South Korea vs Ecuador — Tips & Analysis

Over 2: Ecuador turn up here without the heart of their team, and that is the case for goals. Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie, Joel Ordonez and Kendry Paez are all missing. Enner Valencia has retired from international football. Pull four starters out of a defensive team and it stops being the same defensive team. South Korea get Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in back for Roberto Moreno's first game in charge. They score more than a goal a game and have won 5 of their last 10. Ecuador are the reason to be careful. They let in under a goal a game across their last 12. Only 3 of those 12 games had 3 or more goals in them. Both sides have been making far more chances than their low scores show, and that is what we are betting on. This is also South Korea's first game back after the World Cup, under a stand in coach, with a stream of substitutions likely. Games like that get loose. Be clear about the tension. The most likely single score is still a 1-0 to South Korea, and that is not the game we want. This needs Korea to click early and a patched up Ecuador defense to crack. With four of their best men out, we think it will.