USA-Ecuador Live: USMNT Wins Nail-Biter, Reaches Copa America Semifinals In 2016

Final, 2-1 United States: The referee blows the final whistle, and Team USA advances to the semifinals of the Copa America “Centenario.”

Through loads of spirit and a dash of quality, United States has reached its stated goal for Copa America 2016 by defeating Ecuador and advancing to the semifinals. Both teams finished the game with 10 players, as Jones and Antonio Valencia were sent off early in the second half. Zardes then put Team USA up 2-0, but Arroyo’s goal set the stage for one of the most tense finishes to a U.S. national team game in recent history.

Ecuador dominated the closing stages, but Enner Valencia’s wastefulness in front of goal and Team USA’s determination prevented the visitors from scoring the needed second goal. Ecuador’s fine Copa America run ends in Seattle.

Let’s hear from Dempsey, the man of the match.

Team USA is moving on to Houston and partying like it’s 1995.





The United States will play on June 21 in Houston against either Argentina or Venezuela.

That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion coming up on NESN.com/soccer.

90th minute +4, 2-1 United States: Zardes exits, and Steve Birnbaum enters in Team USA’s final substitution.

90th minute, 2-1 United States: There will be four minutes of added time in the second half.

90th minute, 2-1 United States: The referee dismisses Gustavo Quinteros from the technical area. The Ecuador coach was protesting too forcefully for the official’s liking.

90th minute, 2-1 United States: Zardes’ mis-touch goes on the U.S. goal, but Guzan dramatically saves it.

86th minute, 2-1 United States: Ecuador continues to pin Team USA back in its own half in search of a second goal.

83rd minute, 2-1 United States: The referee shows Guzan a yellow card.

82nd minute, 2-1 United States: Ecuador makes its final substitution. Paredes departs. Jaime Ayovi enters.

81st minute, 2-1 United States: Graham Zusi replaces Bedoya in Team USA’s second substitution.

79th minute, 2-1 United States: Ayovi shoots over the bar from 25 yards out, as Ecuador continues to press for the tying goal.

76th minute, 2-1 United States: Enner Valencia misses another header from close range. Ecuador is creating much danger on its left side.

76th minute, 2-1 United States: Enner Valencia misses with a towering header. He should have scored the game-tying goal there.

75th minute, 2-1 United States: Defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman replaces Dempsey, as Klinsmann makes Team USA’s first substitution.

74th minute, 2-1 United States: Arroyo scores on the ensuing set piece, cutting the U.S. lead back down to one.

73rd minute, 2-0 United States: Bedoya drags down Medina by his jersey. The referee shows Bedoya a yellow card, ruling the U.S. midfielder out of the semifinal through suspension.

71st minute, 2-0 United States: Ecuador makes its second substitution, replacing Carlos Gruezo with Cristian Ramirez.

68th minute, 2-0 United States: Enner Valencia heads Gaibor’s delivery over Guzan’s goal.

65th minute, 2-0 United States: Zardes doubles Team USA’s lead by tapping Dempsey’s shot into the empty goal.

Zardes joins the feast that is Dempsey’s sensational form.

64th minute, 1-0 Unites States: Juan Carlos Paredes receives a yellow card for nearly decapitating Wood with a high boot.

61st minute, 1-0 United States: Injured midfielder Christian Noboa limps off. Fernando Gaibor replaces him in Ecuador’s first substitution.

59th minute, 1-0 United States: Dempsey misses the target from 20 yards out, as Team USA looks to double its lead via counter-attack.

54th minute, 1-0 United States: The twin red cards will hurt both teams, but Valencia’s dismissal will sting Ecuador particularly hard.

The teams are familiar with playing down a man this summer.

54th minute, 1-0 United States: Wood receives a yellow card. He’ll be suspended in the semifinals.

51st minute, 1-0 United States: The referee has shown a red card to Antonio Valencia.

Valencia tripped Bedoya after losing the ball to him. It’s Valencia’s second yellow card.

Jones received a straight red card for slapping Arroyo in the face in the ensuing altercation.

Jones and Valencia will be suspended for the semifinals if their teams advance.

Both teams now are playing with 10 men.

48th minute, 1-0 United States: Enner Valencia narrowly misses connecting with a flick-on header. He might have scored an early second-half goal from a promising position.

46th minute, 1-0 United States: The second half is under way.

Team USA has three areas of focus for the second half.

It must keep its tactical organization and maintain its belief to withstand Ecuador’s looming surge. It also must sharpen its touches in order to eliminate defensive mistakes and score the second goal, which could ultimately decide the game.

Halftime, 1-0 United States: That’s the end of the first half. Team USA leads by one.

Team USA gave Klinsmann and fans much of what they wanted and very little of what they didn’t. Team USA showed the aggression and confidence Klinsmann demanded, and their baying fans responded by creating the feverish atmosphere their team desired.

Dempsey continued to demonstrate his worth, scoring one goal and creating the opportunity for others to add more. Slack finishing and a pair of miscues at the back are the two negative aspects of a first half, which was positive-plus on balance.

Things are looking good for Team USA. Ecuador must gain greater control of the game, or its Copa America 2016 journey will end in the Pacific Northwest.

