Copa América 2024: Group A Preview
Argentina are the reigning world champions, reigning Copa America champions, ranked number 1 in the world, and if that wasn't enough, still employ the services of perhaps the greatest to ever play the game. Can they be stopped this summer?
Argentina
FIFA Rank: 1st
Last Copa América performance: Champions (2021)
The Skinny
It's hard to remember the last time a major tournament-- and make no mistake, this is a major tournament ---had such a runaway favorite. For starters, the North American teams in this competition are unproven on the international stage, and most of Argentina's South American peers, including 2021 Copa América runners-up and 2019 champions Brazil, have stumbled upon stretches of poor form of late. But also, while I don't know that this Argentina team have been dominant enough for a long enough period of time to start throwing around the term "dynasty," they have easily been the best team in the world for a few years now. Los Albicelestes won the last, South America-only edition of this tournament 3 summers ago, followed that up one summer later by trouncing the reigning European champions Italy in England, and six months after that, conquered the world at the 2022 World Cup. They have lost just two competitive matches in the last 4 years (one of them the first game of the world Cup they later ended up winning), have a roster littered with stars at some of the biggest clubs in the world, and oh yes, still feature a young man named Lionel Messi who may just be the best player of all time. This is a competition in which anything can happen, so this may sound harsh, but it's fair to say any result short of at least reaching the Final will likely be seen as a disappointment back in Argentina.
The Best XI
There's a genuine debate to be had over whether it still makes sense to start Lionel Messi at this late stage in his career, especially given Argentina's extensive attacking options. There's not a debate to be had over whether they will, though, and one need only to look at how Messi is routinely making a mockery of his MLS and still bashing in goals for Argentina in this calendar year to see that even "Messi at 60%" is better than most players on the globe, let alone in this tournament. Up top, while Lautaro Martínez has struggled to replicate his club form with the national team, he's been too consistently good at Inter Milan not to start again, and the inverse is true for Julian Álvarez; the youngster is coming off an oft-frustrating season with Manchester City but just 18 months ago won the Bronze Boot at the World Cup and made FIFA's team of the tournament. A pair of young Premier League stars comprise the Albiceleste creative midfield, with Enzo Fernández of Chelsea and Alexis MacAllister of Liverpool. Behind them, Atlético Madrid midfielder (and close personal friend to Messi) Rodrigo De Paul will likely set up shop in front of a back line that includes three more Premier League starters: the CB pairing of Manchester United's Lisandro Martínez and Tottenham's Cristian Romero, and Aston Villa's Emi Martínez in goal, who took home the Golden Glove in the 2022 World Cup.
Canada
FIFA Rank: 49th
Last Copa América performance: N/a (first appearance)
The Skinny
Much like their neighbors to the immediate south, Canada has happened upon somewhat of a 'golden generation,' emerging over the last several years. In the Canucks' case, though, it's brought a nation with next-to-no soccer history up to the status of "continental contender, player on the world stage." After a World Cup in which they entered with hopes to be a surprise spoiler and instead left as one of the worst-performing teams from the tournament, Canada will be eyeing this tournament as their opportunity to reach new heights. They had more of a wayward route here than some of their North American peers, needing to qualify via a playoff win over Trinidad and Tobago, but they're here now, and will be banking on their young talent to offset their groupmates' copious tournament experience.
The Best XI
Canada's 'ideal XI' starts with some obvious star players, and the rest fall into place nicely. The Canucks have a bona fide star in Bayern Munich LB Alphonso Davies, who could legitimately claim to be one of the best players in this entire tournament. He's so versatile that he could play further up on the wing if need be, but Canada shouldn't require that, as their attacking trio features a veteran striker in Cyle Larin (Mallorca), and two young talents making an impact in Europe, Jonathan David (Lille) and Tajon Buchanan (Inter Milan). Team captain and Porto player Stephen Eustáquio helms a talented midfield, while manager Jesse Marsch gets to choose between two of the MLS's better goalkeepers; my hunch is he will opt for Dayne St. Clair, int he midst of a great season with Minnesota United.
