Ecuador are in Group B of Copa America 2024, set to take place in the United States. Mexico, Venezuela, and Jamaica are the three other teams in Group B. Ecuador are currently ranked 31 in the world. Felix Sanchez’s team are expected to proceed to the knockout stages of Copa America 2024.
Predicted lineup of Ecuador National Football Team playing in Copa America
Ecuador have notable Premier League players all over the pitch. Bayer Levrkusen’s Piero Hincapie and Chelsea‘s Moises Caicedo are their most notable star names. They also have the experienced Enner Valencia in the attack, who shone for his country during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Alexander Dominguez is expected to start in goal for Ecuador.
Hincapie will be partnered by either Felix Torres or Willian Pacho. Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan looks set to be the left full-back while Angelo Preciado is the right. Moises Caicedo and Carlos Gruezo are set to be the two central midfielders for Sanchez’s side. Jeremy Sarmiento and Gonzalo Plata are expected to be the two wingers with the prodigious Kendry Paez playing down the middle. Kevin Rodriguez or Enner Valencia looks set to lead the attack.
Sanchez has chosen to set his team up in a usual 4-2-3-1 formation. He is expected to keep the familiar shape during the Copa America 2024 in the United States. Here’s the predicted lineup of Ecuador:
Also Read: A tactical preview for Argentina National Football Team playing in Copa America 2024
Team Strengths
Keeping the ball: Ecuador can keep the ball through short passing, making them a good team on the ball. They can progress high up the field with the same approach, eventually mounting pressure on the opposition’s goal.
Quality players: Hincapie, Estupinan, Caicedo, Paez, and Valencia are all quality players. Most of them have experience at the top level with Paez being a highly-touted prospect. This could come in handy in a big tournament like Copa America 2024.
Team width: Ecuador’s full-backs are well adept in giving the team the necessary width. This results in them progressing well and Paez finding the space inside the pitch. The youngster can create chances that can put the opponent’s defense under real pressure.
Team Weaknesses:
Enner Valencia’s injury: While Ecuador has several key attackers, Enner Valencia is the most experienced and trusted source to get to the goal. Valencia has injured himself, meaning his participation is in doubt.
Man-marking tendency: Sanchez tends to set his team up in a man-marking way. This goes on all over the pitch. That results in the full-backs often open to one-on-one duels. One error is enough to break the man-marking system. Hence, it’s a high-risk game they play, which could backfire against quality opponents.
Ecuador Copa America 2024 Key players
- Moises Caicedo: Moises Caicedo has found his feet at Chelsea after a difficult start. His quality is under no doubt. Caicedo, if he can play at his best, could be a real asset for Ecuador. He could become one of the players of the tournament.
- Kendry Paez: 17-year-old Kendry Paez will join Chelsea at the start of the 2025-26 season. He is an extremely creative player and has been showing his quality in South American football. Paez is a prodigy and will look to grab eyeballs with a stellar display at Copa America 2024.
- Enner Valencia: Veteran Enner Valencia knows his way around the goal. He was superb during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Valencia’s calm and confident approach is quite remarkable. However, there’s doubt over his fitness. If fit, Valencia can once again light up a big tournament.
Conclusion:
Ecuador is expected to finish behind Mexico in Group B of Copa America 2024. If that’s the case, they could end up facing Argentina in the first knockout stage. La Albiceleste won by a goal when the two teams met last year.