The Copa America 2024 opening game of Group B between Ecuador and Venezuela takes place this Saturday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
A thrilling matchup between Ecuador and Venezuela in Group B at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on June 22, 2024. Both teams are keen to get off to a fast start in their pursuit of continental glory, and this match serves as their first of the competition. Although these two teams have historically been evenly matched—their most recent competitive meeting ended in a 0-0 draw during the World Cup qualifiers in November 2023—the Tricolors are the clear favorites in the upcoming match, according to the Ecuador vs. Venezuela odds. Ecuador will be trying to demonstrate their tenacity and build on their recent winning momentum after suffering a points deduction during their World Cup qualifying campaign. Venezuela, on the other hand, is looking to build on their encouraging recent results and is led by new coach Fernando Batista.
Group B matches Ecuador and Venezuela against Jamaica and Mexico; given Mexico’s recent performance, Ecuador or Venezuela could finish first or second.
As a CONMEBOL country, Ecuador automatically qualified for the Copa America, but they have participated in the competition 30 appearances since their 1939 debut.
In all their appearances, the Tricolors have never taken first place in the competition. Ecuador’s best result to date has been fourth place, which they achieved in 1959 and 1993. Ecuador’s most recent appearance in the competition occurred in 2021 when they lost 3–0 to eventual winners Argentina in the quarterfinals.
Venezuela qualified for the tournament automatically as well because it is a member of CONMEBOL. Venezuela has participated in the competition 20 appearances since their inception in 1967.
Fourth place in the Copa America in 2011 was the best result Venezuela has ever had. During their 19 appearances thus far, Venezuela has actually only advanced past the Group stage five times.
36 times in their history, Ecuador and Venezuela have met, the first time being during the Bolivarian Games in 1938. With seven games ending in draws, Ecuador has a superior record in this fixture with 17 wins compared to Venezuela’s 12 wins.
Except for a low-scoring draw in the 2021 Copa America, Ecuador, and Venezuela have drawn three times and won once in their last five meetings in this series.
Ecuador has something to prove as it heads into the Copa America 2024. Because of the Byron Castillo birth documents controversy, they began their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign three points behind, but they have managed to secure a respectable position in the standings. Ecuador has demonstrated resiliency under coach Félix Sánchez, winning against Uruguay and Bolivia, drawing with Colombia and Venezuela, and recovering from a close loss to Argentina.
The Ecuadorian team is made up of both seasoned veterans and up-and-coming athletes. Moisés Caicedo, a dynamic midfielder, Félix Torres, goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez, and defender Piero Hincapié are among the key players. Enner Valencia and Kevin Rodriguez will be essential in spearheading the attack up front.
Ecuador, now under the guidance of Felix Sanchez, the man who guided Qatar to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, will be hoping to build on some impressive results from their warm-up friendlies matches against Bolivia and Honduras, which they won 3-1 and 2-1, respectively.
Enner Valencia remains the Ecuadorian team’s talisman and captain, but a younger core is starting to emerge, led by Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento, Moises Caicedo, and 17-year-old Kendry Paez. Ecuadorian football is starting to take on a more visually appealing style.
Ecuador has a lot of exciting talent on their team and is predicted to use a 4-2-3-1 system from the outset of the competition. Enner Valencia should have a platform to work from up top if his midfield, which includes a £100 million+ Moises Caicedo behind the lively talents of Jeremy Sarmiento and Kendry Paez, is strong.
Ecuador is hoping to win this competition for the first time since 2016. They will play in the Copa America on Saturday. La Tri has only won two of their 24 Copa America games since 2001, and they have lost their last nine games in this tournament.
The team led by Félix Sánchez had a respectable run-up to this tournament, winning 2-1 and 3-1 against Bolivia and Honduras earlier in the month.
Ecuador has been playing well over the last 12 months, winning 8 and losing just 3 of the 13 games since June 2023.
Venezuela is preparing for their 20th Copa America appearance under the new leadership of coach Fernando Batista. After taking over in March 2023, Batista has instilled confidence in the team as evidenced by his six competitive official match losses. Venezuela has been playing well in the World Cup qualifying matches lately; two of their most noteworthy victories have been a 3-0 triumph over Chile and a draw against Brazil.
Before making any predictions about Ecuador vs Venezuela, it is important to keep in mind that the Burgundies’ roster is made up of both experienced players and bright young players. The all-time top scorer in the country, Salomón Rondón, is still a key figure in the attack. Yeferson Soteldo, Jefferson Savarino, and Yangel Herrera, three midfielders, are anticipated to be key contributors to the team’s offensive efforts. Particularly, Herrera has been playing fantastically for Girona FC in La Liga, and Venezuela’s success will depend greatly on his midfield presence.
Venezuela had an outstanding start to their CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in the fall, going undefeated for five games, including a draw in Brazil. But since then, they have started to disappear once more.
Historically, Venezuela has been among the weakest teams in South America, and they enter this match fresh off a goalless draw with Guatemala in March, which brought their losing streak to six games.
Given that Fernando Batista has made lineup changes and substitutions in recent games following the Venezuelans’ recent winning streak, it is likely that they will revert to their tried and true 4-3-3 formation, emphasizing defensive midfield play with Cristian Casseres Jr. and Yangel Herrera before going straight after Salomon Rondon in attack.
