With 20 group-stage games to eliminate just two sides from the 10-team tournament, the quarter-final stage of the controversial Copa America begins on Friday.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic in the country and across the continent, the Copa has rolled in empty stadiums in Brazil. This edition was moved to Brazil at the last minute after a spike in COVID-19 cases in Argentina and civil unrest in Colombia, the two planned co-hosts.
With four matches in two days, there has been a radical change in the momentum for the quarter-finals. This is compounded by the fact that there is no extra time in the last eight – games go straight to penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes. This is clearly a boost for the underdogs, who could also benefit from the poor condition of some pitches.
There is also a north versus south theme to this round, a remnant of the original structure of a continental competition that was planned to be held in two countries. Brazil's continental superpower could have been in any group, but they were placed in the north - and so will now take on "southern" Chile in Friday's glamorous matchup of the last two Copa champions.
Peru vs. Paraguay
When: Friday, 5 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. GMT; Goiania
Form Guide: Despite South America's win over Ecuador in the final round of World Cup qualification, Peru are still at the bottom of the table. In the Copa, despite losing 4–0 to Brazil in their opening game, Peru put together two wins and a draw to finish the group in second place.
Paraguay is sixth in World Cup qualification. In the Copa they defeated Bolivia and Chile - a 2–0 win over the latter has been their highlight so far - and single-goal losses to Argentina and Uruguay.
Players to watch: Peru's leading man is almost certainly coach Ricardo Gareca, who year after year finds a way to collate results from the limited resources at his disposal. Italy-born striker Gianluca Lapadula has made an instant impact after representing the land of his mother's birth, leading the line well and partnering the dangerous Andre Carrillo.
Paraguay's strength lies more in the collective than in the individual sport, especially with star man Miguel Almiron almost certainly out of a muscle injury. ngel Romero is a versatile striker who has a pleasant knack for popping up to score, and Gustavo Gómez is the organizer of the defence.
How it will play out: Gareca's Peru starts from a 4-2-3-1 base, but the coach is making some clever changes. Playmaker Sergio Pea has the versatility to drop and help the middle midfield duo of Renato Tapia and Yosemir Yotun. And Pea can also drift right to make a 4-3-3, allowing Carrillo to field, and cut from the left to attack midfielder Cristian Cueva. The main idea, however, is for the team to remain compact with and without the ball, creating a team that is greater than the sum of their parts.
Paraguay coach Eduardo Berrizo's plans are still unclear, with his reign almost two and a half years away. He is a product of the Marcelo Bilsa school – he played under Leeds United boss and was also his assistant when El Loco was in charge of Chile. But the ultra-attacking high-press Bielsa model is an odd fit for Paraguayans, who have a tradition of deep defense. Berrizo hasn't worked this puzzle out yet, sometimes imposing a dynamic midfield himself, at others sitting back and going to the counter.
He has lost both of his momentum traders, with both Almiron and Antonio Barreiro being injured. Talent Available - Left-footed Oscar Romero or former New York Red Bull player "Kaku" Gamara could come in. At least the draw has been good as after finishing third in their group, Paraguay is lucky to face Peru.
Brazil vs. Chile
When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, midnight GMT; Rio de Janeiro
Form guide: Brazil have looked head and shoulders above their South American rivals, with Tyte rediscovering the type of mix in his winning first 18 months as manager. They have six of their six wins in World Cup qualification, and only lost their 100% record in the Copa when they fielded a weaker side in the final group-stage game and drew with Ecuador. Threatened and tight from behind, they dominated their group so much that they were the only team to finish with a positive goal difference.
Chile are finding it very difficult to move on from the golden generation that won the Copa in 2015 and again in 2016, and even under new coach Martin Lassart there are still a number of old legends to rely on. They are seventh in World Cup qualification, and were hardly confident, registering a narrow win in their four matches in the group stage of the Copa.
Players to watch: Neymar (68 goals) is the key figure for Brazil, closing Pele's 77-goal record for Selçao, the star around whom his attack and his dreams of World Cup glory next year can be built. do construction. Neymar's importance was highlighted in his absence in the draw against Ecuador, and the same applies to midfield leader Casemiro, who played only the last half hour of that game. In defence, Marquinhos has matured into an excellent centre-back, quick and quietly skilled.
Chile are hopeful that Alexis Sanchez will be fit to make his tournament debut. If he can play it will be interesting to see if it is at the expense of Blackburn striker Ben Brereton, who added some much-needed youth and energy during the group stage. Arturo Vidal remains a midfield powerhouse, and behind him Chile hopes Eric Pulgar will be fit to defend the back four and speed up the move.
How it will play out: Tite's Brazil has mainly worked in a 4-1-4-1, which can also be seen as a 4-3-3. Recently there has been an occasional trend to switch to 4-4-2, using strikers as hard-working wide midfielders and freeing Neymar to roam the center and find space between the opposing defense and midfield. .
Defensively, considerable thought has been put into strengthening the left side, which Belgium successfully exploited in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup. In 10 competitive games, the team has scored only four goals. They are concerned, however, by the condition of the pitch at Rio's Nilton Santos Stadium - well below it for a major tournament, the poor quality of the pitch is clearly bad news for a team that is likely to spend most of the game at the front. . Leg.
From a tactical point of view, the one game Chile won has probably caused them the most confusion. He lost control of midfield in a 1–0 victory over Bolivia, and Vidal was forced to withdraw to tighten things up. Keeping things tidy on Saturday will obviously be a priority. They could repeat the 3-4-1-2 used against Uruguay, defending seven, freeing Vidal and the strikers. This would seem a logical choice, although 4-1-4-1 Planned vs Paraguay is an option.
