Brazil and Colombia, two favorites on paper in the Copa América

By Claudia Aguilar Ramírez/Carlos Meneses |

Houston/Los Angeles (USA) (EFE).- Brazil, always a favorite but in reconstruction, and Colombia, which proudly shows an unbeaten streak of 20 games without losing and a football full of promise, will open this Monday against Costa Rica in California and Paraguay in Houston, respectively, the actions in group D of the Copa América 2024.

Undefeated Colombia has its litmus test against Paraguay

Colombia

Paraguay

Two teams with different realities. A Colombian team that generates an expectation similar to the one that played in the ’94 World Cup and a Paraguay that is not going through its best moment will meet this Monday at the NRG Stadium in Houston in the Copa América.

Group D, in addition to Colombia and Paraguay, is completed by Brazil and Costa Rica, who face each other this Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The Colombian team, led by Néstor Lorenzo, has plenty of reasons to be excited. They have a squad led by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, undefeated in 23 consecutive games, 20 of them with Lorenzo, and they are also the only team currently that has won their last eight games.

Two years and four months have passed since their last defeat against Argentina and they are four games away from equaling their best historical streak.

Paraguay plans to arrest Luis Díaz

Paraguay, for its part, is led by Argentine Daniel Garnero, whose obsession against Colombia is to put a team to block Liverpool attacker Luis Díaz, whom he considers the lethal weapon of the coffee team.

Due to the above, Garnero still has doubts about who to put in the right sector of the defense to stop Díaz, whether Gustavo Velásquez or Iván Ramírez, according to Paraguayan media it would be the Newell’s Old Boys full-back who would have the first option.

La Albirroja played three friendly matches before the Copa América. They drew 0-0 with Peru in Lima, lost 3-0 with Chile in Santiago and beat Panama 0-1 in Panama City. Triumph that ended a streak of four games without winning and without scoring.

“We have feelings of improving and growing. We had a very difficult group in this Copa América, but we are prepared,” said Garnero.

Probable lineups in the Copa América:

The moment of truth for Vinícius’ Brazil

Brazil

Costa Rica

Connect the fans and recover lost respect. With these two objectives, the Brazilian team begins its journey this Monday in the Copa América in the United States against Costa Rica, without Neymar, but with the best footballer of the moment: Vinícius Júnior.

The Canarinha faces its first major international event under the leadership of Dorival Júnior and in the midst of a profound renewal process that has brought to this call young people who promise to give a lot to talk about, such as Endrick or Savinho.

His debut will be in a land of fond memories for Brazilians. It was in California where the team of Romário, Bebeto and company was crowned world champion in 1994. This time they will change the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Although less distant is the elimination in the 2016 Copa América Centenario in the United States, when Brazil was unable to overcome the first phase in an easy group with Ecuador, Peru and Haiti.

Gustavo Alfaro’s bet for the Copa América

Costa Rica is, a priori, the weakest team in group D completed by Paraguay and Colombia.

This month, the team led by Argentine Gustavo Alfaro solved its two Concacaf qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup with indisputable victories against Saint Kitts and Nevis (4-0) and Granada (0-3).

This will be their sixth participation in a Copa América and they do so, like Brazil, with a new generation of talents.

After the departures of the historic Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges, the star with the most filming of the ‘Ticos’ is forward Joel Campbell, former player for Villarreal, Real Betis and Arsenal, and with experience in Mexican football.

Probable lineups in the Copa América: