Copa America 2024 Group Stage
23 June, 2024 - Indian Date
Levi's Stadium
MATCH TIMES
India
03:30 AM
UAE
02:00 AM
Saudi Arabia
1:00 AM
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FULL TIME
Ecuador possible starting lineup: Dominguez; Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Ortiz, Caicedo; Yeboah, Paez, Sarmiento; Valencia
Venezuela possible starting lineup: Blake; Lowe, Hector, Bernard; Latibeaudiere, Palmer, Johnson, Anderson; Decordova-Reid, Antonio, Nicholson
Match Preview
Ecuador and Venezuela will kick off their respective 2024 Copa America campaigns with a crucial match on Saturday. Both teams aim to start strong in an open Group B, which also includes Mexico and Jamaica.
Ecuador's Prospects:
Ecuador, historically underachieving in Copa America, have twice finished fourth (1959 and 1993) and have reached the quarter-finals in two of the last three tournaments. They were eliminated by eventual winners Argentina in the 2021 edition. Coached by Felix Sanchez, Ecuador has shown promising form with consecutive wins over Bolivia and Honduras in recent friendlies and a narrow 1-0 loss to Argentina.
Their strong start in the 2026 World Cup qualification, currently sitting fifth with eight points from six matches, positions them favorably. Key players for Ecuador include Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie, Eintracht Frankfurt's Willian Pacho, Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, and the veteran Enner Valencia, who will captain the side.
Venezuela's Prospects:
Venezuela, under Fernando Batista, have a solid start to their World Cup qualification campaign, sitting fourth, one point ahead of Ecuador. Their recent form includes a goalless draw with Guatemala and losses to Colombia and Italy. They last won against Chile in October 2023.
Venezuela's best Copa America finish was fourth place in 2011. Recent performances have been mixed, with quarter-final exits twice and group-stage eliminations twice in the last four tournaments. Salomon Rondon leads their attack, supported by Yeferson Soteldo, Jefferson Savarino, Yangel Herrera, Cristian Casseres, and Jose Martinez.
Head-to-Head:
The recent meetings between these two sides have been closely contested. They drew in their last encounter in November 2023, a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Ecuador edged out Venezuela 1-0 in their previous meeting in 2021. Over their last six matches, each team has won once, with four games ending in draws.
Match Outlook:
Ecuador will rely on their recent positive results and strong squad depth to aim for a win against Venezuela. With key players like Valencia, Caicedo, and young talent Kendry Paez, they have a balanced mix of experience and youth. Venezuela, with Rondon and their dynamic midfield, will look to leverage their solid qualification form to secure a good result.
Overall, this encounter is expected to be competitive, with both teams having the potential to progress past the group stage, making it a critical match for setting the tone of their respective campaigns.