The 2024 Copa América opens up on Thursday night, as 16 teams from across the Americas and the Caribbean battle for the chance to win this prestigious tournament. Expanded to 16 teams for this edition, the 10 CONMEBOL teams are joined by six from Concacaf who qualified either via the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League or via the Copa América playoff.
Group A gets us started with Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Canada battling to lead the pack into the knockout stage. Of course, all eyes are on the #1 team in the world, but there are some players who could establish themselves as one of the stars of the tournament. We take a look at Group A to quickly examine the teams and what their chances are for being tops in the group.
Schedule
Thursday, June 20th
Argentina vs. Canada
Friday, June 21st
Peru vs. Chile
Tuesday, June 25th
Peru vs. Canada
Chile vs. Argentina
Saturday, June 29th
Argentina vs. Peru
Canada vs. Chile
Argentina
The defending World Cup and Copa América champions are back to keep their grips on the Copa América trophy, and once again they are led by Lionel Messi, who has continued with the team to prepare for this tournament. They are entering with a 5 match win streak dating back to last November, and have won 13 of 14 matches since they lifted the World Cup trophy in December 2022. They have no problem being the prohibitive favorites with the biggest targets on their backs, and they’re prepared to take everyone’s best shot. They have the ability to once again lift the trophy.
FIFA Ranking: 1
Odds of Winning Group: Clear favorites
One to Watch: Lionel Messi may have all of the eyeballs, but this is a real chance for Julián Álvarez to become the next great striker for Argentina. Look out for how he does in this tournament.
Peru
La Rojiblanca are usually a sleeper team that can be scary good. Their biggest foe over the past few tournaments has been inconsistency, and they hope to leave that behind as they enter group play. They have not done well in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, with only 2 draws in 5 matches. They’ve done well so far in 2024, but they haven’t played elite competition yet. They will have to take their games to the next level in this tournament if they want to do some damage.
FIFA Ranking: 32
Odds of Winning: In the mix
One to Watch: Edison Flores has to provide goals if Peru wants to advance far.
Chile
Chile has dropped off a long way since their back-to-back Copa América wins in 2015 and 2016. However, they did lift the trophy the last time this tournament was played in the United States, which gives them hope that they can capture some of that same magic. They have been very up-and-down over the past 2 years, never stringing two wins together. They will have to bring consistent pressure to their opponents and get back to the style of soccer they played successfully in the 2010s.
FIFA Ranking: 42
Odds of Winning: In the mix
One to Watch: At age 35, can Alexis Sánchez find the fountain of youth and lead Chile to glory once again?
Canada
Canada is a team that has been in disarray with a federation that has been in shambles for the past couple of years. They had to qualify for Copa América via the playoff after losing in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals to Jamaica. They were able to hold off Trinidad & Tobago to qualify for the tournament, but they have to make up for the fact that they have a new coach in Jesse Marsch and just haven’t had much time to prepare. They have only played 6 matches since they exited from the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, and the question will be whether this team can overcome those missed opportunities to get reps and really prepare for this tournament. When put together, they can be dangerous, but they need to find that edge quickly.
FIFA Ranking: 49
Odds of Winning: Need a ton of help
One to Watch: Jonathan David has produced on the club level and international level. Now, he needs to bring his game to the next level to give Canada a chance to win some matches.
Who will advance from Group A? What matches are most interesting to you? Let us know in the comments.
Source link : https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/copa-america/2024/6/16/24179201/2024-copa-america-group-a-preview-argentina-peru-chile-canada-lionel-messi
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Publish date : 2024-06-16 10:00:00
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