Revenge is the flavour of the day as Colombia meet Ecuador in their opening game of Group B of the CONMEBOL Copa America just a few short months since the 'Tricolor' demolished 'los cafetors' 6-1 in World Cup qualifying.
Ecuador will look to continue their promising World Cup qualifying campaign which, despite two recent defeats, sees them in third place ahead of their continental neighbors.
Tricky winger Juan Cuadrado and agile stopper are in excellrnt form and will look to spearhead the Colombian restoration of Andean superiority.
The pair will meet on Sunday 13 June in Group A (23:00 GMT and 19:00 Cuiabá) at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá.
- Match Details -
- Stadium: Arena Pantanal (Cuiabá)
- Time: 19:00 local time - 23:00 GMT
- Referee: Néstor Pitana (ARG)
- Colombia beat Ecuador in their last seven matches played in the CONMEBOL Copa América. In five of those games they not concede: the Ecuadorians managed to convert two goals in total in all meetings. Ecuador's last triumph was in the 1963 edition (4-3).
- Colombia have gone five games unbeaten and without conceding goals in CONMEBOL Copa América (4 wins, 1 draw). In the previous tournament they were eliminated without losing any game: they lost to Chile on penalties after a goalless draw.
- Ecuador will look to end a streak of 13 games without wins against rivals CONMEBOL rivals at the Copa America (3E 10D). Their last victory against confederation rivals came in the 2001 edition with 4-0 victory against Venezuela.
- Reinaldo Rueda will lead Colombia at the CONMEBOL Copa América for the second time. His previous appearance came in 2004 at the tournament in Peru in which the Cafeteros finished in fourth place (3 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats).
- Ecuador manager Gustavo Alfaro will manage a national team in an official competition for the first time at this year's Copa America.
