Honduras and Ecuador will face off on Friday with each having lost their opener and looking for a win to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Ecuador appears to be the favorite in this matchup, given their technical superiority to Honduras. And adding further drama to the match is the knowledge that should France and Switzerland (also in Group E) draw in their match Friday, the loser of Honduras and Ecuador will be eliminated.

When: Friday, June 20, 2014

Where: Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

Kick-off: 6:00 p.m. ET

Live Stream: ESPN Player, ITV Player

TV: ESPN

According to SBNation, Honduras is scrambling to replace Wilson Palacios after he was removed from the tournament for two in-game offenses. Look for them to insert Jorge Claros as Palacios' replacement in the lineup. Another change that would not shock anyone would be for Oscar Boniek Garcia to be inserted on the right side with Andy Najar on the left and Roger Espinoza in the middle.

Ecuador is expected to have all of its players healthy and ready to go on Friday when the two teams meet. They played well in their opener against Switzerland and are looking to build on that effort with a win here against Honduras.

What to Watch For

Beckeles vs. Montero - It will be up to Honduras' right-back Brayan Beckles to try and slow the Ecuadorian wings, particularly Jefferson Montero. Montero caused a lot of havoc on the left side in the opener against Switzerland, and will look to do the same here. Should Beckles not be up to the task, then Ecuador strikers Caicedo and Valencia will run free on the left flank.

Claros vs. Valencia - Should Honduras replace the absent Wilson Palacio with Jorge Claros (the most likely choice) he will be tasked with staying with Ecuador striker Enner Valencia. Valencia also played well against Switzerland and will be looking to control the game from the centre. Look for Claros to play deep and attempt to disrupt Valencia from there.

Ecuador's Defense vs. Honduras' Passing - As the underdog in this match, Honduras can ill afford to use the same defensive strategy employed against France if they want to win and have a shot at advancing. Expect them to attack with long passes into Ecuador's box. The match will depend on Ecuador's ability to deflect Honduras' attacks.

Prediction - Ecuador's ingenuity on offense should be too much for Honduras' over-reliance on physicality. 2-1 Ecuador.

Projected Lineups

Honduras (4-4-2): Noel Valladares; Emilio Izaguirre, Maynor Figueroa, Víctor Bernárdez, Brayan Beckeles; Andy Najar, Roger Espinoza, Jorge Claros, óscar Boniek García; Carlo Costly, Jerry Bengtson.

Ecuador (4-4-2): Alexander Domínguez; Walter Ayoví, Frickson Erazo, Jorge Guagua, Juan Carlos Paredes; Jefferson Montero, Christian Noboa, Carlos Gruezo, Antonio Valencia; Enner Valencia, Felipe Caicedo.