missed two great chances moments later on a pair of headers.
“Hopefully we can keep going”. This team is damn good.
SEATTLE (AP) – When Jurgen Klinsmann started experimenting with his roster following the 2014 World Cup, the US coach did it with the hope of building more depth for the next four-year cycle.
Bedoya nearly doubled the USA lead three minutes before the break when played through Dempsey, yet Dominguez saved smartly down to his left. But our program is maturing. Our players are maturing. “They are learning with every game we can play in this type of an environment”.
Dempsey, for one, said he isn’t satisfied yet. Cheer up, Ecuador. We’ll see you in three months for the World Cup qualifiers.
Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey figured in both goals – scoring the first and assisting the second.
“Clint is special”, said Klinsmann. “He showed that tonight, he showed that the last couple of weeks, he showed that his entire career”.
But it was not going to faze the USA, as they soon had their lead doubled by Zarades, who prodded home into an open goal.
The win, though, came at a price.
There was plenty of drama in the 52nd minute which brought both teams down to 10 men after Ecuadors Antonio Valencia kicked out Alejandro Bedoyas legs.
“We take it the way it comes along”, Klinsmann said.
Klinsmann was irate at the red card, blaming the decision on fourth official Wilton Sampaio on the sideline.
“People didn’t believe we were going to be in the semifinals, and here we are”, defender Geoff Cameron said. “Not easy, but they’re a team that has so much desire to grind it out”.
“We’ve come so far now and now we get even hungrier for the next step”, said USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The moves paid off, though the back line received considerable help from wide midfielders Bedoya and Zardes.
Regardless, their push for an equalizer came to nothing, and the USA held finish only its second transfer round in the domain dispute.
“With the two wingers that they have, with [Juan Carlos] Paredes coming from behind and [Antonio] Valencia there, that is hard to deal with”. Gyasi will need to play at his best against Argentina or Venezuela.
“But they are also growing and maturing. They were helping each other all over the field”. It’s cool, then you have the feeling, ‘We can go eye-to-eye here’.
Advertisement
The U.S. will have Dempsey, though.
