Peru and Chile eye a robust begin to their Copa America journeys on Friday after they face one another in Arlington, Texas throughout the opening weekend of the match.
Expectations will not be notably excessive for both facet however after closing out 2023 within the backside three in CONMEBOL’s 10-team World Cup qualifying marketing campaign, each groups are eyeing a redemption narrative of types. Their kind has trended upward after each made managerial adjustments, however a faceoff in opposition to one another will set the tone for his or her prospects within the Copa America and likewise as a measuring stick for his or her progress within the new 12 months.
This is what it’s essential to know earlier than tuning in.
The right way to watch and odds
- Date: Friday, June 21 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
- TV: Fox Sports activities 1 | Dwell stream: Fubo (attempt free of charge)
- Odds: Peru +330; Draw +210; Chile +100
Group A outlook
Contemplating reigning continental and world champions Argentina are on this group, the opposite groups — together with Canada — are most certainly competing for second place. The trio are inside 17 locations of one another within the FIFA rankings, suggesting that there is a probability for every of them to search out their manner out of the group in closely-contested matchups. It means the stakes are excessive on the times they aren’t dealing with Argentina with three worthwhile factors on the road, however purpose differential even within the video games they face Lionel Messi and firm might show essential in figuring out who makes it to the quarterfinals.
Storylines
Peru: The Copa America comes with fond current recollections for Peru, who have been runners-up in 2019 and have been semifinalists two years later however current outcomes imply the crew needed to dig themselves out of a gap in 2024. They’re at present backside of the World Cup qualifying desk with zero wins in six video games, forcing them to switch supervisor Juan Reynoso with Jorge Fossati. He has steadied the ship thus far — Peru are undefeated in all 4 video games they’ve performed this 12 months, outscoring the opposition seven to at least one as goalkeeper Pedro Gallese stays their standout star. Fossati’s Peru is untested in opposition to larger profile opponents, although, and so the Copa America will function a testing floor of types.
Chile: Chile are simply eight years faraway from changing into back-to-back Copa America champions, however the crew have taken a downward slide as their golden technology nears retirement, most notably lacking out on the final two World Cups. They now sit eighth in World Cup qualifying with only one win in six, forcing them to swap supervisor Eduardo Berizzo for Ricardo Gareca, who’s getting the very best out of the group thus far. They’ve 3-0 wins in opposition to Albania and Paraguay of their file in 2024, in addition to a 3-2 loss to France through which Marcelino Nunez and Darío Osorio scored. Their current kind teases that Chile may have the ability to do some harm on the Copa America, however it’s nonetheless early days in Gareca’s tenure.
Prediction
Chile’s upward trajectory below Gareca, even when he has simply three video games below his belt, appears convincing sufficient that they is perhaps the higher crew of their Copa America opener in opposition to Peru. Contemplating Chile have targets in them, count on them to tally a number of on Friday and open the match on a profitable word. Decide: Peru 0, Chile 2
