Preview: Ecuador Favored to Start Strong, Venezuela Aims for Points in Copa América Opener

On June 23 at 6 a.m., the first round of the Copa América group stage will see Ecuador face off against Venezuela. Both teams are eager to secure a victory to start their 2024 campaign on a high note. In Group B, Mexico and Jamaica pose significant threats, making this group highly competitive. However, Ecuador is determined to advance from the group stages.

Despite never winning the Copa América title, Ecuador has twice finished fourth in 1959 and 1993 and reached the quarterfinals in two of the last three tournaments. In the 2021 edition, they narrowly lost to eventual champions Argentina in the quarterfinals. Under the guidance of Félix Sánchez, the Ecuadorian team hopes to progress even further this time. Recently, they have shown good form, defeating Bolivia and Honduras in friendlies, and narrowly losing to Argentina.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ecuador sits fifth with eight points, just behind Brazil. They open their Copa América campaign against Venezuela, followed by matches against Jamaica and Mexico, positioning them as potential dark horses in the tournament.

Venezuela, on the other hand, hasn’t played since drawing with Guatemala in late March and has lost friendly matches to Colombia and Italy. Their last victory came in October 2021 when they defeated Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier. Venezuela’s best Copa América finish was fourth place in 2011, with two quarterfinal appearances and two early eliminations, including a winless campaign in 2021.

The head-to-head record between the two nations is evenly matched, with one win each in their last six encounters, and four draws. Their most recent meeting, a World Cup qualifier in November, ended in a goalless draw. Ecuador defeated Venezuela 1-0 in a match later that year.

Ecuador’s lineup could feature Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen and William Pacacho from Eintracht Frankfurt, while Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo is set for his 43rd international appearance. The promising 17-year-old Kender Páez might also feature. The experienced Enner Valencia will lead the attack as captain.

For Venezuela, Salomón Rondón of Pachuca will spearhead the attack, equaling the national team goal-scoring record with 41 goals. Jefferson Soteldo and Jhon Murillo are expected to join Rondón in a forward trio, with Yangel Herrera being a key figure in midfield. Christian Ceballos of Toulouse and José Martínez of Philadelphia Union could also compete for starting spots in the midfield.

Given the teams’ relative parity, the opening match promises to be intense. A draw is a plausible outcome, but Ecuador appears to have a slight edge, positioning them well for a victorious start to their Copa América campaign.

Ecuador’s likely starting lineup:

Dominguez; Preciado, Torres, Pacacho, Hincapié; Ortiz, Caicedo; Eyioba, Páez, Sarmiento; Valencia

Venezuela’s likely starting lineup:

Romo; Navarro, Makun, Ángel, González; Ceballos, Martínez, Herrera; Soteldo, Rondón, Murillo

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