Coming into the tournament as the group outsiders, Bolivia actually start this game ahead of Ecuador in the standings following an impressive defensive effort against (an albeit understrength) Mexican side. Though Mexico were on the front foot for the majority of the game in was hardly a one sided affair; in fact El Verde came closest to breaking the deadlock when Marcelo Moreno hit the post from close range, while also creating a few other decent chances throughout the game.
As for Ecuador, they were given the poison chalice of facing the host nation in the opening game; and while they also put up a good defensive effort, fell to a 2-0 defeat following two goals in the final 25 minutes. This game will be crucial for them; a win here after Mexico drew against the same opponents will put them in the driver’s seat to qualify. With that in mind; here are three things to look out for:
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1) Can Ecuador’s Premier League duo repeat their World Cup double act against lesser opposition: While Ecuador will again lineup in their all too familiar 4-4-2 formation, this time their star players; Enner Valencia and Jefferson Montero, can expect significantly better and more frequent service, with whichever pair are selected in the middle of the park presumably getting more time on the ball than against Chile, when they had Arturo Vidal breathing down their necks all game.
Valencia was predictably quiet in the opener as he was starved of opportunity for long stretches, although he did look sharp as times when he did get the ball; at one point almost equalising with a header shortly after Vidal’s opener. On the other hand, Montero was a live wire throughout, terrorising Mauricio Isla with his pace and direct running every time he was left in space against the wing back. If he can produce a similarly effective display against Bolivia, Ecuador should triumph.
2) Who will play in Ecuador’s midfield pair, and can they gain suitable control in the game: It was a development that was obvious a mile away, but against Chile, Ecaudor’s centre midfield pair of Christian Naboa and Osbaldo Garcia were swamped and dominated by their opponents. In possession they were constantly forced into rushed, inaccurate passes by Vidal and Aranguiz, and were largely unable to trouble what was essentially a close-knit diamond that Sampaoli deployed when without the ball.
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The pair will likely get a second game together, both because of manager Gustavo Quinteros chronic aversion to change and the fact that other options are either untested or uninspiring. It should be a much easier ride than Thursday’s chastening experience, but the pair really need to improve to give the players ahead of them a chance to truly shine.
3) Will Bolivia stick with experience, or hand give their youngsters a chance: Leading up to the tournament, there was an expectation among that Bolivia would use this tournament as an opportunity to give several exciting young players extended playing time against good competition.
However, in the opening game they stuck with experience; overlooking young talents like AC Milan’s Sebastian Gamarra. Of course, the result against a favoured Mexican side justifies that choice and also makes this an equally big game for Bolivia, as an unlikely win would probably see them qualify as well, but it would seem that exposing their young talent to this kind of arena will only benefit them in the long run.