Whatever the formation, they will look to the lung power of Charles Aranguis to lock in midfield, and the experience of organizing Gary Meddle's defence.
Uruguay vs. Colombia
When: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. GMT; Goiania
Form guide: Uruguay are currently fourth in World Cup qualification, and conquered a minor crisis during the Copa. The opening game, a 1–0 loss to Argentina, was their fourth consecutive match without scoring, a very disappointing statistic from a squad with some firepower. They broke the run with a 1–1 draw against Chile, won their next two games and are headed in the right direction.
Colombia are fifth on goal difference in World Cup qualification with Uruguay. He started the Copa with a hard win over Ecuador, marking a bright start to the reign of new coach Reynaldo Rueda. However, the latter results have not been impressive. The loss to Brazil was controversial, while the loss to Peru and the draw with Venezuela was disappointing. They simply aren't the same creative force in the absence of James Rodriguez.
Players to watch: Uruguay, of course, are led by the old attacking firm of Atletico Madrid's Luis Suarez and Manchester United's Edinson Cavani. The future, however, belongs to Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, who is the side's motor with his lung power and range going through midfield.
Apart from the absence of James, Colombia will miss another important player. Juan Cuadrado has been suspended, and it will be difficult to replace him. The Juventus man plays a dual midfield role, tucks in the center and supplies the width to the right, as well as filling in on the right when the team is chasing the game. His absence makes a tight game more likely, with Colombia hoping Wilmer Barrios can be as effective as he was against Brazil in his defensive midfield role.
How it will play out: Suarez and Cavani's presence is a blessing for Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez, but one that also brings boundaries. This has usually forced him into a 4-4-2, a system that doesn't always bring out the best in his attacking midfielder. In the last game against Paraguay, Cavani played forward on his own, and Giorgione de Arrascaeta and Nicolas de la Cruz blossomed behind him. One possible solution, which Tabrez has flirted with this tournament, is to play back three, allowing an extra man in midfield and freeing up a playmaker.
Rueda's Colombia rarely strayed from 4-4-2. They have the decision to take on playmaker Edwin Cardona, who is full of talent but a player for occasional moments rather than matches. Is that too much of a luxury for this game? He was not used against Brazil. He could work behind the striker in 4-4-1-1, but it was not a conspicuous success against Peru. Can Atalanta threat Duvan Zapata win a physical fight against the slow legs of Uruguay captain Diego Godin? Also, can Uruguay blame Colombia's defense with the same flaws that helped them secure a 3-0 World Cup qualification win last November? It appears to be a quarterfinal like Peru-Paraguay, equally balanced but with more quality. This may be the highlight of the round, but it also has the potential for stalemates and penalty shootouts.
Argentina vs. Ecuador
When: Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, 1 a.m. GMT; Brasilia
Form guide: Argentina's 1-1 draw with Chile in the Copa opener made it three consecutive draws; Like in the recent World Cup qualifiers, Argentina had taken the lead, looking bright but were pushed back and forced to share points. Since then, however, it has all been winning, usually with quick starts and early leads. They are second in World Cup qualification and look like a better, more consistent team than they have been at any time since the 2016 edition of the Copa.
Ecuador posted three impressive victories in World Cup qualification at the end of last year. But their form in June was not good, going four games without a win in the Copa after two losses in the qualifiers (they finished third in the table). Three draws were enough to take them to the quarter-finals. However, they looked good to shine, and were close to their best in a 1-1 draw with Brazil.
Key Players: It is impossible for Argentina to look beyond Lionel Messi. Now their most shadowed player, he is in scintillating form, and over the past two years he has become as emotionally integrated as ever, transforming himself into an outspoken leader. At the other end, Emiliano MartÃnez is shaping up to be Argentina's best keeper for ages, and Cristian Romero has established himself as a first-choice centre-back.
Ecuador is sweating the fitness of some of its key players - Zhegasán Mendez and Moises Cassado, who will have to fight to win a midfield fight, and senior striker Ener Valencia, whose power and intelligence could upset the Argentine defence. The great hope could be a role for Gonzalo Plata, an extremely strong winger who cuts from the right on his left foot.
But the dominant figure in Ecuador's possession may have been left-footed playwright ngel Mena. Last year's surprise star, he has been struggling for form of late. But his performance and goal against Brazil is proof that he must have found his mojo at the right time.
How it will play out: Since Argentina's previous defeat, two years earlier, to Brazil in the semi-finals of the last Copa, coach Lionel Scaloni has based his team 4-3-3 with Leandro Parades, Rodrigo de Paul and Giovanni Lo Celso has done. Establishing a pleasant circuit of passing is working well with Messi - who is starting to make sense with centre-forward Lautaro Martinez. Down the flank are options - the likes of Angel Di Maria or Papu Gomez, and the ability to switch from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.
Argentina are a possession-based side - although it is not always easy for them to maintain control of the game for the full 90 minutes. This, then, looks like a classic match-up of puncture versus counter-puncher.
Argentina coach Gustavo Alfaro is such a fit for Ecuador because he is skilled in organizing counter-attacking teams. He should hope that his defensive unit can keep Argentina at bay long enough to give his side a chance to stay in the game, and start their own breaks when space begins to open up. It's a big question, Ecuador has gone six games without a win, so can they really trouble Argentina? Given that two of those games were against Brazil - a credible defeat and a draw - then the chance exists.
Ecuador has certainly been able to cause some problems to Argentina's defence. But there is a strong possibility that on Saturday night Messi will be only two games away from his maiden senior title in the Argentine shirt.