Copa América 2024: Can Messi-led Argentina defeat resurgent Colombia?
The highly anticipated Copa America 2024 Final will be at the Hard Rock Stadium, reigniting the thrill of Colombia and Argentina‘s past encounters. Colombia seeks to secure their second title, building on their 2001 victory, while Argentina aims to clinch their 16th championship, surpassing Uruguay as the most successful team in Copa America history.
Argentina enters this match as the defending champions, having navigated through the tournament with remarkable efficiency. Their journey to the final was highlighted by a dominant performance against Canada in the semi-finals, a match that reinforced their status as continental heavyweights. The team’s resilience is underscored by their formidable defence, which has conceded just one goal throughout the tournament.
Colombia’s last defeat at the hands of Argentina came in a World Cup qualifier on February 2, 2022, when Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal. That was over two years ago, and Colombia has enjoyed an impressive run of 28 games in all tournaments since then.
The team will be led by James Rodriguez, with Jhon Cordoba and Luis Diaz poised to make significant impacts upfront.
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COLOMBIA vs ARGENTINA TEAM NEWS
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, has no new injury concerns following the win against Canada, having made strategic substitutions to give players extra rest. Seven players have started in at least four games, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez the only player to have featured in every match. While Scaloni has rotated his team, he faces key decisions on his lineup, including potentially starting Nahuel Molina over Gonzalo Montiel at right-back, given Montiel’s ankle issue, and selecting Nico Gonzalez in midfield.
Julian Alvarez got the nod over top scorer Lautaro Martinez in the Canada match, and he’s likely to retain his starting spot. Meanwhile, Angel Di Maria, who’s expected to bid farewell to international football after this game, will probably begin on the bench.
Colombia must make at least one adjustment due to Daniel Munoz’s suspension, resulting from his red card in the Uruguay match. Although the match was followed by controversial incidents, CONMEBOL has not announced any further suspensions. Coach Nestor Lorenzo intends to maintain a consistent lineup, with minimal changes.
Santiago Arias is expected to replace the suspended Daniel Munoz, while Liverpool’s Luis Diaz will join captain James Rodriguez in the attack. Meanwhile, Richard Rios is racing against time to recover from injury, and if he doesn’t make it, Matheus Uribe will likely take his place.
COLOMBIA PREDICTED STARTING LINE-UP:
Vargas, S. Arias, Sánchez, Cuesta, Mojica, Uribe, Lerma, J. Arias, Rodríguez, Díaz, Córdoba.
ARGENTINA PREDICTED STARTING LINE-UP:
E. Martinez, Molina, Romero, L. Martínez, Tagliafico, Di María, De Paul, Fernández, Mac Allister, Messi, Álvarez.
COLOMBIA VS ARGENTINA TIME AND VENUE
Kick-off date is Monday 15th July, 2024
Kick-off time is 1:00AM (WAT)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Referee will be Raphael Claus (Brazil)
COLOMBIA VS ARGENTINA PREDICTION
This final transcends a mere game, representing a tale of redemption for Colombia and an opportunity for Argentina to solidify their status as the paramount force in South American football, etching their legacy in the annals of history.
Argentina has a clear upper hand in their head-to-head record against Colombia, boasting a impressive record of only one defeat in their last 12 matches. Given this historical dominance and their current strong form, it’s difficult to bet against Argentina successfully defending their title.
Colombia 0 vs Argentina 2
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