The United States survived a late onslaught to beat Ecuador 2-1 and advance to the semifinals of the Copa America for the first time since 1995 after a pulsating and sometime fractious match here on Thursday.
Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes scored for USA either side of half time and Michael Arroyo got one back for Ecuador in a game that saw one player from each side sent off and the Ecuador coach banished to the stands.
Ecuador came into the game more after Antonio Valencia and Jermaine Jones were shown red cards in the 51st minute, but the host prevailed to set up a semifinal against either Argentina or Venezuela in Houston next Tuesday.
Dempsey got the opener for the U.S. after 22 minutes when he rose to head home a deft cross from Jones.
He almost got a second four minutes later but his angled-drive was well saved and Alejandro Bedoya should have done better when Dempsey’s pass left him with a shot on goal that Alexander Dominguez got down well to smother.
Zardes doubled the home side’s lead when he poked home from inches out after Dempsey had beaten the goalie but the goal roused Ecuador and it took control of the game.
Enner Valencia should have scored at least twice from close range headers but it was Arroyo who cut the lead after 74 minutes when he found the net with a low drive from the edge of the box after the defence had given him too much space.
