Five-time world champions and eight-time Copa America champions Brazil are going through a difficult time at present, with few signs of progress since the humbling they received at the hands of Germany on home soil at the World Cup two years ago. There has been a great deal of change within the Selecao group since then, with Willian, Hulk and Dani Alves the only survivors of the 23-man squad from two years ago; Dunga has also replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari in the dugout for a second spell in charge, a move that was widely interpreted as a missed opportunity for the nation to move forward.
Being dumped out of the 2015 Copa America by Paraguay at the quarter-final stage put Dunga under scrutiny, with the pressure only increasing after a mixed start to World Cup qualifying – Brazil have won only two of their first six matches, against lowly Venezuela and Peru. Nevertheless, there is still a decent amount of individual talent within the squad and that, coupled with the fact that Dunga and Brazil are in need of a strong showing and will therefore take the competition seriously, should be enough for them to progress to the latter stages of the Copa America Centenario.
Ecuador are second favourites to win Group B, but they will be quietly confident of recording an upset over Brazil and qualifying for the last eight of the tournament in first place. Gustavo Quinteros’ charges have made an excellent start on the road to Russia 2018, with victories over Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Venezuela and a draw against Paraguay leaving them in second spot in the 10-team table after six encounters, and they can be an extremely dangerous proposition on the counter-attack, with speedy and direct wingers to call upon on the flanks.
The principal doubt surrounding the Ecuadorians is whether they will be able to transfer their recent good form in qualifying to a finals tournament. They have only ever made it through to the knockout rounds of the World Cup on a single occasion, while it is now 19 years since they made it beyond the group stage of the Copa America, a poor record that they will be desperate to end in the United States.
While Brazil are still one of the biggest football nations in the world, they are not in a great state at present and this clash in California looks set to be a tight affair. Both teams are likely to find the back of the net, which is a bet worth backing, and while Brazil should probably have enough to edge out Ecuador, placing a wager on the latter to triumph could be a good outside bet. In terms of potential goalscorers, Willian and Enner Valencia look to be favourable options.
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