Copa America Results 2016: Thursday QuarterfInal Results and Updated Bracket
The knockout stage of the 2016 Copa America kicked off Thursday as the United States defeated Ecuador 2-1 in an intense quarterfinal match at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
The U.S., which became the first team to advance to the semifinals, will await the winner of Saturday's match between Argentina and Venezuela.
Below is a look at the updated results and upcoming schedule for the tournament:
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| Ecuador vs. USA | CenturyLink Field, Seattle | 2-1 USA |
| Colombia vs. Peru | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey | 8 p.m. |
Knockout-Stage Bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final |
| USA | ||
| Ecuador | ||
| USA vs. TBD | ||
| Argentina | ||
| Venezuela | ||
| Winners | ||
| Peru | ||
| Colombia | ||
| Winners | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Chile | 3rd-Place Game |
United States Def. Ecuador, 2-1
Heading into the match, a major storyline was how the U.S. defense would handle the speed of Enner Valencia and the rest of Ecuador's forwards without DeAndre Yedlin, who was serving a suspension after receiving a red card against Paraguay on June 11. The Americans responded well and held their opponents at bay for most of the game.
Ecuador was able to create some space on the wings after some U.S. turnovers in midfield, but the American defense supported goalkeeper Brad Guzan and cleared most of the Ecuadorians' chances.
Up front, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood were excellent, as they created havoc near the Ecuadorian goal while also supporting the defense when necessary. Their play was first rewarded with this brilliant header by Dempsey in the 22nd minute, courtesy of Fox Soccer:
Wood drew defenders down low before finding Jermaine Jones at the top of the box. Dempsey then made a great play to get that much power and accuracy on the header.
The dynamic of the game changed in the second half, as the referee issued simultaneous red cards to Jones and Antonio Valencia in the 52nd minute. Wood then received his second yellow card of the tournament shortly afterward, and Alejandro Bedoya would later do the same, which means the U.S. will be down three key starters in the semifinals.
Having fewer men on the field should have favored Ecuador, but the Americans scored the critical second goal of the match.
The U.S. slowed down the pace and held more possession to keep Ecuador from breaking down its defense. Once again, Dempsey and Wood created a scoring chance, which worked to the benefit of Gyasi Zardes, courtesy of Fox Soccer:
Ecuador did not give up, though, as it started to push the pace and pressure the Americans. The Ecuadorians spent the remainder of the match in the attacking third of the field and finally broke through with a beautiful set-piece play by Michael Arroyo, courtesy of Fox Soccer:
The momentum then rested solely with Ecuador. Enner Valencia had two golden opportunities from crosses minutes later, but he was unable to convert.
The U.S. packed it in for the rest of the game and survived to reach the semifinals in the Copa America for the second time ever, per Fox Sports 1's broadcast.
Ecuador played tremendous for the last 20 minutes, but it waited too long to utilize its speed and ran out of time to equalize.
Reaching the semifinals is a great accomplishment for the U.S., and it has played well since its opening loss to Colombia. However, losing many important players for a possible matchup with Argentina will be tough.
The U.S. will need to put forth a miraculous effort in Houston on Tuesday to advance to the final, but the Americans will have some confidence and the home fans on their side.
