FIVE COPA America Questions You're Afraid to Ask
Hey there! It's June 19th, and COPA America is upon us. Besides the important questions, like who still has what it takes to play a major tournament, we're asking which team has the best kit? Enjoy!
Five things to watch for in the Copa America:
Can Messi still do it? The eight-times Ballon d’Or winner turns 37 next week and is now in the stage where he is managing his workload before a major tournament. Ok, we’ll stop that train of thought right there. Of course, we know Messi can still do it. He has shown it with Inter Miami in MLS and he is in the Argentina team for good reason. It’s only 18 months since he led his nation to the World Cup after all. He could quite easily score a hat-trick in the opening Group A game against Canada on Thursday in Atlanta. But what we are getting at is - at the back-end of the tournament, when it’s all on the line in the last four against teams like Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, when it’s a hard, high-tempo game and it goes to extra-time, can he still really deliver then?
We wouldn’t bet against him (who would?) but it will still be interesting to see whether the idea of him playing in the 2026 World Cup as a 39-year-old seems a realistic prospect or not.
Just how bad are Brazil? “It’s one of the worst teams in the recent years, no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority. I’ve never seen a situation as bad as this”. Those were infamously the words of Ronaldinho until he backed away and said it was all a stunt for an ad campaign for a deodorant.
Thing is though, the reason so many fell for the stunt was, the analysis wasn’t far off.
This Brazil team, sixth in CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, really haven’t looked good at all. Is it going to click for coach Dorival Junior and his team in the USA? Is Vinicius Junior going to be the player we see for Real Madrid? Will 17-year-old Endrick live up to the hype? And will they find a shape and rhythm that was so evidently absenct in the recent friendly draw with the USA? We should find out pretty soon because they are in a fairly tough Group D with Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica. There is potential for a total disaster but, we don’t want that really do we? At the end of the day, everyone wants to be entertained by Brazil right?
The Berhalter Referendum USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter needs a good Copa America if he is going to build any kind of momentum heading towards the 2026 World Cup. Not a “just about good enough” tournament but one in which his team comfortably take care of business against Bolivia and Panama and compete for top spot in Group C with Uruguay. Then it should be Colombia or Brazil in the last eight. We aren’t going to say - if he fails to make the semis his job will be in danger - but fans will want to see his team really get close to beating a top side and not a repeat of that loss to the Netherlands in Qatar.
You would think US Soccer would have a similar attitude. It would also be nice to see some of the much-hyped ‘golden generation’ live up to their reputations. Let’s see if the likes of Gio Reyna, Tim Weah and Weston McKinnie, can deliver top class performances against top class opposition.
Game on.
‘Bielsaball’ Rather like Ralf Rangnick with Austria, we suspect that Marcelo Bielsa’s high-energy approach, is much better suited to a three week tournament than for the long drag of a season in English football.
Indeed his Uruguay team have been looking very good indeed heading into this tournament. Pace, directness and with Darwin Nunez on the end of it all, La Celeste should be well worth watching in this tournament, with or without cameo appearances from the one-legged Luis Suarez.
Will El Tri self-combust? The vibes say this should be a disaster for Mexico, who have looked pretty awful over the past year or so. But the draw has been relatively kind to them with Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica their opponents in Group B. Kind, but still…on recent form there is no guarantee that Mexico will make it into the knockout round and that could really see the end of Jimmy Lozano and all manner of angst.
Of course, the key question is: Just how much money will US Soccer make from COPA America?
Then again, maybe it’s: Who has the best kit?
EURO 2024 Round-up
Where to watch: all TV broadcasters around the globe from UEFA
Seriously, Fox, it isn’t a summer of soccer if you fail to air games. You missed another belter - Turkey beating Georgia 3-1, with Arda Guker the first teenager to score since Ronaldo in 2004.
Portugal’s last gasp win over Czech Republic 2-1 had it all - a Czech rearguard against a geriatric, misfiring Portugal - the Czech Republic taking the lead with their first shot in the 62nd minute, only for Portugal to equalize seven minutes later after Stanek parried an innocuos cross against Hranac for an own goal. In the 92nd minute Conceição popped up 111 seconds after coming off the bench to win it for Portugal after Hranac tried to prevent a cross by sitting on it.
Talking point of the day seems to be just how past it is Ronaldo?
Group Standings After Round One
In Other Soccer News
Steve Cooper is the new manager at Leicester City. (SkySports)
Everton’s Friedkin takeover, which we aren’t entirely sure as to the timeframe cut-off that it can be called a saga again, is now in the Premier League approval stage. (Goodison News)
Stat of the Day
Portugal completed 368 passes in the first half of their match, the most in a single half of football at the European Championship finals on record.
On This Day….50 Years Ago
The Cruyff Turn was unleashed against Sweden:
The Daily Soccer Quote of the Day
"Difficult to find a jersey for working out where there are no stupid rumours afterwards" - Mats Hummels on being seen wearing a 2012 Greece shirt.