Copa America quarterfinals set: Match-ups, dates, times

The USMNT will be one of the first teams to play in the quarterfinals of Copa America Centenario.

And then there were eight. Eight teams left, that is. Argentina’s easy 3-0 defeat of Bolivia in the last match of group play left the quarterfinal match-ups looking like this:

Need to know more? We can tell you the dates and times of those match-ups as well:

• USA vs. Ecuador – Thursday, June 16, 9:30 pm ET
• Peru vs. Colombia – Friday, June 17, 8:00 pm ET
• Argentina vs. Venezuela – Saturday, June 18, 7:00 pm ET
• Mexico vs. Chile – Saturday, June 18, 10:00 pm ET

That’s a fun schedule for USMNT fans simply because it allows them to know the team’s fate right away and decide if it’s worth caring who else makes the semi-finals if the U.S. loses. The other match that stands out simply because of its potential entertainment value, though, is Mexico-Chile.

After an improbable run that saw them lose their opening Copa America match and then rally for two straight wins to take their group, the U.S. men are absolutely still in this thing. Ecuador, ranked 13th in the world (above Mexico, for what it’s worth), should be another tough test, but certainly not one the USMNT can’t pass.

And after that, who knows? A rematch with Colombia could loom in the semis, and the U.S. actually didn’t play all that badly in the first meeting despite suffering a defeat. A win there would put a very confident U.S. side in the final.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There’s a complete off day for the tournament on Wednesday, and then the real drama will begin.

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