The Copa America Semifinals kicked off with Argentina’s victory over Canada earlier today. Now with a place in the finals, La Albiceleste will be watching the 2nd Semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia which kicks off tomorrow at 5.30 am IST. Both South American nations have been at their best in this tournament and will be hoping to challenge the defending champions in the Final.
This matchup might be the most difficult to predict at this year’s Copa America because many a time two favourites are battling it out at this stage of the competition. But neither Uruguay nor Colombia were favourites to win this competition according to many(me excluded) before it began. But through sheer footballing ability, they have proved their doubters wrong and got into the Semifinals. Uruguay more so, than Colombia.
After topping their group without any problems, La Celeste found themselves locking horns against Brazil, one of the two pre-tournament favourites. The game had no scorers in the whole 90 minutes which then went to penalties. It was then that Uruguay showed the Selecao their mettle and kicked them out of the competition. Coming off a victory like that means that every Uruguay player will be high on confidence when they face Colombia in the Semis. And that’s one reason to bet on Uruguay in this matchup.
The Colombian side revolves around 2 of their star players. James Rodriguez seems to not know how age and time affect a footballer’s quality. The former Real Madrid star seems to be playing the way he was in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when he carried his team into the Quarterfinals of the tournament single-handedly. This time though, he has someone to share his load with Luis Diaz terrorizing defences on the left flank.
This deadly Colombian duo will surely cause problems for the Uruguayan backline and midfield, especially with Ronald Araujo, the Uruguayan general in defence out injured. But for a team that kept a Brazil lineup featuring the likes of Rodrygo, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta, Endrick, Martinelli, etc., quiet for 90 minutes, Rodriguez and Diaz shouldn’t be much of a problem providing that Uruguay maintains their defensive shape when the opposition is in attack mode. This compactness and solidarity in Uruguay’s midfield and defence is the second reason why Uruguay have an edge over their opposition.
Thirdly, Darwin Nunez’s form for Uruguay has been sensational, scoring 10 goals while assisting 3 in his last 11 appearances for his country. With a strong midfield, probably the strongest of his competition, including the likes of Valverde, Bentancur and Ugarte, Uruguay provide a lot of vertical threat on the counter. Something that might just prove to be too much for Colombia, come Thursday.
And so, with the way this Uruguay team is structured and from recent results, Marcelo Bielsa’s men shall book their place in the Copa America Finals alongside Argentina.
