Colombia must continue improving under their new manager.
Unpredictable but also threatening, Ecuador can punch above their weight.
Despite the need to tweak their approach, Colombia will remain competitive this weekend.
Play Fantasy Soccer, Here!
How We Rate
At WSN, we pride ourselves on being the most trustworthy source for online sportsbook and casino reviews. Our in-house team of reviewers spend a minimum of six hours thoroughly evaluating each website before rating it using our unique BetEdge scoring system. This methodology was designed to ensure all reviews meet our high set of standards and are consistent across the board. Read more.
Affiliate Disclaimer
When you sign-up to a sportsbook or casino through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This is how WSN makes money in order to continue providing valuable and trustworthy content for sports bettors and casino players. The compensation we receive does not impact our reviews or recommendations. The information on WSN will always remain unbiased, objective, and independent.
21+
WSN is committed to supporting the fight against underage gambling. While the legal minimum online gambling age varies by state, we take a strict
21+ stance and do not promote any underage gambling activities.
Just a few hours after Brazil and Venezuela kick-off the 2021 Copa America, Colombia vs Ecuador will follow as the second match of the tournament.
This will undoubtedly be a close one.
Although Ecuador smashed Colombia in November of 2020 with a 6-1 win in World Cup qualifying, Ecuador have since lost their momentum with two defeats in their last two matches.
Colombia have also had similar inconsistencies.
Although expectations will be high for the team that have qualified for the knockout round in 10 of their last 11 Copa America appearances, Colombia have looked average in the current stage of World Cup qualifying.
Our Pick
Colombia are a work in progress under new manager Reinaldo Rueda, and despite his draw and win in his first two matches as coach, there are questions that remain for his side. This could lean towards Colombia, but as mentioned, it’ll be a tight one.
Colombia have a higher FIFA ranking than Ecuador, they’ve got a more talented roster, and unlike their upcoming opponents, they’ve also won the Copa America.
Nonetheless, Ecuador have been a dark horse of sorts in recent months.
In spite of their two losses this month in World Cup qualifying, Ecuador have held onto a spot at 3rd in the table, only behind powerhouses Brazil and Argentina.
As for Colombia, they are at 5th in the same table and have needed to go through a managerial change-up that has placed Rueda in charge since the beginning of the year.
Under a new head coach, things have clearly improved, but has it been enough to confidently say that they’ll clinch a win against Ecuador?
Rueda Must Fine-Tune His System With Colombia
It’s a small sample size, but let’s dive into Colombia’s two games this year with their new manager.
In his first game, an eye-catching 3-0 win over Peru, the scoreline is a bit deceiving for Colombia. With an xG (expected goal) tally of only 0.75, Colombia relied on some individual errors from Peru.
As for their following and most recent game, a 2-2 draw with Argentina, Colombia needed to claw back from a 2-0 deficit and were able to walk away with a tie thanks to an equalizer in the 94th minute.
In both games, Colombia were also outshot by their opponents.
It might seem like nitpicking, especially when the sample size is so small, but it’s important to remember that Rueda’s undefeated start might not be as near-perfect as it appears.
Ecuador Could Cause A Surprising Amount Of Trouble
As for Ecuador, as mentioned earlier, they have been able to catch some rivals off-guard.
They’ve thrived in World Cup qualifiers, and regardless of their two latest losses, they’re only three points behind Argentina in Conmebol’s table.
And yet, they are also only three points ahead of 7th in that same World Cup qualifying table.
There’s a certain level of erraticism with them.
Ecuador are capable of getting significant wins, like the 6-1 result last November against Colombia, but have also stumbled against less-than-exciting squads such as Peru earlier this month.
Colombia Should Be Able To Keep Game Level
If we were being pessimistic about Colombia earlier, it’s also fair to also take a more optimistic lens to balance things out.
The good news? There’s a new vigor and fight from Colombia since Rueda stepped in as leader.
Colombia outperformed their xG in their win against Peru on June 4th, and after letting Argentina take a 2-0 lead a week later, they had the motivation and conviction to force a 2-2 draw.
There’s much that needs to be fixed about Colombia in order to thrive in both the Copa America and World Cup qualifying, but at the very least, they’ll be competitive in the near future.
A win might be out of reach, but a draw could be in the works.
Play Fantasy Soccer, Here!
How We Rate
At WSN, we pride ourselves on being the most trustworthy source for online sportsbook and casino reviews. Our in-house team of reviewers spend a minimum of six hours thoroughly evaluating each website before rating it using our unique BetEdge scoring system. This methodology was designed to ensure all reviews meet our high set of standards and are consistent across the board. Read more.
Affiliate Disclaimer
When you sign-up to a sportsbook or casino through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This is how WSN makes money in order to continue providing valuable and trustworthy content for sports bettors and casino players. The compensation we receive does not impact our reviews or recommendations. The information on WSN will always remain unbiased, objective, and independent.
21+
WSN is committed to supporting the fight against underage gambling. While the legal minimum online gambling age varies by state, we take a strict
21+ stance and do not promote any underage gambling activities.
Freelance writer Cesar Hernandez is a specialist in all things American and Mexican soccer. He has written for ESPN FC, The Athletic, The Guardian, FourFourTwo, VICE Sports and several other publications. Along with writing and previous radio appearances on the BBC, talkSPORT and SiriusXM FC, Cesar is also a member of the Mexican Soccer Show podcast.
Get special offers and tips straight to your inbox
Sign up to our newsletter to get WSN's latest hands-on reviews, expert advice, and exclusive offers delivered straight to your inbox.
We've been featured on:
We only list licensed sportsbooks
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call
1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such
as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media
company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St.
Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on
one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.