Uruguay vs. Ecuador 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know

South America's 2018 World Cup qualifiers resume on Thursday with Uruguay welcoming Ecuador to Montevideo in one of the crunch games of the matchday. The hosts head into the fixture in fine form, trailing table-topping Brazil by just a point and a place after the first 10 rounds. It has been an impressive run from a side that have struggled over the last few years, and they'll look to maintain their momentum in this encounter.

1. If Ecuador are to win, they'll have to breach the fortress of Uruguay's Estadio Centenario. Óscar Tabárez's side have won all five of their home matches in qualifying so far, having contrastingly won just once on the road. Ecuador have won twice away from home, including an impressive victory away in Argentina last year.

2. In Edinson Cavani, Uruguay boast the top scorer in South American qualifying so far; the Paris Saint-Germain forward has netted seven times so far. However, Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo isn't too far behind, having notched five. Unfortunately for the visitors, they'll have to do without veteran winger Antonio Valencia, with the Manchester United winger having recently undergone surgery on an arm injury.