Argentina Football
Copa America 2021: Quarter Finals Preview
Eight teams have qualified for the Copa America 2021 quarterfinals, with the competition's first knockout round set to begin on July 2nd. Two of the tournament's favorites, Argentina and Brazil finished top in their respective groups. Messi’s Argentina will face Ecuador, while Neymar’s Brazil will face Chili in the quarterfinals. With a relatively easy quarter-final opponent, they will most certainly proceed to the semi-finals. The matchups between Uruguay and Colombia, as well as Peru and Paraguay, are expected to be the most exciting in the quarter-finals. In this article, we discussed who can qualify for the Copa America 2021 semi-finals?
Read:UEFA Euro 2020: Meet the Quarter-Finalists
Who are the Front-Runners in the Race to the Semifinals?
1st Quarter-Final (Peru vs. Paraguay)
Venue: Goiania | Date: July 3 | Time (BST): 3 am
Verdict: Paraguay 2-1 Peru
Paraguay finished third in Group A with 6 points. The Paraguayan national team has shown a lot of promise in this tournament. They overcame Bolivia and Chili but lost to Argentina and Uruguay by a solitary goal in both matches. On the other hand, Peru placed second in Group B with 7 points. They were thrashed 4-0 by Brazil but came out on top 2-1 against Colombia. Based on the present form, Paraguay will start the match as a favorite.
Paraguay’s probable starting XI
Antony Silva (GK), Robert Rojas, Júnior Alonso, Alberto Espinola, Omar Alderete, BraianSamudio, GastónGiménez, Mathias Villasanti, Gabriel Ávalos, Ángel Romero, and Alejandro Romero.
Peru’s probable starting XI
Pedro Gallese (GK), Aldo Corzo, Miguel Araujo, Miguel Trauco, Renato Tapia, Luis Abram, YoshimarYotún, André Carrillo, Christian Cueva, Sergio Peña, Luis Iberico.
Read:England beats Germany 2-0 to reach Euro 2020 quarterfinals
2nd Quarter-Final (Brazil vs. Chili)
Venue: Rio de Janerio | Date: July 3 | Time (BST): 6 am
Verdict: Brazil 3-1 Chili
The defending Copa America champion Brazil are the clear favorite in this year's competition. In the quarterfinals, they'll face Chili, who haven't quite found their groove yet. So, Brazil will start the contest as the favorite.
Brazil’s probable starting XI
EdersonMoraes (GK), Thiago Silva, Danilo, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro, Everton, Casemiro, Richarlison, Fred, Gabriel Jesús and Neymar.
Chili’s probable starting XI
Claudio Bravo (GK), Mauricio Isla, Francisco Sierralta, Gary Medel, Eugenio Mena, Arturo Vidal, TomásAlarcón, Charles Aránguiz, Ben Brereton Díaz, César Pinares, Eduardo Vargas.
Read:Copa America 2021: Teams Qualified For Quarter Finals, Fixtures
3rd Quarter-Final (Uruguay vs. Colombia)
Venue: Brasilia | Date: July 4 | Time (BST): 4 am
Verdict:Uruguay 3-2 Colombia (Extra Time)
Uruguay have rediscovered their rhythm in their last two group stage matches, finishing second in Group A. They will face Colombia in the quarterfinal. Colombia finished the third spot in Group B and will go all-out against Uruguay. We can expect an exciting battle between these two teams.
Uruguay’s probable starting XI
Muoz (GK), Diego Godin, Caceres, Ronald Araujo, Damian Suarez, Lucas Torreira, Stuani, Nandez, Bentancur, Cavani, Suarez
Colombia’s probable starting XI
Ospina (GK), Tesillo, Mina, Medina, D Sanchez, Cuadrado, James, Uribe, Falcao, James Rodriguez, Martinez
Read:Messi breaks Argentina’s record for caps at Copa America win
4th Quarter-Final (Argentina vs. Ecuador)
Venue: Goiania | Date: July 4 | Time (BST): 7 am
Verdict: Argentina 2-0 Ecuador
Argentina played well in their final group stage match against Bolivia, winning by a large margin. So, we can expect a much more confident Argentine team to face Ecuador in the quarterfinal. Ecuador drew their final group stage encounter against Brazil, though Argentina will be the favorite to win this contest.
