With the second round of matches in the group stages done, the race for the knockout spots is starting to get interesting in Copa America 2024. And compared to everyone else, this particular qualification race is the most heated in Group D. This group has not one, but two South American heavyweights in the form of Colombia and Brazil.
Not only that but another twist is that the 2019 Copa America champions, Brazil, are not leading the group with two matches being played. But do not let that surprise you, even with all the talent they have, Brazil have been somewhat poor leading up to this tournament. And that was evident in their opener against Costa Rica which ended in a 0-0 draw. But today, Selecao showed up in their match against Paraguay scoring 4 and only conceding one. Omar Alderete’s rocket of a shot was the only time Paraguay could get the ball past Alisson Becker. Meanwhile, a brace from Vinicius, Savio’s tap-in and Paqueta’s penalty handed Brazil the easy win.
On the other hand, Colombia have been flying past their opposition. In their first match in the competition, they dominated most of the game against the eventual losers Paraguay to clinch a 2-1 victory. Today, Costa Rica who was high on confidence, suffered against a ruthless Colombian side who managed to put 3 past Claudio Bravo’s net. Not only that but Luis Diaz, their star-man managed to get on the scoresheet courtesy of a Penalty. The Liverpool man has now scored 5 times in his last 6 Copa America appearances. The second goal came off a Davinson Sanchez header from a corner kick. While the third goal was set up by James Rodriguez who was running the game from midfield with a sumptuous through ball to Cordoba.
Group D: First-place scenario
With only one match to go for the Group Stages to get over in Copa America, Group D is set to witness what will go down in history as a Copa America classic. With 6 points to their name, Colombia sit above everyone else in the group. Brazil, with a win and a draw, sits on 4 points. While Costa Rica sits 3rd with 1 point and Paraguay sits 4th with no points to their name. The Brazil-Colombia match on Wednesday is set to decide who goes through on what position. The first-place finish would matter a lot to either team as it would mean that they wouldn’t face Uruguay, a team who seem to be in red-hot form with no brakes on them, at least in the Round of 16.
Going into the Match, Colombia would be the side more confident based on their recent form. With their victory over Costa Rica, Colombia has now gone an astounding number of 25 matches while unbeaten. This magnificent run includes a 2-1 victory over Brazil back on November 17, 2023. Come Wednesday though, they’ll be facing an ambitious and young Brazilian side who would want to prove themselves under the brightest lights.
