SOCCER FOOTBALL 24H

Ecuador v Haiti Sunday June 12, 23:30 After draws against Brazil and Peru, Ecuador know a win by two clear goals will guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals. Gustavo Quinteros' side have twice had to dig deep. They held a talented Brazil side to a scoreless stalemate, and they came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Peru. Haiti were edged out 1-0 by Peru, but were then shredded 7-1 by Brazil. Given that Ecuador have scored 25 goals in their last 15 outings since the start of last June, and that they've scored at least twice in ten of those matches, I can't see the Haitian defence being able to keep them out for 90 minutes. Patrice Neveu's Grenadiers have issues in attack as well. They have failed to score in five of their last eight games, and I suspect they're in for another tough game against a strong side that knows what it has to do to make the last eight. Brazil v Peru Monday June 13, 01:30 Brazil hit their stride against Haiti, as...

USA v Paraguay Sunday June 12, 00:00 It's been a mixed tournament so far for the hosts, with Jurgen Klinsmann's USA outclassed in a 2-0 defeat to Colombia, before they bounced back to hammer Costa Rica 4-0. A point will almost certainly be enough to secure a place in the quarter-finals, but the USMNT will be wary of a Paraguay team that pushed Colombia harder than they did. Veteran forward Clint Dempsey was the USA's hero last time out, as he came up with a goal and an assist. Bobby Wood also caught the eye, a striker who has earned himself a move to the Bundesliga with Hamburg. Paraguay usually line up in a safety-first 4-5-1 formation, but they will need to take a few more risks if they are to progress. The hard-running Ingolstadt forward Dario Lezcano will work hard, but he needs plenty of support. Four of Paraguay's last six games have featured three goals or more, and at some stage they'll need to force the issue. The USA have seen four of t...