USMNT continues Copa America prep with friendly vs. Ecuador

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Men’s National Team continues its series of friendlies in preparation for Copa America Centenario against Ecuador in Frisco, Texas on May 25 at Toyota Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network.

This marks the first Copa America Centenario warm-up match featuring MLS-based players, who were released from their clubs following weekend action and joined the MNT on Monday. A total of 22 of the 23 players on the Copa America Centenario final roster are available, with the exception of goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who will join the team next week in San Jose, Calif.

The MNT is 2-5-5 in 12 all-time meetings against Ecuador dating back to 1984. The two sides last met in a 1-1 draw on Oct. 10, 2014, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., which served as the farewell match for U.S. all-time leading goal scorer Landon Donovan. The last time the MNT defeated Ecuador was March 25, 2007, a 3-1 victory at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

The U.S. defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 on Sunday in the first meeting between the teams. Tim Ream and Paul Arriola – both of whom returned home following the match – scored their first international goals, in what marked the latter’s first cap. Bobby Wood also found the back of the net, good for his fifth career score, while Brad Guzan and Tim Howard split time defending the U.S. goal.

MNT COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO ROSTER : This match marks the first time MLS players have joined the U.S. pre-Copa America Centenario camp. In total, 22 of 23 players are available for this match, with the exception of Ethan Horvath, who will join the team in San Jose, Calif. next week. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who is ineligible for the tournament, has remained with the team in his place. Despite not being available for the tournament, 20-year-old defender Kellyn Acosta has joined the team for this match alone.

U.S. Men’s National Team Roster by Postion:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Zack Steffen (SC Freiburg)

DEFENDERS (9): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting KC), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moencengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham)

MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (12): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)

• Fifteen players were apart on the team to make the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup: Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Michael Bradley, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Fabian Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Chris Wondolowski, DeAndre Yedlin and Graham Zusi all played important minutes in Brazil while Brad Guzan was the always reliable backup at goalkeeper.
• MLS and the German domestic leagues predominately make up the 24 players on this roster. 12 players feature in MLS and six players participate in either the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga. In addition, three players hail from the English Premier League.
• Clint Dempsey is the leading cap-winner on the roster with 122 appearances. His 49 career goals are good for second on the USA’s all-time scoring list.
• Bobby Wood finished the 2. Bundesliga season with 17 league goals for Union Berlin, setting a single-season record for a U.S. international in Germany. His performance led to a May 15 transfer to Hamburg SV in the German Bundesliga.
• Brad Guzan boasts a 10-4-4 record in official competition for the United States, which includes matches in World Cup Qualifying, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the Gold Cup and Copa America.
• Fabian Johnson completed the Bundesliga campaign with Borussia Monchengladbach with six goals, including two in the Champions League. ‘Gladbach finished the season in fourth place and earned a spot in Champions League qualifying for next year.
• Alejandro Bedoya finished the second half of the Ligue 1 season with four goals and two assists for Nantes.
• Geoff Cameron completed the year with 30 appearances for Stoke City, helping the club finish in the top half of the Premier League.
• DeAndre Yedlin capped off a successful loan spell at Sunderland by helping the Black Cats retain their place in the Premier League. Having spent 237 days in the relegation zone, the team secured another year in the top flight on the second-to-last matchday of the season.
• After extending his contract with Hertha Berlin, John Brooks dealt with nagging injuries at the end of the campaign. The capital club finished in seventh place, meaning the road to the Europa League will begin with qualifying in late July.
• Tim Howard joins the squad after having played his final match as a member of Everton. Having ended his 10-year career at the club, he will join the Colorado Rapids following the Copa America Centenario.
• Kyle Beckerman has played in six competitions for the senior team. He and Guzan are the only two players on the roster to have participated in a previous Copa America, having played in the 2007 edition.
• Jermaine Jones is back in the U.S. fold after a fine run of form with his new club. Since joining the Rapids, he has tallied three goals in seven games.
• Chris Wondolowski sits in fourth place on the MLS scoring charts this season, his seven goals are just one behind the league leaders.
• Gyasi Zardes recorded a team-high 19 appearances in 2015.
• Christian Pulisic is the youngest player in the squad at 17 years old. He made his senior team debut in the 4-0 win against Guatemala in World Cup Qualifying in March. After breaking into Dortmund’s first team in January, he scored against Hamburg in April, becoming the fourth youngest player to score a Bundesliga goal. He also made three appearances in Dortmund’s run to the Europa League quarterfinals.
• Timmy Chandler returns to the fold for the first time since the 2015 Gold Cup. He recently helped his club, Eintract Frankfurt, defeat FC Nurnberg in a relegation playoff on aggregate 2-1.
• Steve Birnbaum has earned three of his four career caps this year. His first career goal proved to be the game-winner in the 3-2 victory against Iceland, then he earned his first World Cup Qualifying start against Guatemala in Columbus.
• Perry Kitchen made the most of his winter move to Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League, appearing in all 10 of the club’s league matches following his arrival in March.
• Sporting KC and Colorado Rapids each send two players to the squad, both World Cup veteran duos in Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, and Howard and Jones.
• The United States has played five games in 2016, and six of the nine USA scorers are on the roster.
• Five players from the state of California are on the roster: Birnbaum, Michael Orozco, Wondolowski, Wood and Zardes.

