USA flops as Copa América favorites win again

Matchday two of the Copa América group stage is over. The top contenders have triumphed again and Brazil are back on track to win, but we’ve also had our first losses of the tournament and a crippling blow to the United States.

group A

Argentina defeated Chile 1-0 in their final Copa América match. Lionel Messi was not on the scoresheet, but he did hit the corner to set up Lautaro Martinez’s second goal of the tournament. The late goal means that a win against Peru will maintain Argentina’s 100% record in this group.

Elsewhere, Canada defeated Peru 1-0 to give themselves a fantastic chance to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Jesse Marsch and his team need only draw their final match against Chile to stay alive in this Copa.

Group B

In Group B, Ecuador overcame defeat by Venezuela in the first round by beating Jamaica 3–1 in the second round, eliminating the Caribbean team from the Copa. Ecuador is now back in the hunt for a quarter-final place after an unfortunate start to the competition.

Venezuela defeated Mexico to book a place in the next round of the tournament. One Rondon penalty was all it took for the ‘vino tinto’ to qualify with a match to spare. These results mean that the final match between Mexico and Ecuador in this group is essentially a knockout match to advance to the next round.

Group C

In Group C we saw Panama and the USA go head-to-head in a hugely dramatic clash that saw both teams receive insane red cards. However, the early red card for American forward Timothy Weah would be the decisive moment as the US 10 men lost 2-1. Panama’s red card did not come until the 88th minute.

Uruguay certainly didn’t fail like the US. They beat Bolivia 5-0 in a match that saw Darwin Nuñez score his seventh consecutive goal for his country. Marcelo Bielsa’s team top the group and look fantastic so far. Can they win their first Copa since 2011?

Group D

The giants Brazil have finally woken up in this tournament. After an uneventful 0-0 draw on matchday one, they defeated their smaller neighbors Paraguay 4-1 in round two, sending the losers out of the tournament after two defeats in a row.

Vinicius Juniors scored twice and were the focus of some Paraguay frustration. Between the showboating and the hype from the crowd, it’s safe to say Vini was not a popular man that night. Brazil looked a dangerous team in the end, though, and a strong Brazil is exactly what any Copa América watcher wants to see.

Colombia advanced to the quarter-finals with another comfortable win, this time over Costa Rica. The 3-0 victory keeps them top of the group, where a draw against Brazil in their final match will be enough to keep them there.

This will be the most exciting match of the group stage as both Brazil and Colombia look to win Group D and avoid a strong Uruguay team in the next round.