Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) brings the ball upfield during the Copa America match between … [+] Argentina and Canada on Thursday June 20, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
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We have flown through the first Copa América matchday already. One out of three rounds of group stage games have been played and some strong performances and big surprises have already lit up the United States.
Group A
In Group A things went pretty much as expected on the opending day of the tournament. Argentina and their fans took over Atlanta and defeated a brave Canada team 2-0. The Canadians kept the World champions at bay for a long time but two second half goals sealed a solid victory for the tournament favourites.
Lionel Messi huffed and puffed on a day where he couldn’t convert two big chances on goal. It wouldn’t matter though, as forwards Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez found the back of the net. Canada manager Jesse Marsch wasn’t best pleased with the winning team on the day though, suggesting in his post-match comments that Argentina should be fined by CONMEBOL for arriving late to the pitch for the second period.
In the other Group A clash between Chile and Peru, two teams who have made a habit of scoring very few goals drew 0-0. It is a frustrating result for both teams who now need to try and defeat Canada in order to advance as three points against Argentina will be very hard to come by.
Group B
In Group B two dark horses of South American World Cup qualifying went head-to-head in a fascinating encounter. Underdogs Venezuela came out on top as they defeated Ecuador 2-1. An early Enner Valencia red card for Ecuador meant it was game on, and yet it was the side with 10 men that went one goal up.
Two second half goals from Venezuela soon turned the tide though, and the ‘Vino Tinto’ recorded a historic victory. These vital three points against an obvious rival have put the Venezuelans in a great position to qualify for their third quarter-final appearance in the Copa America in four tournaments.
Group C
Group favourites Uruguay and hosts USA both won their opening matches in Group C, against Panama and Bolivia respectively. There is a large gap in quality between the winners and losers in this group and that was evident in two comfortable victories.
In the next round of fixtures the USA face Panama and Uruguay take on Bolivia. Another victory for each team will guarantee their place in the next round and send the minnows packing rather mercilessly.
Group D
Group D is home to two tournament contenders in the form of Brazil and Colombia, and many have already decided that they will fight to win this group and progress as the top two. Yet, Brazil couldn’t find the back of the net in their opening fixture, drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica. They need not worry about the next round for the moment; they need to beat Paraguay in the next game.
Colombia did live up to their ‘title challenger’ status though. They had a late scare against Paraguay but were worthy 2-1 winners after a fine first half display, and they look like they didn’t really need to get out of second gear. Brazil’s draw means a Colombia victory against Costa Rica in the next game would leave them in pole position to win this group.
Daniel Muñoz of Colombia passes the ball during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Group D match … [+] between Colombia and Paraguay at NRG Stadium on June 24, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
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Source link : https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephosullivan/2024/06/25/argentina-win-and-costa-rica-shock-brazil-in-copa-amrica/
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Publish date : 2024-06-25 14:54:34
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