Argentina’s probable starting XI
Martinez (GK), Tagilafico, Romero, Molina, Pezzella, Rodríguez, Di María, Paredes, Lionel Messi, Gómez, Lautaro Martinez
Ecuador’s probable starting XI
Galindez (GK), Estupinan, E. Preciado, Hincapie, Arboleda, Palacios, Caicedo, Franco, Méndez, A. Preciado, Mena
Read:Swiss beat France on penalties at Euro 2020
Verdict
After assessing the strengths of the teams, it is apparent that Brazil and Argentina are the two clear favorites to advance to the next knockout phase of the Copa America 2021. Meanwhile, Uruguay and Paraguay will have a little advantage over their opponents in the quarter-finals. Overall, we expect the top teams to advance to the semi-finals.
Copa America 2021: Teams Qualified For Quarter Finals, Fixtures
The group stage of the ongoing South American Championship finished on June 29th.We saw some exciting matches in the first round, but had to wait until the final group stage fixtures to learn who would qualify for the next round. Eight teams qualified for the quarter-finals and all the expected national teams have progressed to the next round.Argentina finished top in Group A, while Brazil took the first spot in Group B.The competition's first knockout round will begin on July 2. This article has discussed the teams that qualified for the Copa America 2021 quarterfinals and fixtures.
Teams Qualified for the Quarter Finals Phase
The top four teams from each group qualified for the quarterfinals in the 47th edition of the Copa America tournament. Let's see who have advanced to the next round from each group.
Group A
One of the favorites of the tournament, Argentina topped the group A with the most points 10 points, followed by Uruguay (7), Paraguay (6), Chili (5) and Bolivia (0).
Read UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16 Qualified Teams, Fixtures
Table topper, Argentina won three matches and drew one in the group stage. Argentina held a 1-1 draw in their opening match against Chili. After that, they won by a lone goal against Uruguay and Paraguay respectively before winning 4-1 against Bolivia in their last encounter. So, Argentina had a terrific time in the group stage and will seek to continue their winning streak in the knockout phase.
On the other hand, Uruguay recovered from a slow start to win their remaining two group stage matches and finish second in the points table. Meanwhile, Chili had struggled in their last two matches.
Read:Swiss beat France on penalties at Euro 2020
Group B
The hot favorite, Brazil won three matches and drew one in group B, finishing top in the rankings with ten points. Peru (7), Colombia (4), Ecuador (3), and Venezuela (2) placed second, third, fourth, and fifth respectively at the end of the group stage.
Brazil started off well, winning three of their first four matches, but they held a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in the last group stage encounter. Ecuador have qualified for the quarterfinals after drawing their match against Brazil.
On the other hand, Peru moved up to second position after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in their last group stage game. Colombia had to settle for third place with only one win. They lost two games during the group stage. Colombia must regroup before the crucial quarterfinals.
Read:Belgium edges Portugal, reaches quarterfinals at Euro 2020
Copa America 2021 Quarter Finals Fixtures
Date
Match
Venue & Time (BST)
July 3 (Saturday)
Peru vs Paraguay
Goiânia (3 AM)
July 3 (Saturday)
Brazil vs Chili
Rio de Janeiro (6 AM)
July 4 (Sunday)
Uruguay vs Colombia
Brasília (4 AM)
July 4 (Sunday)
Argentina vs Ecuador
Goiânia(7 AM)
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Copa_Am%C3%A9rica
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Bottom Line
The strongest national teams of South America have qualified for the Copa America 2021 quarter-finals. As a result, we can expect the title to be won by the deserving national team in the end. In the next round, reigning champion Brazil will play a strong Chili side. Chili won the championship in 2015 and 2016, thus it will be a tough battle for Brazil. However, there will be no easy matches in the quarter-finals. The teams must put up their best effort to advance to the semi-finals.
