Top 5 performing Premier League players during the Copa América group stages
By Ben Gray
4) Jeremy Sarmiento: Ecuador & Brighton
Ecuador are one of only two CONMEBOL nations to have never featured in a Copa América Final, unlikely to change that this summer, considering they'll face Argentina in Thursday night's quarter-final in Houston.
If la Tri are going to upset the odds in the Lone Star State, they'll need Jeremy Sarmiento to come to the fore. The 20 year old opened his international account by scoring against Honduras during a pre-tournament friendly, before breaking the deadlock against Venezuela in his team's opener at this competition, albeit they went on to suffer a 2-1 defeat in the San Francisco Bay Area. Nevertheless, Félix Sánchez Bas' side beat Jamaica and held Mexico to a goalless draw, with this enough to see them sneak through.
Sarmiento is hoping to use Copa América to showcase his talents, given that his club future is up in the air. Contracted to Brighton for another three years, he spent last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion and then Ipswich Town, a key figure as the Tractor Boys won promotion to the Premier League, scoring four times in 22 appearances, including a crucial 97th minute winner against Southampton at Portman Road; it'll interesting to see who Sarmiento is playing for come August.
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