After losing the first game of the Copa America Centenario 2-0, the United States bounced back with two straight wins to secure the top spot in Group A. In the first match of the quarterfinals this Thursday, the United States host Ecuador at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
Copa America 2016 odds: USA, Colombia favorites in first two Copa quarterfinals
The Copa America quarterfinals begin with the United States and Colombia favorites against Ecuador and Peru on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
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This quarterfinals matchup is a virtual pick’em on the odds board with the United States going off at +160 and Ecuador going off at +165 to win in regulation at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. A draw through the first 90 minutes plus extra time would pay +200.
The USA’s 4-0 win over Costa Rica and 1-0 win over Paraguay earned the team the first seed in Group A thanks to a +3 goal differential. The United States have looked strong on defense and in goal in this tournament, and the team picked up a clean sheet against Ecuador when the two teams met for an international friendly last month.
Ecuador advanced into the knockout round with two hard-earned draws, playing Brazil to a 0-0 draw and then erasing a two-goal deficit to pick up a 2-2 draw against Peru. This is a dangerous matchup for the United States, but home-field advantage could play a role for the Americans.
On Friday, Colombia (-180) will face Peru (+475), with draw odds going off at +255.
Coming off strong performances in a 2-0 win over the United States and a 2-1 win over Paraguay, Colombia tripped up in its final game of group play with a 3-2 loss against Costa Rica. This loss slotted Colombia into the second seed of Group A, which many believed would result in a game against Brazil. However, Peru had other plans.
In a major upset last Sunday, Peru defeated Brazil 1-0 to win Group B and eliminate the latter from the Copa America tournament. Brazil was a +450 favorite to win this tournament and only needed a draw against Peru to advance to the knockout stage, but Peru earned the upset at Gillette Stadium to take the top spot in the group.
Peru will once again be a big underdog on Friday facing Colombia, the No. 3 team in the FIFA World Rankings.
