Copa America: Group “B” Will Mexico defend its position as the favorite in the group?

Ecuador and Venezuela appear ready for a fight, while Jamaica will attempt to upset someone’s plans.

On paper, the Mexican team is the favorite in this group. However, the most successful North American team needs to show its best form and barely qualified for the tournament’s group stage after losing but eventually winning on penalties against Honduras in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals. 

They secured a spot in the tournament as a seeded team in Group “B,” where they will face Ecuador, Venezuela, and Jamaica. 

What are the attitudes and expectations with which the teams enter the tournament: 

Mexico

The Mexicans will be ambitious to prove they have yet to make it to the tournament’s group stage accidentally and belong among the best teams from both continents. The 2024 Copa America is a decisive moment for the Mexican national team.

Mexico’s disappointing elimination in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup inevitably signalled a problem with its form, and in the months following that key failure, it continued to produce poor results.

They were humiliated by the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023. After losing in Honduras, they almost missed qualifying for the Copa America before making a dramatic comeback in the second leg and securing a place after penalties.

Since parting ways with coach Tata Martino after the World Cup failure, Mexico still needs to find a long-term solution for who should lead the team. Diego Cocca has failed to stay, and Jaime Lozano has been under pressure. 

Key attacking players like Hirving Lozano and Santiago Gimenez need help to regain their form with the national team, and the defense looks extremely vulnerable to counterattacks, to which they are often exposed.

However, a successful performance in the Copa America would restore confidence in the leadership ahead of their hosting of the 2026 World Cup. Still, another disappointment would put the Mexican Football Federation in dire straits with just two years to make changes before the big football forum. 

Ecuador

The South Americans appear prepared for the tournament and ready to give strong resistance to Mexico, considered favorites. The Ecuadorian team has visibly grown on the international football scene and ranks 32nd in the FIFA rankings.

Ecuador will be led by Spanish manager Felix Sanchez, who took over the team in March 2023.

Undoubtedly, the team’s key players are Moises Caicedo from Chelsea and Pervis Estupinan, who was a key figure at Brighton last season. Both will need to contribute their football qualities and the experience they have accumulated so far.

Caicedo will be the undisputed leader in midfield, while Estupinan will be responsible for bringing calmness and class to the team’s defensive actions. 

This combination gives hope and confidence to the team that they can reach their first title in Copa America, which has eluded them in previous tournament editions. 

Venezuela

The eternal outsiders from Venezuela enter the tournament, which is considered one of the weakest-performing teams and the only nation from CONMEBOL that has never qualified for a World Cup. 

However, this could change under their current Argentine coach, Fernando Batista. “La Vinotinto” have been undefeated since the first round of World Cup qualifiers, having lost to Colombia then. They followed this with impressive wins over Paraguay and Chile, securing a point away from home against Brazil. The increase in the number of teams qualifying for the 2026 World Cup to a full six gives fans reason to dream.

All this means that the Copa America comes at a very appropriate time for Venezuela, and they can bring surprises to the tournament. No one is dreaming of reaching the semifinals, as they did in 2011, but given the current state of the teams in the group, the Venezuelans are fully capable of reaching the tournament’s knockout stage.

A key figure in Venezuela’s squad is expected to be Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera, whose exceptional form needs to be transferred to the tournament. The team’s experience and class of veterans, such as captain Tomas Rincon and the team’s all-time leading goal scorer, Salomon Rondon, will also be crucial. 

Jamaica

One of the most unexpected participants in the tournament, Jamaica, qualified directly after shocking Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League. Now, the “Reggae Boyz” can show that they are the rising football star in North America.

Jamaica has one of its most talented teams in years, with numerous players in the English Premier League at the peak of their powers. 

Key figures in the team include Michail Antonio (West Ham/England), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union/USA), Bobby Decordova-Reid (Fulham/England), Demarai Gray (Al-Ettifaq/Saudi Arabia), and Ethan Pinnock (Brentford/England).

Certainly, this team is an outsider in its group. 

Still, we have every reason to expect surprises from them, and why not even a possible qualification for the knockout stage of the tournament?

Schedule:

Matchday 1

●       22/06/2024 – Mexico vs Jamaica – 20:00 (GMT-5h) – NRG Stadium – HOUSTON, TX

●       22/06/2024 – Ecuador  vs Venezuela – 15:00 (GMT-7h) –  Levi’s® Stadium – SANTA CLARA, CA

Matchday 2

●       26/06/2024 – Venezuela vs Mexico – 18:00 (GMT-7h) – SoFi Stadium – INGLEWOOD, CA

●       26/06/2024 – Ecuador  vs Jamaica – 9:00 p.m. EST – 15:00 (GMT-7h) – Allegiant Stadium – LAS VEGAS, NV

Matchday 3

●       29/06/2024 – Mexico vs Ecuador – 17:00 (GMT-7h) – State Farm Stadium – GLENDALE, AZ

●       29/06/2024 – Jamaica vs Venezuela – 8:00 p.m. EST – 19:00 (GMT-5h) – State Farm Stadium – GLENDALE, AZ

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