Read:Messi breaks Argentina’s record for caps at Copa America win
Messi Reaches Another Milestone as Argentina Win Tough Match at Copa America 2021
Argentina have qualified for the Copa America 2021 quarterfinals after a 1-0 win over Paraguay on Tuesday early morning. With this match, Lionel Messi has equaled former teammate Javier Mascherano for the most 147 appearances for Argentina. Albiceleste had a difficult time winning their third match in the group stage. However, they emerged victorious in the end because of their defense's tenacity. Argentina were able to keep their unbeaten run intact as they have not lost a single match since the semifinal encounter against Brazil in 2019. Lionel Messi's milestone and the results of Group 'A' are discussed in this article.
Match Report: Argentina vs Paraguay
Prior to this match, Lionel Messi had appeared in 146 international matches for Argentina. Now, Messi has made the most appearances for Argentina (147). Previously, defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano played an equal number of matches for the Albiceleste, who last appeared for the national side in the 2018 world cup final against Germany.
Messi has 73 goals in 147 appearances for Argentina, which is the 12th highest in the history of world football. Iran's Ali Daei (109) and Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (107) have scored the most goals in international competition. Furthermore, Malaysia's Soh Chin Ann is the only footballer to have appeared in over 200 international games (224).
Read Copa America 2021: Brazil Win, Argentina Draw With Chile, Messi’s Stunning Goal
Despite the fact that Messi did not score in the match against Paraguay, he was instrumental in setting up the game's lone goal.
At the beginning of the contest, Messi made a fantastic move down the attacking half before passing the ball to Angel Di Maria. Di Maria then delicately stretched the ball to Alejandro Gomez from just outside the D-box. Gomez received the ball and flicked it to the right post corner, scoring the game's only goal in the 10th minute.
Argentina embraced a more defensive approach after taking a 1-0 lead early in the game. On the other hand, Paraguay became desperate to score.
They continued to attack the Argentine defense, especially in the second half. However, a solid Argentine defensive technique prevented them from scoring. The Paraguayans would have qualified for the quarter-finals if they could win the match.
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Paraguay failed to score despite having the ball possession considerably more than Argentina as they had 57 percent of the ball possession, while Argentina had 43 percent in the match.
Meanwhile, typical South American passing football was absent in Argentina's game plan, as it had been in the previous two encounters. Argentina have adopted a more European style of play. But two experienced footballers, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria showed a few dazzling displays in the match.
Lionel Scaloni has been working hard to improve the defensive line since taking over as coach of Argentina's national team. Argentina haven't lost in any of their last 16 matches under his management.
Though Argentina seem incapable to attack effectively due to their weakness in the midfield position. They try to attack with two wings, but it hasn't worked out well so far. Argentina will be in big trouble against a strong team like Brazil if they can't address this problem in the knockout round.
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In group 'A', the match between Chile and Uruguay ended in a draw. Uruguay have yet to completely emerge as one of the title contenders for the Copa America 2021. That's why Uruguay will be looking to recapture their best form in their last two group stage matches against Paraguay and Bolivia.
Bottom Line
Argentina are currently leading the Group 'A' with two wins and one draw in three games. On the other hand, Chili are in the second position with 5 points. While Paraguay are in third place with three points and Uruguay are in fourth place with one point. Bolivia have yet to win a match, but they may move up to fourth place if they beat Uruguay in their next encounter. So, the final few group stage matches of Copa America 2021 could be intriguing.
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Who is more likely to win the Copa America 2021 between Argentina and Brazil?
The Copa America 2020 was postponed for a year due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. Finally, the South American Championship will go off on June 13 this year, with the final match taking place on July 10. Brazil won the Copa America 2019 and they will be a strong competitor to retain the title. The host Argentina will be one of the favourites to win this year's tournament. Apart from them, a few other nations have a chance to win the championship. In this article, we discussed who is more likely to win the Copa America 2021 between Argentina and Brazil?
Chances of Argentina to win the Copa America 2021
Argentina was unable to win the Copa America since 1993 despite reaching the final multiple times. Argentina always take part in the South American Championship as one of the hot favourites. This will undoubtedly be Lionel Messi's final Copa America competition. Argentina should win this year's tournament in honor of Messi. In addition, Argentina will get an additional benefit from the fact that they are hosting the tournament. Argentina will be really motivated to win the Copa America this time.