45th minute +1, 1-0 United States: Brad Guzan denies Montero, as the Ecuador winger nearly profits from a U.S. error at the back.

45th minute, 1-0 United States: There will be two minutes of added time in the first half.

42nd minute, 1-0 United States: Bedoya has a golden opportunity to double the U.S. lead but can’t beat Dominguez with his scuffed shot.

Bedoya’s chance came on the counter-attack, as Ecuador was applying heavy pressure.

37th minute, 1-0 United States: The referee shows Ecuador’s Antonio Valencia a yellow card for a foul on Brooks.

33rd minute, 1-0 United States: Brooks is clutching his elbow. It looked for a moment like the U.S. center back wouldn’t be able to continue but he plays on.

30th minute, 1-0 United States: Mina is down on the field with an apparent issue he suffered in beating Wood to a loose ball.

30th minute, 1-0 United States: Brooks blocks Arroya’s attempt at scoring a game-tying goal. Brooks is having an excellent Copa America 2016.

27th minute, 1-0 United States: Dominguez saves Dempsey’s low shot, as the U.S. goal scorer hunts for more.

22nd minute, 1-0 United States: That man Dempsey puts Team USA in front.

Dempsey headed Jones’ floated cross into a part of the goal Alexander Dominguez was powerless to protect.

Dempsey strengthens his case for all-tournament-team and perhaps Golden Ball and Boot honors. His goal has boosted the U.S. and also bodes well for its chances of victory.

18th minute, 0-0: Geoff Cameron’s sliced clearance falls to Ecuador, but Michael Arroyo misses the target with the shot. Team USA avoids calamity but just by a few feet.

17th minute, 0-0: Frickson Erazo puts enough pressure on Wood to disrupt the U.S. striker’s first effort on goal.

14th minute, 0-0: Geoff Cameron heads Bradley’s corner kick wide of Ecuador’s goal, as the U.S. remains more committed to attacking at this stage of the game.

12th minute, 0-0: The U.S. is trying to attack Ecuador through the middle. Strikers Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood have positioned themselves centrally, leaving the wings to Zardes, Alejandro Bedoya and the fullbacks.

Center midfielders Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley probably won’t make many forward runs, giving Team USA a solid shield for defending central areas.

Sixth minute, 0-0: Jefferson Montero floats a shot toward the top corner but misses the U.S. goal in Ecuador’s first attempt to open the scoring.

Third minute, 0-0: Arturo Mina deflects Gyasi Zardes shot out for a corner kick.

The U.S. has started well, dominating possession and pushing play deep into Ecuador’s half.

Kickoff: The Copa America 2016 quarterfinal between the United States and Ecuador is under way.

How fitting is it that Seattle, the self-styled “Soccer City USA,” hosts Team USA’s biggest game of 2016.

The teams pay their respects to the Orlando shooting victims by observing a moment of silence. U.S. captain Michael Bradley adds another layer to the tributes.

Pregame: Consistency on the back line helped Team USA advance from the group stage, and everyone was wondering how U.S head coach Jurgen Klinsmann would react to the suspension of right back DeAndre Yedlin.

Klinsmann adds two more big calls to the ones he made ahead of the tournament, selecting Matt Besler as the starting left back and moving Fabian Johnson from the left side of defense to the right.

Besler, 29, has spent his career as a center back but showed a reasonable aptitude at left back when Klinsmann deployed him there in Team USA’s win over Bolivia in their final Copa America 2016 warm-up game.

His intelligence and passing ability should serve him well against Ecuador, but his lack of speed could be a problem against Ecuador’s Antonio Valencia, who plays his club soccer at Manchester United.

Klinsmann called on his players to be proactive against Ecuador. Such an approach would be a departure from what Team USA showed in the group stage.

As for attacking players, watch Ecuador’s Enner Valencia and Clint Dempsey. They’ve been their team’s standout goal producers this summer.

9 p.m.: Here are the starting lineups:

United States

Ecuador

8:30 p.m. ET: The men’s national soccer teams of the United States and Ecuador are out west for the third, and by far the biggest, installment of their recent trilogy.

USA and Ecuador face off Thursday in Seattle, Wash., in the quarterfinals of Copa America 2016. Destiny awaits both sides, as the knockout game will make their biggest tournament of the year a success or failure, depending on the outcome.

The teams have met twice since the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They tied 1-1 in Oct. 2014 in East Hartford, Conn., in Landon Donovan’s final game for Team USA. The U.S. won 1-0 on on May 28 in a no-stakes, pre-tournament exhibition game.

That Donovan will provide color commentary on FOX Sports’ U.S. broadcast of Team USA’s most important game of 2016 seems fitting. USA-Ecuador will demonstrate to the world how far Team USA has progressed since the era of Donovan, its greatest-ever player, closed two years ago.

If Team USA wins, it will have succeeded at Copa America 2016 — the most important tournament to take place on U.S. soil in over 20 years. If Ecuador wins, it will continue on its best Copa America journey since 1997 … at the expense of a team that still is trying to make its mark at home.

USA-Ecuador kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from CenturyLink Field.

Thumbnail photo via Gary Rohman/MLS/USA TODAY Sports Images