Argentina still only 5/1 to win it, if they knock out Brazil and reach the final they certainly would be favourites for it.
CA 2019 - Final - Brazil vs Peru
- Thread starter Mark_Barca
- Start date
I know. The Hyperbole. Messi at international level is right up there with Cruyff, Zico or Baggio.
Going to Chile vs Uruguay tonight at the Maracanã. Both sides are through so not much to play for, but hopefully we get some good goals.
Another reason I'd love to have a go at hijacking that route.
I'd be more worried facing Argentina than Brazil. Don't be fooled by the Peru game, that's classic Brazil. Hold them off for a half and they implode, let them run up a lead and they go into beast/exuberant mode.
With Argentina there's always the issue that Messi can go into god mode any time.
Whoever wins will avoid Colombia in the quarters and play Peru instead, Chile needs at least a draw though. Also Suarez, Cavani, Sanchez and Vargas wouldn't mind the Golden Boot so it should be a good game, looking forward to it
Messi, as far as I remember, has never played in God mode for Argentina. Sure, he carried them to the final in WC'14, but in a rather businesslike performance, nothing mesmerizing, like in the qualification stage for WC'18.
Actually he didn't, he was good in the group stages but was largely anonymous in the knockout rounds, didn't score a goal. I still maintain that semi final vs Holland was the worst match I've ever seen him play in his professional career. That whole match was a shocker mind you.
It was their defence got them there. Didn't concede any goals in 8 hours from from Nigeria in the group stages to Gotze's goal in the final.
I would give the nod to Mascherano for being Argentina's best player in that WC.
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Not really. We were clearly the better team in all 3 group stage matches.
Number of shots:
Portugal 27-4 Iceland
Portugal 23-3 Austria
Portugal 19-10 Hungary
We were insanely unlucky to finish that group with 3 points. Deservedly beat Croatia, Poland and Wales after that too, would have done so a lot more comfortably without blatant ref mistakes along the way.
Fair enough. I didn't remember that. I do remember Mascherano effectively being their best player vs Holland.
Did you watch their last qualifying game for Russia? The one vs Ecuador in Quito afrer struggling with Venezuela and Peru at home?
Everyone licking their lips at the prospect of Argentina missing out. First minute and Ecuador score... all is over, Argies downcast, hiding behind their markers, feeling the weight of yet again failing their country, ready to produce all sorts of excuses.
He got a hat-trick.
Leave the idiotic Messi vs Ronaldo agenda aside. Both have a God mode whoever the hell they play for.
Agreed I don't like the changes to Euros or the up coming WC and Copa America changes.
Why change the oldest international tournament?
What would the Antilles/Guyana add? Nothing. If it were two of them problem solved, but it's three and that creates a new problem (inviting three randomers).
Merging with the Gold Cup would, over time, inevitably lead to qualifiers... so that we get to play Jamaica, Trinidad or Guatemala?
Feck that, I like the fact we all get the chance to measure up. It has made the region stronger. You wouldn't have Venezuela being competitive without consistently making them measure up with bigger nations.
Mexico and the US can join if they want to make up numbers. If they want to prioritise the Gold Cup, leave them to it, I couldn't care less.
I know it sounds self-centered/self-serving but I take pride in the fact South American teams consistently perfirm well and usually make knockouts at the WC.
The way football is going (money, ergo, Europe) and now with a Nations League that makes friendlies with European teams harder to come by, we need to preserve that core strength and competitive edge that Copa America and our qualifying system builds in.
Other regions are getting weaker relative to Europe and the gap will only get wider. Creating a wider region/tourno will put us on the same path.
Your last game vs Brazil finished 4-1 and they were visitors..
I know. As I said, and you know, once Brazil get a couple of goals they get into their groove and become unstoppable.
We were going through a very rough patch though. Lost three in a row with defenders and defensive midfielder ageing (Maxi Pereira, Arevalo Rios, both gone), injured (Giménez and Cáceres out, with Coates and G. Silva instead) and Suárez not available for that Brazil game. We don't have the depth to face Brazil successfully if not at full strength, that's part and parcel of being 3M to their 200M.
I'm not saying it would be easy, just saying it would suit our game and psyche to face Brazil and then Argentina. If we were to face Colombia after surviving that we would be unstoppable. If we face them next round the shoe is in the other foot.