Read: UEFA EURO 2020: The favourites, underdogs and outsiders
As usual, Argentina's defense is a bit shaky but they have some excellent midfielders and forwards. Superstars such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, and Lautaro Martinez are among them. The hosts will be able to easily reach the semi-finals if they perform at their best. The main concern is that the Argentines are unable to handle the pressure of the final. In the past six editions, they've made it to the final four times and lost all of them. They will have to play sensibly in the final in order to win the title. Albiceleste will win the Copa America 2021 if they can properly implement their strategy.
Five important players of Argentina
Lionel Messi (Striker), Sergio Aguero (Striker), Angel Di Maria (Midfielder), Lautaro Martínez (Striker), Lisandro Martínez (Defender)
Probable Squad
Marcos Acuña, Sergio Agüero, Lucas Alario, Ángel Correa, Joaquín Correa, Rodrigo de Paul, Ángel di María, Nicolás Domínguez, Juan Foyth, Alejandro Gómez, Nicolás González, Giovanni lo Celso, Agustín Marchesín, Emiliano Martínez, Lautaro Martínez, Lisandro Martínez, Lionel Messi, Nahuel Molina, Juan Musso, Guido Rodríguez, Lucas Ocampos, Nicolás Otamendi, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes, Germán Pezzella, Nicolás Tagliafico
Read Copa America 2021: Things you need to know
Chances of Brazil to win the Copa America 2021
The defending champion Brazil are one of the leading contenders for the championship. The Brazilian side has a number of outstanding players that may wreak havoc on the opposing side. Led by Neymar; the Brazilian side is quite strong in every department. Brazil will easily win the South American Championship if they can play at their best from the beginning to the end of the competition.
The Brazilian team usually attacks the opponent's area while maintaining control of the ball. The opponent team normally finds it hard to take the control of the game against Brazil. The Brazilian attack revolves around Neymar. Roberto Firmino, Thiago Silva, Casemiro, Danilo, Anderson, and Allison are also notable star footballers who will take part in the competition for Seleção. Brazil should win the tournament for the second time in a row with such a strong team.
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Five important players of Brazil
Neymar (Striker), Thiago Silva (Defender), Marquinhos (Defender), Roberto Firmino (Striker), Alisson (Goalkeeper)
Probable Squad
Alisson, Ederson, Weverton, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Diego Carlos, Danilo, Felipe, Guilherme Arana, Alex Telles, Renan Lodi, Éverton Ribeiro, Everton Soares, Lucas Paquetá, Douglas Luiz, Bruno Guimarães, Allan, Arthur, Casemiro, Neymar, Richarlison, Vinícius Júnior, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, Thiago Galhardo.
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Who else have a chance to win the trophy?
Luis Suarez's Uruguay, James Rodriguez's Colombo, and Alexis Sanchez's Chile are among the teams with a strong possibility of winning the Copa America 2021. The current Uruguayan team is a bit aged therefore winning the title will be difficult for them. However, they can become a dangerous side in the competition if they can get momentum from the beginning. On the other hand, Colombia have a good squad and they can beat any team on their day. Beating Argentina twice, Chile won the 2015 and 2016 Copa America respectively, so their potential cannot be ruled out.
Verdict
After analyzing the qualities of the teams, it is evident that Brazil and Argentina are the two clear favorites to win the Copa America 2021. In addition, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile all have a fair chance of winning Copa America 2021. Consistency is important in order to win a big competition like this. Overall, we anticipate the tournament will be won by the best team.
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Best Argentina Football XI of All Time
Argentina is one of the most popular football teams in the world. They've won two World Cups and a number of Copa America titles. We've seen many world-famous footballers represent this country. Football legend Diego Maradona and current sensation Lionel Messi are the two most well-known names in Argentine football. Aside from these two, Argentina has produced a plethora of talented footballers over the years. Some of them are familiar to us, and some are unfamiliar to us. Argentina's best-ever 11 has been created in today's article with these best footballers. Here's a look at the best Argentina football XI of all time.
