Copa America round up

After the second set of group matches were played, favourites Argentina and Brazil find themselves in awful shape, with both third in their group after back-to-back draws.

In Group A a Costa Rican under 23 side overcame Bolivia who finished the game with nine men. The result saw Costa Rica move above Argentina in the group, ensuring a draw for them against the mighty Argentina would ensure qualification.

Argentina were fortunate to escape with a draw against Colombia, with the Colombians threatening to score the vital break through goal on numerous occasions in a dominated first half performance. In fact Colombia should have easily won the game, with Dayro Moreno missing an open goal, much to the players disbelief. Sergio Batista is expected to make wholesale changes for their final Group A game with Costa Rica on Monday.

In group B, Venezula overcame a poor Ecuador to take a suprise lead at the top of Group B. The win means Venezula can probably afford to lose their last game and still qualify, with two of the three third placed sides qualifying. In the same group Brazil needed a last minute leveller from Fred to rescue a point with Paraguay. Shakthar Donestk's Jadson opened the scoring late in the first half, only for Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez to turn the game on its head. And with Paraguay looking like stealing a march on their South American rivals in the group with victory, Fred came off the bench to level the scores and seal a vital point for Brazil.


Chile and Peru are level on four points at the top of group C, with the later securing a late victory against a young Mexico side. Pablo Guerrero's 81st minute winner saw Peru add to their opening point with Uruguay and leave themselves in good stead after two games. In arguably the game of the tournament so far Uruguay drew 1-1 with Chile as Alexis Sanchez rounded of a lovely team move to rescue a point. Alvaro Perriera had given the World Cup semi-finalists a deserved lead after poor defending from the Chilians. Diego Forlan and Co will probably have to beat Mexico to ensure a place in the quarter-finals after two draws from two.

My round 3 predicitions
Argentina 3 Costa Rica 1
Colombia 2 Bolivia 0
Brazil 1 Ecuador 0
Paraguay 1 Venezula 0
Chile 2 Peru 1
Uruguay 2 Mexico 0

My round 2 predicitions- Argentina 2 Colombia 1 (0-0), Bolivia 1 Costa Rica 0 (0-2) Brazil 1 Paraguay 1 (2-2) Ecuador 2 Venezula 0 (0-1) Chile 1 Uruguay 1 (1-1) Peru 1-0 Mexico (1-0)

Why are Argentina suffering so badly?

If their first performance was bad, then Argentina's second was woeful. Colombia only have themselves to blame for failing to take all three points, with numerous guilt edged chances missed. Sergio Batista refused to change his line-up from their opener with Bolivia and their lack of width again was on show with star player Lionel Messi prefering to find space in the middle of the pitch. Their narrow formation with defensive midfielders would be fine if on either flank their full-backs were attacking, and with Javier Zanetti and Pablo Zabaleta prodominately defensive minded, it ensured Colombia could defend narrowly and send Argentina out wide.

At Barcelona, Messi can afford to roam into the centre of the park often because he knows on the other flank there is anout and out winger in Pedro, who ensures that the oppositions defence is stretched. However Eszquiel Lavezzi, who again was poor, isn't a winger and despite a very good season at Napoli is struggling to adapt to international football. If Batista is going to stick with this formation then he needs to ensure that he plays an out and out winger, and with Angel Di Maria on the bench, he has someone who can more then do a job.

At the World Cup many questioned Argentina's centre half duo of Martin Demichelis and Walter Samuel, however the performances of Nicolas Burdisso and Gabriel Milito made the duo looked Franceso Baresi esq, with Burdisso and Milito on three sepearate occasions gifting the Colombians one on one oppourtunities with Romero in the Argentine goal due to their severe lack of concentration at the back.

Batista is likely to come huge scrutiny for his team selections and substitutions. With Ever Banega, Estaban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano all playing, the centre of Argentina's midfield lacks a real creative player with much sort after Javier Pastore not selected. If the team selection was hard to believe, the fact that Batista opted to leave Pastore on the bench for the entire game, deciding to replace Banega with a like for like replacement in Fernando Gago was completing dumbfounding.

Batista's team selection have baffled fans

At the World Cup under Diego Maradona Argentina were poor defensively, however they created chances at will, which at the Copa America they aren't doing. Many people questioned Maradona's managerial ability, however the team selection then seems much more logical then Batista's. Despite Juan Veron's ageing legs he still was able to find a pass, and with the attacking quartet of Messi, Di Maria, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain in front of him and Mascherano, the team had a better balance to them.

After Costa Rica's victory against Bolivia, Argentina's progression is in the balance, and if they are going to have a change of fortunes then Batista must change his team.

My team for the Costa Rica game
(4-2-3-1)
Romero, Zabaleta, Burdisso, Garay, Zanetti, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Di Maria, Pastore, Messi, Tevez/Higuain.

Messi doesn't appear as happy as he does playing for Barcelona

Argentina and Brazil make uninspiring start to the Copa America

With all 12 Copa America teams up and running its fair to say the start to the tournament is very tepid. Disappointing opening draws for Argentina, Brazil and suprise World Cup semi-finalisits Uruguay meant the tournament has failed to ingite so far, with four draws in the opening six games.

The hosts Argentina kicked off the 2011 tournament, and despite Sergio Batista's claim to play the Barcelona way, they failed to overcome Bolivia. With three defensive minded centre midfielders in Ever Banega, Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano, Argentina failed to break Bolivia down, with only two first half chances of note falling to Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi. The aformentioned duo infact had a poor game of the blue and white of Argentina, with both now favourites to be left out of their second match with group leaders Colombia. And despite sub Sergio Aguero's second half leveller the hosts kicked off in poor fashion.

Argentina's group A rivals Colombia overcame 10 men Costa Rica 1-0. An early red card for Costa Rica's Randall Brenes saw Colombian manager Francisco Maturana bring on another centre forward in Huge Rodallega and their extra attacking impetious paid divedend when Adrian Ramos broke from midfield to score the games winner.

If Argentina were bad in their opener then Brazil were poor as they stumbled to a goalless draw with group minnows Venezuela. When you think of Brazil you think of their samba attacking football, but currently their teams greatest strength is their defensive quality, and with the likes of Maicon and David Luiz on the bench, their strength in depth is very evident. However going forward they've only scored three goals in their previous six matches, and never looked like breaking down a young and resolute Venezuela side. Lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that can alter to a 4-3-3, their forwards mirror those of Barcelona in height, however differ in quality. The three forwards Robinho and Pato played their best football for AC Milan last year when Zlatan Imbrahimovic was in the side, and without the threat of a real target man in their side it was all too easy for Venezula to keep Brazil at bay. The other group B game saw Paraguay draw 0-0 with Ecuador meaning all four teams have one point.

Bayern Leverkusen's Arturo Vidal scored the winner as Chile came from behind to beat a far from full strength Mexico team, who on the back of their recent Gold Cup success decided to take a second string squad to Argentina. The other two sides in Group C in Uruguay and Peru drew 1-1 as Liverpool's Luis Suarez rescued a point from the World Cup semi-finalists.

Round two predictions
Argentina 2 Colombia 1
Bolivia 1 Costa Rica 0
Brazil 1 Paraguay 1
Ecuador 2 Venezula 0
Uruguay 1 Chile 1
Peru 1 Mexico 0