USA vs. ECUADOR

• The U.S. MNT is 2-5-5 in 12 all-time meetings with Ecuador. La Tri owns the all-time scoring advantage at 11-7.
• The U.S. has earned a result (2-1-2) in four of its last five matches against Ecuador, dating back to 2001.
• The MNT and Ecuador have faced off in Texas twice before, both in 1988. Ecuador won the first match 2-0 in Houston and both teams played to a scoreless draw two days later.
• The U.S. most recently defeated Ecuador 3-0 on March 25, 2007 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Landon Donovan scored all three goals for the MNT.

ECUADOR COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Máximo Banguera (Barcelona, ECU), Alexander Domínguez (LDU Quito, ECU), Esteban Dreer (Emelec, ECU)

DEFENDERS (7): Gabriel Achilier (Emelec, ECU), Robert Arboleda (Universidad Católica, ECU), Walter Ayoví (Monterrey, MEX), Frickson Erazo (Atlético Mineiro, BRA), Arturo Mina (Independiente del Valle, ECU), Juan Carlos Paredes (Watford, ENG), Cristian Ramírez (Ferencváros, HUN)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Michael Arroyo (Club América, MEX), Fernando Gaibor (Emelec, ECU), Carlos Gruezo (FC Dallas, USA), Pedro Larrea (El Nacional, ECU), Fidel Martínez (Pumas UNAM, MEX), Ángel Mena (Emelec, ECU), Jefferson Montero (Swansea, WAL), Christian Noboa (Rostov, RUS), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, ENG)

FORWARDS (4): Jaime Ayoví (Godoy Cruz, ARG), Miler Bolaños (Grêmio, BRA), Juan Cazares (Atlético Mineiro, BRA), Enner Valencia (West Ham United, ENG)

• Ecuador is led by head coach Gustavo Quinteros, who was hired in January 2015 and last led Ecudaorian club Emelec to back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014. Quinteros played for Bolivia in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
• La Tri is tied with Uruguay at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying table with 13 points apiece. Ecuador led off its WCQ campaign with four wins before drawing with Paraguay and dropping a 3-1 result to Colombia in March.
• Since last year’s Copa America, La Tri is 5-1-1.
• Ecuador’s roster includes four English Premier League players – Enner Valencia, Antonio Valencia, Jefferson Montero and Juan Carlos Paredes – and a strong contingent of domestic league players.
• FC Dallas midfielder Carlos Gruezo has earned 10 caps for Ecuador, dating back to his debut in 2014.
• Ecuador has never finished above fourth in Copa America (1959, 1993).
• Last year, La Tribowed out in the Group Round despite a 2-1 victory against Mexico on its third matchday.
• Ecuador will kick off Group B action against Brazil on June 4 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Followed by matches against Peru and Haiti.

LAST MEETING

Date: October 10, 2014
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Rentschler Field; East Hartford, Conn.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Attendance: 36,265
Weather: 54 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA                        1 0 1
ECU                        0 1 1

USA – Mix Diskerud (DeAndre Yedlin)       5th minute
ECU – Enner Valencia (Cristhian Noboa)    88

Lineups:
USA: 1-Brad Guzan; 21-Timmy Chandler, 4-Michael Orozco (3-Omar Gonzalez, 62), 6-John Brooks (5-Tim Ream, 62), 14-Greg Garza; 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 11-Alejandro Bedoya (19-Alfredo Morales, 62), 8-Mix Diskerud, 7-Joe Gyau (23-Bobby Wood, 22); 10-Landon Donovan (capt.) (15-Joe Corona, 41), 17-Jozy Altidore (18-Chris Wondolowski, 76)
Subs Not Used : 9-Miguel Ibarra, 20-Luis Gil, 22-Nick Rimando
Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

ECU: 1-Maximo Banguera; 4-Juan Carlos Paredes (16-Mario Pineida, 90+3), 20-Luis Canga, 3-Frickson Erazo (19-Luis Fernando Leon, 86), 10-Walter Ayovi (capt.); 6-Cristhian Noboa, 14-Segundo Castillo (8-Carlos Gruezo, 86), 5-Renato Ibarra (18-Jonathan Gonzalez, 44), 11-Juan Cazares (17-Junior Sornoza, 85), 9-Cristian Penilla (7-Joao Plata, 46), 13-Enner Valencia
Subs Not Used: 2-Arturo Mina, 12-Hamilton Piedra, 15-Cristian Ramirez, 21-Johnny Uchuari, 22-Alexander Dominguez
Head Coach: Sixto Vizuete Toapanta

Stats Summary: USA / ECU
Shots: 11 / 17
Shots on Goal: 4 / 7
Saves: 6 / 3
Corner Kicks: 2 / 5
Fouls: 10 / 9
Offside: 0 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Michael Orozco (caution) 32nd minute
ECU – Frickson Erazo (caution) 54
USA – Joe Corona (caution) 61

Officials:
Referee: Roberto Moreno (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Williamson (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Keyzell Corrales (NCA)
4th Official: Ricardo Cerdas (CRC)

Man of the Match: Landon Donovan