The 2015 Copa America tournament is here, as Chile is bracing itself to welcome some of the best players on the planet.
Argentina and Brazil are the heavy favorites to win the tournament but with the likes of Chile, Colombia and Uruguay around there are sure to be plenty of surprises along the way.
So, with three weeks of tournament play taking place in Chile here is everything you need to know.
The contenders
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are the favorites to win it all but you cannot rule out upstarts Colombia and host nation Chile. Defending champions Uruguay stunned host nation Argentina to win the last Copa America tournament back in 2011 and we will get another shock in Chile? Perennial giants Brazil and Argentine will fancy their chances and Brazil has won four of the last six tournaments as they’ve beaten Argentina twice in the last three finals. Expect a good old fashion slugfest between these bitter rivals at some point during the knockout stages.
The hosts
As for Chile, their run to the World Cup last 16 excited many last summer but there’s a feeling that Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Co. are in their prime and ready to deliver a big performance on home soil. The Chileans have never won the Copa America but with a favorable group they have been given every chance to succeed under their passionate coach Jorge Sampaoli. Chile’s games in Santiago will be sellouts and their fans will create a carnival atmosphere if they do well. Plus, it is always good for the tournament if the host nation makes a deep run.
CONCACAF reps
Two countries flying the CONCACAF this summer, as Mexico and Jamaica test themselves against the best South America has to offer. For Miguel Herrera and El Tri, they have a young squad after prioritizing the Gold Cup which takes place in the U.S. in July. As for Jamaica, they proved to be stubborn opponents during CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and the Reggae Boyz may surprise a few people as head coach Winfried Schafer leads them into their first-ever appearance in the Copa America tournament. Mexico could easily make it out of Group A but Jamaica is in a stacked Group B alongside Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Good luck with that…
Top storylines
- Can Uruguay compete without Luis Suarez? – His nine-game international ban for biting goes on, huge blow for the defending champs. Can Cavani lead them to glory?
- Can the pretenders rise to the occasion? – We have mentioned hosts Chile, but can Colombia win their second title after triumphing in 2001? With James and a rejuvenated Falcao, this could be their best chance.
- Lionel Messi aims for first trophy with Argentina – Fun fact (not for Lionel): Messi has never won a major tournament with Argentina. The World Cup runners-up will fancy their chances of winning in Chile. If they do, Messi will have to be at his best.
- Time to see how far Brazil have really progressed – 12 months on from that 7-1 shellacking by Germany in the World Cup semifinals, Brazil has a new manager and plenty of new players. Dunga has enjoyed 10-straight wins since taking over and the Selecao have only conceded twice since September 2014. Just how good are his new defensive-minded side? We are about to find out.
Superstars on show
Earlier this week at PST we ranked the top 20 players who will feature at Copa America. Needless to say, the list oozes quality as some of the best players on the planet will look horns. As we mentioned above, Suarez is banned so it will be a shame he won’t spearhead Uruguay’s title defense. Anyway here’s a ranking of the top 20 players and to give you a little taster of just how strong the field at this tournament is, look at the top five below. Just look at it…
1. Lionel Messi
2. Neymar
3. Alexis Sanchez
4. Sergio Aguero
5. Edinson Cavani
Schedule (Games broadcast on beIN Sports in the U.S.)
Thursday 11 June
Group A – Chile v Ecuador, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday 12 June
Group A – Mexico v Bolivia, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday 13 June
Group B – Uruguay v Jamaica, 3 p.m. ET
Group B – Argentina v Paraguay, 5:30 p.m. ET
Sunday 14 June
Group C – Colombia v Venezuela, 3 p.m. ET
Group C – Brazil v Peru, 5:30 p.m. ET
Monday 15 June
Group A – Ecuador v Bolivia, 5 p.m. ET
Group A – Chile v Mexico, 7:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday 16 June
Group B – Paraguay v Jamaica, 5 p.m. ET
Group B – Argentina v Uruguay, 7:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday 17 June
Group C – Brazil v Colombia, 7 p.m. ET
Thursday 18 June
Group C – Peru v Venezuela, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday 19 June
Group A – Mexico v Ecuador, 5 p.m. ET
Group A – Chile v Bolivia, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday 20 June
Group B – Uruguay v Paraguay, 3 p.m. ET
Group B – Argentina v Jamaica, 5:30 p.m. ET
Sunday 21 June
Group C – Colombia v Peru, 3 p.m. ET
Group C – Brazil v Venezuela, 5:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday 24 June
Quarterfinal – A1 v B3/C3, 7:30 p.m. ET
Thursday 25 June
Quarterfinal – A2 v C2, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday 26 June
Quarterfinal – B1 v A3/C3, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday 27 June
Quarterfinal – C1 v B2, 5:30 p.m. ET
Monday 29 June
Semifinal – Winner QF1 v Winner QF2, 7:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday 30 June
Semifinal – Winner QF3 v Winner QF4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday 3 July
Third-place playoff – 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday 4 July
Final – 4 p.m. ET
Predictions
At PST a handful of us have put our necks on the line to predict the final group standings and the path through the knockout stages.
Here’s how we think the tournament will pan out…
Joe Prince-Wright
Group A
- Chile
- Ecuador
- Mexico
- Bolivia
Group B
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Jamaica
- Paraguay
Group C
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Peru
- Venezuela
Quarterfinals
Chile over Jamaica
Colombia over Ecuador
Argentina over Mexico
Brazil over Uruguay
Semifinals
Chile over Colombia
Argentina over Brazil
Third-Place
Brazil over Colombia
Final
Chile over Argentina
Kyle Bonn
Group A
- Chile
- Mexico
- Ecuador
- Bolivia
Group B
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Jamaica
- Paraguay
Group C
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Peru
- Venezuela
Quarterfinals
Chile over Peru
Brazil over Mexico
Argentina over Ecuador
Uruguay over Colombia
Semifinals
Brazil over Chile
Argentina over Uruguay
Third-Place
Uruguay over Chile
Final
Argentina over Brazil
Kyle Lynch
Group A
- Chile
- Ecuador
- Mexico
- Bolivia
Group B
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Jamaica
Group C
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Peru
- Venezuela
Quarterfinals
Chile over Paraguay
Brazil over Ecuador
Argentina over Mexico
Colombia over Uruguay
Semifinals
Chile over Brazil
Argentina over Colombia
Third-Place
Brazil over Colombia
Final
Argentina over Chile
Nicholas Mendola
Group A
- Chile
- Mexico
- Ecuador
- Bolivia
Group B
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Paraguay
- Jamaica
Group C
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Peru
- Venezuela
Quarterfinals
Chile over Paraguay
Colombia over Mexico
Argentina over Ecuador
Brazil over Uruguay
Semifinals
Colombia over Chile
Brazil over Argentina
Third-Place
Chile over Argentina
Final
Colombia over Brazil