Charles Jackson
It’s almost time for the Copa América as defending champions Argentina start the party on Thursday, which also means it’s time to dip into the crystal ball to predict the entire tournament. After predicting the 2022 World Cup final in between France and Argentina correctly, this will be a fun test to see if I can win another international tournament as CONMEBOL welcomes some of Concacaf’s best to their tournament.
One thing I will say is if you are looking for goals this may not be the best place. The goals are for the Euros, the Copa América is a different style of tournament, the teams are balanced and this can lead to more defensive football. There are also some teams in Concacaf and CONMEBOL that are almost allergic to scoring. Leaving that aside, let’s see how I see the tournament going:
A group
|
1 |
Argentina |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
+5 |
9 |
|
two |
Canada |
3 |
two |
0 |
1 |
3 |
two |
+1 |
6 |
|
3 |
Chile |
3 |
0 |
1 |
two |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
1 |
|
4 |
Peru |
3 |
0 |
1 |
two |
0 |
4 |
-4 |
1 |
First round picks
Argentina 1, Canada 0
Peru 0, Chile 0
Second round picks
Peru 0, Canada 1
Chile 0, Argentina 2
Third round picks
Argentina 2, Peru 0
Canada 2, Chile 1
This group is… something. While Argentina doing anything other than sweeping the field would be a shock, after them no one knows what might happen. Canada has the two best non-Argentinian players in the group in Afonso Davies and Jonathan David and that should be enough for Jesse Marsch to knock the Canucks out of their group. Peru and Chile used to be great international teams, but led by aging players, this will not be the tournament where they return to their best.
Group B
| Place | Team | Congressperson | W | D | I | GF | GA | G.D. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecuador | 3 | two | 1 | 0 | 4 | two | +2 | 7 |
| two | Venezuela | 3 | two | 0 | 1 | two | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| 3 | Mexico | 3 | 0 | two | 1 | two | 3 | -1 | two |
| 4 | Jamaica | 3 | 0 | 1 | two | two | 4 | -two | 1 |
First round picks
Ecuador 1, Venezuela 0
Mexico 1, Jamaica 1
Second round picks
Ecuador 2, Jamaica 1
Venezuela 1, Mexico 0
Third round picks
Mexico 1, Ecuador 1
Jamaica 0, Venezuela 1
After Argentina and Colombia, Ecuador may have the best defense in this tournament, as well as one of the most exciting players in 17-year-old Kendry Páez in the center of midfield. This will be enough to not only take them out of the group, but also see them at the top. Enner Valencia Continuing to lead the attack is a concern, but it won’t be something that really matters until the round of 16. Another defensively solid team that could take advantage of the group’s dysfunction is Venezuela. Salomón Rondón still scores goals with ease at 34 Pachuca and will be a big part of everything La Vinotinto does during this tournament. These will not be predictions that the Concacaf teams would like to see, as both Mexico and Jamaica will miss the knockout stage despite a favorable draw, but it says a lot about the current situation of both federations.
Group C
| Place | Team | Congressperson | W | D | I | GF | GA | G.D. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| two | U.S | 3 | two | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Panama | 3 | 1 | 0 | two | 3 | 5 | -two | 3 |
| 4 | Bolivia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0 |
First round picks
United States 3, Bolivia 0
Uruguay 2, Panama 0
Second round picks
Panama 1, United States 2
Uruguay 3, Bolivia 0
Third round picks
Bolivia 1, Panama 2
United States 1, Uruguay 2
After Argentina, Uruguay are one of the most complete teams in the entire tournament, and having the guile of the resurgent Luis Suarez in the team will be a boon for their chances of not only advancing from the group, but also advancing well. The United States will take care of business under Gregg Berhalter, despite being hesitant to enter the competition. A team that is very good at dispatching the teams they are supposed to beat, the USMNT will overcome familiar opponents in Panama along with a Bolivian team that is off the pace of the rest of CONMEBOL, when things get tighter in the knockout stages, the fun can reach the end.
Group D
| Place | Team | Congressperson | W | D | I | GF | GA | G.D. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | two | 1 | 0 | 8 | two | +6 | 7 |
| two | Colombia | 3 | two | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 3 | 0 | 1 | two | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
| 4 | Coast rich | 3 | 0 | 1 | two | two | 7 | -5 | 1 |
First round picks
Colombia 2, Paraguay 0
Brazil 4, Costa Rica 1
Second round picks
Colombia 2, Costa Rica 0
Paraguay 0, Brazil 3
Third round picks
Brazil 1, Colombia 1
Costa Rica 1, Paraguay 1
The top two teams in this group are clearly between Colombia and Brazil, but there isn’t much to divide them into first and second as we arrive in a group that was decided solely on goal difference. It would be a big surprise for a Paraguayan team anemic in scoring or for Costa Rica who are looking to establish themselves after the end of a golden generation to take a point from the top teams, which is why everything will depend on who puts in more goals beyond the duo. With Brazil’s attacking power of Rodrygo, Vinícius Junior, Raphinhaand a rising star like Endrick, their attack will be too much for other sides except Colombia to handle.
Quarterfinals
Argentina 2, Venezuela 0
Ecuador 1 x Canada 0
Brazil 2, United States 1
Uruguay 2, Colombia 1
Once we get to the round of 16, that’s when we’ll start to play chalk as quality shines through in South America’s best teams. The Concacaf run will come to an end when Brazil avenge their draw against the USMNT by completing the job in their second meeting this year. Canada will also struggle with the quality of Ecuador, but just reaching the round of 16 is good progress for Marsch’s team. Argentina continue to make things look easy as they take advantage of an easier opponent in Venezuela, but the other round of 16 matches will be decided by the narrowest of margins. The game to watch is Uruguay and Colombia, as Marcelo Bielsa’s leadership leads the team to victory with a decisive finish from Darwin Nunez. Although he had a difficult season at Liverpool, the guy playing for the national team is a completely different animal.
Semifinals
Brazil 1, Uruguay 2
Argentina 2, Ecuador 0
We have closer matches, but Nunez continues his run for the Golden Boot by scoring two goals to upset an unbalanced Brazilian team. It’s difficult to figure out what’s next for the Seleção, but figuring out a direction and a coach for the future would be a good start. Lionel Messi also leaves his mark on the tournament with two goals and the final is set to be a big occasion on the horizon.
Third place
Ecuador 1, Brazil 3
Brazil take consolation with Endrick scoring two goals in the fight for third place, but it is also an unforgettable tournament for Ecuador. While there is a lot to figure out long term when it comes to forwards, there is a lot to like about this team moving forward.
Final
Uruguay 2, Argentina 1
Messi vs Biesla for the Copa América title is quite a moment and competing in the final will be Suárez’s poetic return to the Uruguayan national team. With the game tied midway through, Suarez comes off the bench in the 60th minute to lead Uruguay to their first Copa title since 2011 and also break their tie with Argentina for the most Copa América titles in history with his 16th.
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