COPA America 2024 Quarter Finals Predictions and Round 1 Analysis
The first round of the most awaited Copa America 2024 is now over and we have witnessed some crazy results in the first week of the competition. There were plenty of surprises such as Brazil who were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica with only three of their 19 shots on target. Tournament favorites and defending champions Argentina had a dream start to the campaign with an emphatic 2-0 win over Canada in the opening game of the tournament.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways from Match Day 1 of Copa America 2024.
Group A: Title Holders Argentina secure top spot
Without a doubt, defending champions and 2022 World Cup winners Argentina are favorites to lead Group A and subsequently win Copa America 2024. Their stellar performances in recent times and a 2-0 win over Canada in their opening game of the tournament suggest they are well-equipped to take the top position in the group.
Chile who won the tournament as hosts in 2015 are second-favourites in Group A, maintaining themselves as one of the powerhouses in the tournament. They played out a goalless draw against Peru in their opening game of Copa America 2024.
Group B: Mexico and Venezuela battle for supremacy
In Group B, Venezuela started with a bang, bashing in-form Ecuador 2-1 in their opening game of the tournament. Venezuela has been in top form and are set to secure the top-two spot after a dream start to their Copa America campaign. Ecuador who are one of the most competitive South American sides is yet to open their account in the United States.
Mexico secured a nervy 1-0 victory over Jamaica despite losing their friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay leading to the tournament. El Tri is weak on defence but still managed a hard-fought win in their opening game.
Also Read: Copa America 2024 Golden Boot standings: List of top goalscorers after round 1
Group C: Uruguay aiming for their 16th title
15-time Copa America winners Uruguay are naturally the favorites to secure the top position in Group C due to their rich history in the competition. La Celeste secured a 3-1 win over Panama and are in excellent form on the international stage. They beat both Argentina and Brazil in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last year.
Hosts USA are desperate to prove themselves on the international stage and has made a solid start to the Copa America tournament. Gregg Berhalte’s side opened their summer campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bolivia on home soil. They will continue their impressive run against Panama on Thursday before closing out the final group stage against tournament favorites Uruguay on July 1st.
Group D: Colombia secure top spot, Brazil searching for win
Group favorites Brazil were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica due to their lack of quality in the final third despite having some of the best players in their roster. Before the tournament, the nine-time Copa America champions bagged only one win from their last 8 international friendlies. They currently find themselves in a tricky position and would want to secure a win against Paraguay in their next fixture.
Speaking of Colombia, the South American squad are being treated as dark horses after their 2-1 win over Paraguay in their opening match of the tournament. They are now favorites to top the Group D after securing their ninth successive win on Monday night.
Predictions for Quarter Finals
The round 1 matches of the 2024 Copa America tournament promised some thrilling football and are building towards a highly dramatic group-stage action. It is too early for predictions but we can safely say that Argentina are the defending champions of the world’s oldest national tournament and are huge favourites to win the 2024 edition.
From Group A, we expect Argentina and Chile to book their place in the quarter-finals despite Peru being level-on points with Chile. La Roja have made the knockout stages in the last six consecutive tournaments.
In Group B, we can expect Mexico and Venezuela to secure a spot in the last eight given their rich history in the competition. Then in Group C, 15-time winners Uruguay are expected to top the group with host nation USA looking to build on the success of the 2022 World Cup cycle by extending their run on home soil.
In Group D, Brazil were the favorites to top the group but they shared a point with Costa Rica in their opening game of the tournament. The Selecao need to find some form in the coming days to book their place in the quarter-finals. Colombia who are currently sitting on top of Group D are expected to make a deep run into this summer tournament.
Also Read: Copa America 2024 Most Assists after Round 1