Copa America 2024 – Group “C”
Can Hosts USA Achieve Something Big in Their Dress Rehearsal for World Cup 2026?
Uruguay is the main competitor for the USA in this group, with Panama and Bolivia playing the role of underdogs. While the draw initially seemed favorable for the USA, placing them in a group with Panama and Bolivia, it also included Uruguay, making it more complex. Bookmakers have set Uruguay as the favorites to win this group.
The United States and Uruguay are only separated by one spot in FIFA’s most recent men’s rankings. Still, La Celeste has a long history of success at major international tournaments and is expected to continue that trend.
Let’s take a closer look at each team in this group:
USA
The hosts have a significant opportunity to showcase their team’s potential ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Since they qualify directly for the World Cup without participating in qualifiers, Copa America is a major chance for valuable match experience against strong teams.
The tournament is also an excellent opportunity to prove that the team has reached a higher level and can compete with South American teams like Uruguay, Chile, and Colombia, as well as top-tier teams like Argentina and Brazil.
If Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic stay in form and avoid injuries, they can lead the team far in the tournament. McKennie is a regular on the field for Juventus in Serie A, despite rumours that he might be sold after the season.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been highly regarded since his teenage years.
While McKennie is reaching the prime of his career, the undisputed leader of the US national team is Christian Pulisic. The winger and captain scored 10 goals and made 7 assists in the 2023-24 season for AC Milan in Serie A, and the highest expectations were placed on him.
In defense, Antonee Robinson provides some stability with his class, but it should be noted that the depth of the USA’s defense has suffered due to Sergino Dest’s ACL injury.
The USA enters the tournament as the CONCACAF Nations League champions, defeating Mexico 2-0. Can they maintain this momentum in Copa America 2024?
The battle with Uruguay is no easy task, but the USA currently has one of the most talented teams in its history, and much will be expected from their performance in front of their enthusiastic home fans.
Uruguay
Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay are in perfect harmony with each other. The eccentric manager’s need to perfect the details of the game, impose discipline, and ensure strict adherence to tactical instructions is the ideal model for achieving maximum results within the limited timeframes offered by modern international football.
Star players like Ronald Araujo and Fede Valverde have welcomed and confirmed his quick impact on the team. Victories in World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Argentina have led to euphoric expectations that Uruguay has returned to the form their fans expect ahead of the Copa America.
Since winning the title in 2011, Uruguay has yet to progress past the quarterfinals in the tournament, watching the successes of Chile, Brazil, and Argentina from the sidelines. The factor capable of changing this is called Marcelo Bielsa.
The former Leeds United manager is ready to give Luis Suarez one last chance to shine on the fields in the USA while forming a team that executes every instruction with the necessary discipline. Darwin Nunez looks like the joker in the Argentine specialist’s hand, which will give Uruguay plenty of confidence heading into this Copa America.
Panama
Steady progress in recent years has shown that Panama is developing from mere participants into a team capable of surprises in CONCACAF competitions. After reaching the final of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they narrowly lost to Mexico, the Central American nation will now try to stand up to much stronger competitors in Copa America. In this tournament, the challenge is much greater and on a different level, but with the pragmatism of their coach, Thomas Christiansen, they certainly have a solid foundation to build on.
The influence of key stars playing in MLS also improves Panama’s chances of avoiding the role of sparring partners in just their second Copa America appearance. Key figures to help achieve this include Eric Davis (DC United / USA), Adalberto Carrasquilla (Houston Dynamo / USA), and Jose Fajardo (DC United / USA).
Bolivia
Bolivia is undoubtedly the ultimate underdog from CONMEBOL and perhaps from all the teams in the tournament. Antonio Carlos Zago’s appointment as head coach was another attempt to change La Verde’s play significantly. The Brazilian specialist is the team’s third manager in two years.
Bolivia started their World Cup qualifying campaign poorly, with Zago’s team winning only one of their first six qualifiers. This victory came in a home match, 2-0 against Peru, but the other five defeats left Bolivia second from the bottom in the table, above only Peru.
Bolivians generally rely heavily on their home matches due to the advantage of high altitude, but in this tournament, they will be far from La Paz!
In conclusion, Bolivia has secured only three victories in their last 19 international matches in all competitions, suffering 15 defeats in that period, which casts serious doubt on whether the team will even secure a single victory in this group.
Schedule:
Matchday 1
● 23/06/2024 – USA vs Bolivia – 17:00 (GMT-5h) – AT&T Stadium – ARLINGTON, TX
● 23/06/2024 – Uruguay vs Panamá – 21:00 (GMT-4h) – Hard Rock Stadium – MIAMI, FL
Matchday 2
● 27/06/2024 – Panama vs USA – 18:00 (GMT-4h) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – ATLANTA, GA
● 27/06/2024 – Uruguay vs Bolivia – 21:00 (GMT-4h) – MetLife Stadium – EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
Matchday 3
● 01/07/2024 – USA vs Uruguay – 20:00 (GMT-5h) – GEHA Field at Arrowhead – KANSAS CITY, MO
● 01/07/2024 – Bolivia vs Panama – 21:00 (GMT-4h) – Inter&Co Stadium – ORLANDO, FL
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