Soccer: U.S. edge Ecuador, advance to Copa semis

SEATTLE — Another benchmark for the United States. Another huge goal for Clint Dempsey.

As unlikely as it seemed a few weeks ago, the U.S. is in the semifinals of the Copa America.

Dempsey scored for the third straight game and set up Gyasi Zardes for a tap-in goal, boosting the United States into the Copa America semifinals with a wild 2-1 win over Ecuador on Thursday night.

“Clint is special,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “He showed that tonight. He showed that the last couple of weeks. He showed that throughout his entire career.”

Playing before a boisterous and almost completely partisan home crowd of 47,322 in the soccer-mad Pacific Northwest, the U.S. won a knockout game against a nation outside its region for only the second time and will play Argentina or Venezuela on Tuesday in Houston.

And the Americans did it on the back of Dempsey, their fiery 33-year-old striker whose place on the U.S. team was debated early this year. Dempsey’s 52nd international goal, five behind Landon Donovan’s American record, put the U.S. ahead in the 22nd minute. Zardes guided Dempsey’s cross into the net in the 65th for his sixth goal and a 2-0 lead.

“I’ve been blessed that I was able to step up and, hopefully, I can keep going,” Dempsey said. “I thought we played well. I thought we created some good chances in front of goal. We were unlucky not to score more.”