We have reached the knockout stage of the 2024 Copa America and, while the favourites are still very much in the mix for glory, there are some intriguing quarter-final matches set to take place over the coming days.
World Cup winners Argentina will be expected to make light work of Ecuador, but the most highly anticipated game comes last as Uruguay, who stormed through their group with maximum points, will fancy their chances of upsetting out-of-sorts Brazil.
- ARGENTINA TO BEAT ECUADOR TO NIL
- VENEZUELA TO BEAT CANADA
- COLOMBIA TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS VS PANAMA
- URUGUAY TO BEAT BRAZIL
Argentina vs Ecuador
Argentina celebrated their third World Cup triumph in Qatar 18 months ago and few would be surprised if they added the Copa America to their collection in the USA over the next 10 days.
Lionel Scaloni’s side eased through Group A without conceding a goal in a section that included Peru, Chile and Canada and, after winning their last eight matches, they should be able to continue their fine form against Ecuador, who have never beaten them in the Copa.
Their opponents have needed to scrap to get to the last eight, having gone a goal up against Venezuela in their opener before falling to a 2-1 defeat.
They needed a penalty, an own goal and a last-minute strike to see off Jamaica before battling to a goalless draw with Mexico, so it is difficult to see them having much joy in this match against a team that rested many of their star players, including Lionel Messi, for their 2-0 closing-group win against Peru.
ARGENTINA TO BEAT ECUADOR TO NIL
Venezuela vs Canada
Venezuela are often regarded as one of the weaker teams in South America, but they have lost just one of their last six World Cup qualifiers and they have taken that decent form into this summer’s Copa.
They took maximum points from their three group matches, finishing with a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Jamaica, and they look likely to have too much for Canada in the second quarter-final of the week.
Their opponents have done little to impress and made their way through the group stage with just four points.
Three of those came in a 1-0 win over Peru when they faced a team that were forced to play the last half an hour with 10 men and, after losing to Argentina in their opening game, a goalless draw with Chile was enough to see them through.
So just one goal in three games does little to suggest they will be able to battle their way through to the semi-finals, so there is a strong chance that Venezuela’s rebirth will continue when the pair meet in Arlington.
VENEZUELA TO BEAT CANADA
BET ON THE COPA AMERICA
Colombia vs Panama
Colombia are likely to fancy their chances of finishing as the continent’s top dogs after taking seven points from their three group games and the draw looks to have been kind to them as they take on Panama in the last eight.
There was no disgrace in Colombia being held to a 1-1 draw against Brazil and that result in Santa Clara extended their unbeaten run to an impressive 26 matches, 20 of which they have won.
They saw off both Paraguay and Costa Rica in their other two matches and while they will be without suspended midfielder Jefferson Lerma, they should have too much for Panama, who have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine matches.
Panama’s most notable achievement in this tournament was beating hosts USA 2-1, but they needed a late goal to do that against a team that played the last 70 minutes with 10 men, so that provides little confidence that they will be able to come out on top of this one.
Colombia are understandably a short price to win considering their recent form, but it is worth chancing that they can come out on top of a game that produces at least three goals.
Over 2.5-goal backers have collected in six of their last nine outings.
COLOMBIA TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
Uruguay vs Brazil
The final quarter-final match is undoubtedly the tie of the round and Uruguay look well placed to book their semi-final spot at Brazil’s expense.
Uruguay have the experienced Marcelo Bielsa at the helm and the tactics guru has weaved his magic during this tournament, as his side have won all three of their matches and no team in the competition has been able to match their tally of nine goals from three group games.
Further positives are provided by the fact they have lost only once in their last 11 games and they should also have their confidence boosted by the 2-0 victory they enjoyed against their quarter-final opponents in World Cup qualifying in October.
Brazil, meanwhile, have generally endured a frustrating Copa. They beat Paraguay 4-1 and there was little disgrace in a 1-1 draw with in-form Colombia, but it is difficult to put a positive slant on a goalless stalemate against Costa rica.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior scored twice in the Paraguay win, but he will be sitting out this one after picking up two bookings, so there is a strong chance the Selecao will be staring down the barrel at what they would regard as an early exit.
URUGUAY TO BEAT BRAZIL
