Even though Chile are the reigning CONMEBOL champions after the Copa America, two other teams have stood out in World Cup qualifying so far in South America: Uruguay and Ecuador. The two countries have looked unstoppable so far in qualifying, getting big wins over tough opponents without giving up a single goal through their first two matches. Now they go head to head, and the winner could establish themselves as an early favorite to top the qualifying table.
Ecuador vs. Uruguay 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup qualifying online
The top two teams in CONMEBOL qualifying so far square off in Ecuador.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It’s going to be interesting to see how this match plays out. Uruguay have beaten Bolivia away and thrashed Colombia at home, while Ecuador shocked Argentina away and beat Bolivia at home. Despite those strong performances, it really seems like neither team really played at their best -- both have an extra gear or two in them that they haven’t really reached yet.
A match like this can often bring that gear out, but both teams have a habit of getting a bit conservative in big matchups. We could either see an exciting slugfest between two hungry teams eager to prove a point, or a tentative fight between two teams scared to lose. Hopefully we get the former -- though we can still learn plenty if we see the latter.
Key Ecuador player -- Jaime Ayovi
With Enner Valencia out, Ecuador are resting a lot of hope on the shoulders of Ayovi. Once thought of as a shining beacon of Ecuador’s future, but now at 27 years old he’s never really quite reached the huge talent he was once thought to have. Currently enjoying a solid-if-unspectacular season at Godoy Cruz in Argentina, Ecuador need him to turn things up a notch while he partners with Felipe Caicedo. Caicedo is the man expected to score goals right now, but Ayovi’s role is crucial for helping make space for him and provide options, both in build-up and as a goalscoring threat of his own. If he can do well in this match, Ecuador’s options up top once Valencia gets back could make them a force to be reckoned with in South America.
Key Uruguay player-- Edinson Cavani
Cavani is such a confusing player sometimes. He’s got absolutely immense talents, but struggles at Paris Saint-Germain in the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. You’d think that would mean he’d do better as the guy in the Uruguay squad, but he struggles without Luis Suarez around. Uruguay desperately need him to find his once-imperious form again, though, because especially for this match, he’s the only guy they have up top with Suarez still out who can help crack some of the tough defenses in South America right now, especially a team like Ecudaor who play both physically and very smart at the back. If Cavani is just there again without contributing much, like he’s been at times over the last few months for Uruguay, they’re going to have a very tough time winning this match.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 4 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada - English), beIN Sports en Español (U.S. & Canada - Spanish), RTS Ecuador, TC Television (Ecuador), VTV Uruguay (Uruguay), TyC Internacional
Online: Fubo TV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S. & Canada)
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