After a goalless draw with Guatemala in their most recent game in March, Venezuela enters the USA winless in five games. La Vintotinto is a formidable opponent even though they haven’t won in a while. Since September 2022, Venezuela has played 16 games and is still undefeated.
Despite being viewed as an underdogs in South American football history, Venezuela has surprised everyone by soaring to an incredible start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. With three victories and just one defeat in their first six qualifiers, Fernando Batista’s team is currently sitting fourth in the section, two points ahead of Brazil.
However, since 2019, La Vinotino have struggled in their Copa America appearances, losing nine of their last ten games (W1, D5, L4).
The Copa America match between these two countries on Saturday will mark their 22nd meeting since 2000. Ecuador has ten wins to six, leading the head-to-head record.
In their previous six meetings, four have resulted in draws, including a 0-0 draw in a World Cup qualifier match played last November.
These two teams have played each other quite a bit in recent years despite sharing the same continent. Finding a win has proven difficult, though, as Ecuador and Venezuela have split the last five meetings between them, with three ending in draws.
Game Day: Saturday, June 22, 2024
Game Time: 6:00 PM ET
Location: Santa Clara, California
Venue: Levi’s Stadium
Live Stream: Watch this match on Fubo
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 22nd June 2024 – UK – 11:00 pm / US EST – 6:00 pm / US PST – 4:00 pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – Fox Sports & TUDN
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – PremierSports / US – UniMas, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, ViX
Goalkeepers: Alexander Domínguez, Hernán Galíndez, Moisés Ramírez
Defenders: Andrés Micolta, Ángelo Preciado, Félix Torres, Jackson Porozo, Joel Ordóñez, José Hurtado, Layan Loor, Piero Hincapié, Willian Pacho
Midfielders: Alan Franco, Alan Minda, Ángel Mena, Carlos Gruezo, Janner Corozo, Jeremy Sarmiento, Joao Ortiz, John Yeboah, José Cifuentes, Kendry Páez, Moisés Caicedo
Forwards: Enner Valencia (captain), Jordy Caicedo, Kevin Rodríguez
A 26-man squad is available for Ecuador’s Copa America opener against California, according to Félix Sánchez. Enner Valencia, the captain, is about to earn his 87th cap.
One notable absence from the squad is defender Pervis Estupiñán of Brighton, who is injured.
Ecuador PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Alexander Dominguez; Angelo Preciado, Felix Torres, Piero Hincapie, Willian Pacho; Joao Ortiz, Moises Caicedo; Jeremy Sarmiento, John Yeboah, Kendry Paez; Enner Valencia
Goalkeepers: Joel Graterol, José Contreras, Rafael Romo
Defenders: Alexander González, Christian Makoun, Jhon Chancellor, Jon Aramburu, Miguel Navarro, Nahuel Ferraresi, Wilker Ángel, Yordan Osorio
Midfielders: Tomás Rincón (captain), Cristian Cásseres, Daniel Pereira, Darwin Machís, Eduard Bello, Jefferson Savarino, José Martínez, Kervin Andrade, Matías Lacava, Telasco Segovia, Yangel Herrera, Yeferson Soteldo
Forwards: Salomón Rondón (vice-captain), Eric Ramírez, Jhonder Cádiz
For Venezuela’s forthcoming Copa America campaign, manager Fernando Batista has chosen a squad of twenty-six players. Josef Martínez, a forward from Montreal, is one of several experienced players left off the initial squad selection.
Salomón Rondón, an experienced forward, will lead the Vinotinto attack.
Venezuela PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Rafael Romo; Alexander Gonzalez, Christian Makoun, Miguel Navarro, Wilker Angel; Cristian Casseres Jr, Jose Andres Martinez, Yangel Herrera; Jefferson Savarino, Salomon Rondon, Yeferson Soteldo
The rivalry between opponents makes CONMEBOL qualification and matches between South American teams often entertaining for reasons unrelated to football, and there’s a good chance this one will end in a low-scoring matchup between these two, who have combined for just 11 goals in their first six qualifiers. Ecuador, however, will be a slight favorite due to their impressive record, exciting talent, and Venezuela’s form.
One of the low-scoring teams in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers is these two. Ecuador and Venezuela have only scored three goals apiece in their last few games. As demonstrated by three of their previous five games, Venezuela has had difficulty scoring at all. They could position themselves here in the deep south to irritate their neighbors in South America.
Recent history indicate that these two teams’ games are typically cagey and low in goals scored. The last five meetings have seen just 11 goals scored in total. Ecuador is playing slightly better, but since this is the first game, tensions may run high and the result will likely be a draw between the two teams.
Despite having a strong enough team to compete in this tournament, Venezuela is still not expected to advance past Group B. Although Fernando Batista’s team can be a source of frustration for opposing teams, they may not be as good overall as Ecuador.
Felix Sanchez, meanwhile, will be hoping that his team gets off to a quick start and wins their opening game. Although the game will take place in a challenging environment, Ecuador has the players to win and put pressure on teams like Jamaica and Mexico.
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