So you rather face Brazil and Argentina on route to finals than Colombia and Peru. Makes no sense
Would still fancy Uruguay to beat them.
Trust me, it does. The last two Copas we won (1995 aside as we were hosts and never lost a Copa game at the Centenario) were in Argentina and both times it was us knocking them out, even in 87 with Maradona and a WC winning team.So you rather face Brazil and Argentina on route to finals than Colombia and Peru. Makes no sense
Venezuela would be a bigger banana skin for us than Argentina. Against Argentina we are in our element, against Venezuela we are favourites. We are terrible as favourites.
Read up on the thread and you'll find I said Peru and Colombia were the teams I wanted to avoid next round.
PS: you brought up the 4-1 loss qualifier we lost to Brazil at home... the leg in Brazil we drew 2-2, had 37% possession and yet had more shots on target and should have won it really.
Did Suarez try to gesticulate for a handball from the keeper?
Where? At the end when he slaps his arm? That's a common gesture for "what a pity"Did Suarez try to gesticulate for a handball from the keeper?
Should have squared it for De Arrascaeta to tap in
We have set up in a very strange way. Don't think we ever played two AMs behind Suarez and Cavani.
Chile doing his job here. Uruguay always finds it difficult when they have to go for the result from the start.
Uruguay tends to play us well at home but on the same token we haven’t lost to Uruguay since 2001.
True, but if we want to win it we would have to beat you eventually. Would rather have that showdown straight away than after you accummulate several days of additional rest.
Not that it matters, looks like we will get Colombia and you will get Paraguay and Venezuela en route to the final. Absolute nightmare.
How is alexis playing?
FFS guys, draw is useless. Have a go!
YEEEEEEEESSSS!
YEEEEEEEESSSS!
Shit, don't want Peru either
Cavani
The Euros should have 16 teams, Copa America 8 or 16, the WC should stay with 32.
Of course nothing of this will happen, so nobody should complain if a team doesn’t win a game on the group stages winning the tournament on the knockouts. Not plausible but it can happen.
On another note I think Chile is a better opponent to Colombia than Uruguay, but I can see Colombia bottling this one as favourites.
Oh, Farfán is out. Nice, he usually gives us a few headaches.
Chile didn't trouble us much at all tbh. A header cleared off the line and the guy who came on for Medel left to shoot from 5 yards (because nobody was assigned to Medel and we overlooked the issue). Can't see them beating Colombia at all. They look sluggish and largely a spent force.
Yes on a normal scenario I think Colombia is better, but I want to see how they react if Chile scores first.
Looks to me like a Brazil - Uruguay/Colombia final. Hope Brazil dont win
Apparently Suarez asked for a handball by the goalkeeper inside the box and then later asked for a red card for Jara for kicking a streaker
Edit: and apparently he was even right about the red card
Edit: and apparently he was even right about the red card
Apparently Suarez asked for a handball by the goalkeeper inside the box and then later asked for a red card for Jara for kicking a streaker
Edit: and apparently he was even right about the red card
I think he was actually in shock on how he missed such an easy goal rather than asking for a GK handball.
Hahaha good luck with that, anto.
You’d swear that Messi’s been a pub footballer for Argentina
Anyhow, has the quarter final draws been finalized?
Brazil v Paraguay on ThursdayHahaha good luck with that, anto.
You’d swear that Messi’s been a pub footballer for Argentina
Anyhow, has the quarter final draws been finalized?
Argentina v Venezuela on Friday
Colombia v Chile on Friday
Uruguay v Peru on Saturday
Semifinal key in that order
Thanks anto
Surprised Copa is getting stretched out this long. Already wrapped up the group stages, have just 7 more matches to play yet it's going on for nearly another two weeks?!
Could've played all the quarters by Thursday evening if you'd played Uruguay group after Argentina game on Sunday, then had the semi finals over next weekend and then the final middle of following week.
8 games left and all will be played in the next 10 days.
Been a 23 day tournament since the 2011 edition. Because of the 2 third placed teams advancing they need to have a 3 day gap between group stage and knockouts. Can't have Japan/Ecuador winning yesterday then making them play Brazil two days later.
Could complete it in 21 days by playing 2 games each day in the groups though.