Copa America: Antonio Valencia, Jermaine Jones exchange red cards (Video)

A wild sequence of events saw Antonio Valencia and Jermaine Jones exchange red cards in the second half.

The USMNT were completely in control during the first half of their quarterfinal game against Ecuador, but only had one goal to show for it. The worst thing they could do is get frustrated, but that’s what happened after a wild sequence of events in the 53rd minute.

It all started when Antonio Valencia fouled Alejandro Bedoya from behind, which was good for his second yellow card. It was commendable for his teammates to come to Bedoya’s rescue, but they should’ve done nothing in that situation. Instead, a fracas ensued and Jermaine Jones was given a straight red card for pushing an Ecuador player in the midst of it all. Bobby Wood also got a yellow card, which will keep him out of the semifinals if the States advance that far.

Here is video of the fouls in question:

Ecuador will miss Valencia, who already has a goal to his name in the Copa America and provides a real veteran presence among the squad. However, Jermaine Jones is undoubtedly the bigger loss, as he has looked sharp in midfield throughout the group stage and provided the assist on Clint Dempsey’s opener. 

To make matters worse, the United States’ shutout streak, which had been active since the second half of their opener against Colombia, was broken in the 74th minute when Miguel Arroyo cut the lead to 2-1. This game is far from over, and with both teams down to 10 men, anything can happen in the final minutes.

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