Chile
FIFA Rank: 42nd
Last Copa América performance: Quarterfinals (2021)
The Skinny
If you've only begun following football in the last several years-- or if you blanked out an entire decade from your memory --Chile would be the furthest thing from a footballing power in your mind. They haven't been part of the last two World Cups, quietly exited in the quarterfinals of the last Copa América, and no longer have many players playing in club leagues you watch. But in the not-so-distant past, this nation took center stage in world football. In the 2010s, La Roja reached the knockout stages of two consecutive World Cups (eliminating title holders Spain in 2014), boasted a teamsheet full of some of Europe's biggest stars, and won not one, but two Copa Américas back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Many, even most, have identified Chile's named squad full of aging stars past their prime as a problem, but the obvious counterargument is that this is a roster full of players who have won at the highest level. So the question is, will we see a "Last Dance"-inspired deep run in what is likely this generational core's last major tournament together, or will it become obvious that Chile is in need of a team refresh?
The Best XI
As referenced above, eyebrows were raised when longtime manager Ricardo Gareca essentially decided to get the band back together for this tournament run. Legendary midfielder Arturo Vidal didn't make the cut, but Alexis Sánchez (Inter Milan), quite possibly the greatest Chilean player of all time, did, as did Atlético Mineiro's Eduardo Vargas, who has scored 16 goals for Chile in 5 major tournament appearances. English dual-national Ben Brereton Díaz (Sheffield United) will join the attacking tandem, and the Vidal-less midfield will still have plenty of experience with Marcelino Núñez (Norwich City) and Erick Pulgar (Flamengo). A tandem of Ligue 1 mainstays feature in the defense, in Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse) and Guillermo Maripán (Monaco), and behind them, another modern-day Chilean legend Claudio Bravo (Real Betis) will man the goalmouth one more time.
Peru
FIFA Rank: 32nd
Last Copa América performance: 4th place (2021)
The Skinny
Although they never quite reached the heights their neighbors did, much of what was said about Chile above could be said about Peru as well. A terrific decade or so saw a 36-year absence ended when La Bicolor reached the 2018 World Cup, and they acquitted themselves nicely there, upsetting Australia and only narrowly losing competitive matches to Denmark and eventual champions France. They also have reached the semifinal stage of the last 4 South America-specific Copa Américas, and in the combined Copa in 2016, won their group and were only eliminated in a penalty shootout in the quarters. This is also an aging squad of stars in their late careers, and La Bicolor have had a rough stretch of form of late, having failed to win a competitive match since losing a World Cup qualification playoff in 2022. But they will be under the tutelage of a new manager for this tournament, and can still flaunt a group of players that have consistently overperformed at this tournament.
The Best XI
Captain and longtime star striker Paolo Guerrero is such a legend and I'm so happy to see him in the team that I almost want to start him, but I think it's better for Peru if the 40-year old doesn't start the match, especially when they have another sound, veteran option in Cagliari's Gianluca Lapadula. Their attack is veteran-heavy, in fact, with longtime playmakers Andre Carrillo, Andy Polo and Christian Cueva likely to feature. A trio of MLS stars feature in midfield (Wilder Cartagena), defense (Luis Abram), and goal (Pedro Gallese), and their veteran fullbacks Luis Advíncula (Boca Juniors) and Marcos López (Girona) provide a threat down the wings.
Group Prediction
The only placement that would be a surprise at the end of Group A is if Argentina doesn't top it, and I'd take it one step further to say it would be a pretty big surprise if the champions don't win all 3 of their matches. The race for 2nd-4th place should be very entertaining, though. It's new kids on the block Canada that probably have the second-most talent on their roster in this group, but Chile have so many players that have a history of performing well at this tournament, while Peru has reached the semifinals of the last 3 Copas and is the only one of the three that has won a World Cup match in the last decade. I could see it playing out just about any way, here, but I'm going to predict that talent trumps experience (especially when that experience is just very, very old) and Canada is able to snag a win over one of the South American sides to progress through with Argentina.
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