Argentina’s greatest XI of all time
We selected a 4-3-2-1 formation for picking Argentina's best XI.
Goalkeeper
Ubaldo Fillol (1974-82) | M: 58 | Goal: 0
Ubaldo Fillol is widely regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of all time, as well as the best Argentine goalkeeper. He represented Argentina in the FIFA World Cups of 1974, 1978, and 1982. Fillol was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament after helping Argentina to their first World Cup in 1978. He also participated in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers for Albiceleste.
Right Back
Javier Zanetti (1998-2002) | M: 143 | Goal: 4
Javier Zanetti began his professional career in Argentina before moving to Italy to play with Inter Milan from 1995 to 2014. He is seventh on the all-time list of players with the most official games played. He made 143 appearances for Argentina. Zanetti was a versatile player who could play on the left and right wings.
Left Back
Silvio Marzolini (1962-66) | M: 28 | Goal: 1
Silvio Marzolini rose to prominence in the 1960s. He is widely regarded as Argentina's greatest ever left-back. Marzolini played 28 games for Argentina and was a member of the national team in the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups. He was named the best left-back In the 1966 edition of the tournament.
Center Back
Daniel Passarella (1978-82) | | M: 70 | Goal: 22
Argentina's 1978 World Cup-winning team was captained by Daniel Passarella. He is widely regarded as the all-time best South American defender. Passarella was once the top-scoring defender in football.
Center Back
Oscar Ruggeri (1983-1994) | M: 97 | Goal: 7
Oscar Ruggeri was a part of the Argentina national team that won the 1986 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América championships. Ruggeri was recognized for his rugged style of play when marking players and he is also considered as one of Argentina's all-time best defenders.
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Defensive Midfield
Javier Mascherano (2003-2018) | M: 147 | Goal: 3
Javier Mascherano has 147 caps for Argentina. He represented his country in five Copa América tournaments and four FIFA World Cups. He won two gold medal at the Summer Olympics (2004 and 2008). Mascherano also served as the captain of Argentina.
Center Midfield
Juan RománRiquelme (1997-2008) | M: 51 | Goal: 17
In 1997, Juan RománRiquelme made his senior team debut. In 2006, he made his only World Cup debut. Many believe him to be one of Argentina's finest players of all time, as well as one of the best midfielders in the history of the game.
Center Midfield
Osvaldo Ardiles (1975-1982) | M: 51 | Goal: 8
Osvaldo Ardiles helped Argentina national team to win the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He was a gifted and tenacious midfielder. Ardiles made an invaluable contribution to the Tottenham Hotspur team during his time in England.
Right Wing Forward
Diego Maradona (1982-94) | M: 91 | Goal: 34
Diego Maradona is generally acknowledged as one of football's all-time greats. He represented Argentina in 91 games and scored 34 goals. Maradona participated in four FIFA World Cups. He captained Argentina in the 1986 edition in Mexico and almost single-handedly guided them to win the second world cup trophy.
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Left-Wing Forward
Lionel Messi (2006- Present) | M: 142 | Goal: 71
Messi has a total of six Ballon d'Or awards to his name and is generally regarded as one of the best players of all time. Argentina's all-time leading goal scorer is Lionel Messi. In 2005, he won the FIFA World Youth Championship, and in 2008, he won an Olympic gold medal. Under his captaincy, Argentina reached the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, for which he received the Golden Ball.
Center forward
Gabriel Batistuta (1994-2002) | M: 77 | Goal: 54
Gabriel Batistuta is recognized as one of the all-time great strikers. Batistuta scored 54 goals in 77 official matches for Argentina. He participated in three FIFA World Cups, scored 10 goals. With the Argentina national team, he won two consecutive Copa América titles (1991 and 1993), and the 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Bottom Line
Overall, the aforementioned team is the best Argentina football XI of all time. However, Argentina has produced a slew of other world-class footballers in addition to the players who made our list of the best XI. Notable among them are Mario Kempes, Juan SebastiánVerón, Sergio Aguero, Diego Simeone, Fernando Redondo, and Roberto Ayala.
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