The Stats Zone
June 24 2019, 18:11 · Trystan Pugh

2019 Copa America – Ecuador vs Japan Preview & Prediction

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THE FACTS

When is Ecuador vs Japan taking place? Tuesday 25th June, 2019 – 00:00 (UK)

Where is Ecuador vs Japan taking place? Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

What television channel is Ecuador vs Japan on in the UK? This match will be televised live on Premier Sports

Where can I stream Ecuador vs Japan in the UK? Premier Sport subscribers can stream the match via Premier Player

For viewers in the United States, the game will be shown live and you can take advantage of a free trial with ESPN+ and subscribe now by clicking here!

Where can I get tickets for Ecuador vs Japan? https://ingressos.copaamerica.com/#!/home

THE TEAM NEWS

ECUADOR

  • Ecuador have lost their opening two matches of the tournament against Uruguay and Chile with a total of six goals conceded and only one goal scored but they still can qualify for the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams with a win against Japan.
  • They have not managed to win during their last six international matches and have conceded a total of nine goals across their last three fixtures – which includes a pre-tournament friendly defeat against Mexico.
  • Ecuador’s first-choice centre back and captain Gabriel Achilier is suspended after his red card against Chile so they will have to make a decision in defence and Arturo Mina could be the player to take Achilier’s place.

JAPAN

  • Tournament guests Japan produced a tenacious performance in their second group match against Uruguay to earn a 2-2 draw in a match where they led twice as both goals were scored by Koji Miyoshi on only his second appearance for the senior national team.
  • Having lost their opening match 4-0 against Chile the draw against Uruguay was a big improvement, the coach made six changes to the team and is likely to field a similar side for this game.
  • Japan come into the game knowing that a win would see them progress to the quarter-finals and a possible match against host nation Brazil.

THE PREDICTION

Ecuador and Japan meet knowing that a win for either team would give them a place in the quarter-finals of the Copa America despite them both losing 4-0 in their opening fixture of the tournament. Japan come into the match with less pressure having come to Brazil as tournament guests and they have experimented with a number of younger players. Although they failed to score in the opening match, they looked capable of some decent attacking play and they may cause problems for Ecuador who are missing their captain and first-choice central defender Gabriel Achilier. Ecuador should also be capable of scoring against a Japanese defence that has conceded six goals in the tournament so far. A draw is no good for either team but in an entertaining match in which both teams must push for a winning goal, that is the outcome they might end up with.