The Copa America title is no longer a two-man affair between Argentina and Brazil

The Great Sage flirted with the ball

2024-06-30 14:56

Brazil regained confidence, but it wasn't enough

After a 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, Brazil regained the trust of their fans. It was Samba's first win in the 2024 Copa America after they drew 0-0 with Costa Rica.

After the criticism in the opening game, Vinicius responded strongly with a brace. Teenager Savio and midfielder Paqueta were the two other goals. "The Samba Army are indeed the team that have won five World Cups and nine Copa Americas," said Spanish media outlet Trademarks.

But this is only a necessary condition, and Brazil will have to show their full strength in their next match against Colombia. In Group D, Colombia have advanced to the qualification with six points, while Brazil are in second place with four points, but the situation is uncertain. They will meet in the final round, with a draw enough to put the two teams together to qualify. However, Brazil certainly do not want to finish second in their group and will have to face Group C winners Uruguay.

Colombia and Uruguay are the two big rivals that will prevent Brazil from meeting Argentina in the final. And if Colombia and Costa Rica win respectively, Brazil will be eliminated from the tournament. If Brazil and Costa Rica are tied on points, they will have a better goal difference. Brazil currently have a goal difference of +3 compared to -3 for Costa Rica.

Who worries the Argentine team?

The Argentine media expressed their admiration for the veteran coach Bielsa, who led Uruguay to two consecutive group wins and was the team with the most goals in the tournament. In the final round, they only need 1 point to finish at the top of the group.

Since taking office in May 2023, Bielsa has led the team to a good record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses, with a winning rate of 64.29%. The seasoned master tactician assembles a young and energetic team with maneuverability and efficiency. He has coached the Argentine national team and led the Argentine national team to Olympic gold medals.

"If there's one team that can stop Argentina and Messi from winning this year's Copa America, it's Mr. Bielsa's Uruguay. He deserves credit for reviving the team with the best results in Copa America history," said Argentine media outlet TyC Sports.

This year's Copa America has seven Argentine managers, including their own coach Scaloni. In Argentina's title defence, only Bielsa's Uruguay and Lorenzo's Colombia will be fearful opponents.

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