(Getty)
Jurgen Klinsmann has kept his lineup unchanged in USA’s two wins leading to their first place finish in Group A, but he’ll need to make an adjustment Thursday night against Ecuador. DeAndre Yedlin, who has struggled at Copa America, received two quick yellow cards against Paraguay and is suspended for the quarterfinals.
Yedlin may not have been a playmaker on offense, but his speed getting back on defense allowed him to be more aggressive. USA won’t have that option in his replacement, 30-year old Michael Orozco.
Klinsmann has other options for a replacement, but Orozco has the most experience at the position. He currently plays for Tijuana in Liga MX, but started only three matches in the 2016 Clausura season. According to Orozco, he doesn’t play the type of attacking football USA gets from Yedlin.
“If I get a chance to play, I’ll do as best as I can,” Orozco told Goal USA. “Obviously I’ve got to defend first, I don’t plan on attacking. I’m a defender, and my goal is to keep the zero in the back.”
Here’s the details for the match:
DATE: Thursday, June 16, 2016
CHANNEL: Fox Sports 1
KICKOFF TIME: 9:30 p.m. Eastern
LOCATION: CenturyLink Field, Seattle WA
LIVE STREAM: Click here for all the live stream information
THE LINEUPS
Lineups will be posted as soon as they are released.
USMNT:
#USMNT lineup: Guzan; Besler, Brooks, Cameron, Johnson; Jones, Bradley, Bedoya; Wood, Dempsey, Zardes. #USAvECU #MyCopaColors
Ecuador: