The great thing about football is that even as the domestic season comes to a close, there is always something else on the horizon. Last year, of course, it was the World Cup, and next year we have Euro 2020 to look forward to. For 2019, the action is shifting to South America, where Brazil will be hosting Copa America.
Format
Twelve teams have been divided into three groups, and each team will play the other in its group once. As such, teams have to hit the ground running, and an early slip can be fatal. This is, perhaps, why Copa America is famous for delivering surprises, and picking a winner can be a little like choosing a number on a roulette wheel. However, while you can visit free-spins.org for UK free spins and come out none the poorer, whichever team you back at Copa America is going to require you to lay some money down.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter finals, along with the best two third-placed teams. Let’s take a look at the groups, the favourites and perhaps a few dark horses.
Group A
Brazil has won all five of the Copa America tournaments it has hosted, so it should come as no surprise that it is favourite, not only to finish at the top of Group A, but to win the event, with odds as short as 5/4. The other Group A teams are Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru. Of these, Peru should make it comfortably through to the knockout stages. In fact, at 25/1 they are a very tempting punt as a dark horse as this is a team famous for pulling off surprises.
Group B
Everybody knows that Argentina is a team that can beat anyone on its day. However, they can also crash and burn, so the first group match against Colombia is going to be a pivotal one. Barring a major upset, these two teams will make it through to the quarters, while 2011 finalists Paraguay will also be a team to watch closely and is likely to squeeze through. Qatar takes the final Group B berth.
Group C
Every tournament has a Group of Death, and for Copa America, it is Group C. Heading things up, we have the most successful team in Copa America history. Uruguay has won the event 15 times, placing the nation one ahead of Argentina and seven ahead of early favourites Brazil. Right next to them are the defending champions, Chile, who retained the trophy in the centenary event that was held in the USA in 2016. Ecuador and Japan, meanwhile, are teams that have a habit of punching above their weight, so there is a genuine potential for everything to end in tears for one of the top teams in this group.
Don’t miss it
Copa America gets underway on 14 June, when the hosts play Bolivia at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo. Froom thereon in, it will be non-stop action till the final in Rio de Janeiro on 07 July. Which team is your money on?
