Can Brazil get revenge vs. Colombia in Copa América?

Colombia have already booked their place within the quarterfinals of the Copa América, and barring a mathematical catastrophe, Brazil may also be within the final eight. However that doesn’t imply that Tuesday’s assembly of those two sides will probably be a glorified pleasant. There may be a lot at stake.

First there may be the need for a neater recreation within the subsequent spherical. The winner of the group will nearly actually keep away from Uruguay within the quarterfinals. Colombia will prime Group D with a draw, whereas Brazil must win.

Then, there may be the rivalry that may generally creep into clashes between Brazil and Colombia. Ten years have handed since that World Cup quarterfinal in Fortaleza. All of it resulted in tears, with Neymar, the sufferer of a merciless foul, compelled out of the competitors. Nevertheless it was Brazil who started the battle, with crude makes an attempt to intimidate James Rodríguez, then the exploding wunderkind, now the smart outdated owl of the Colombia facet. The match left a nasty style in everybody’s mouths, and bitterness broke out in a number of the subsequent conferences.

In all probability most significantly, there may be the battle for status and for supremacy. Brazil coach Dorival Junior paid tribute to the fast rise of the present Colombia facet, and put them, along with Argentina and Uruguay, within the continent’s prime three.

“Maybe that is the primary Copa América the place we have not gone in as favorites,” he stated. “That is the truth. We’ve got to resist the current outcomes.”

However as he’s effectively conscious, the pecking order goes again to regular if Brazil emerge with the trophy on July 14.

Status, he stated, “will probably be recuperated with the work we’re doing.”

On Tuesday in Santa Clara, he’ll wish to make clear that Brazil’s wobble has come to an finish. His process, then, is to beat a facet who haven’t misplaced since happening to Argentina on Feb. 1, 2022. Colombia ended their failed bid to get to Qatar with two unbeaten matches, performed one underneath a caretaker coach — and the next 22 (17 wins and 5 attracts) underneath Nestor Lorenzo.

The lengthy unbeaten run is not any coincidence. Colombia present the hallmarks of a well-coached facet. As a collective unit, they know when and the place on the sector to press the opposition — both dropping deep with the defensive and midfield traces shut collectively, or searching as a pack larger up the sector.

In possession, they’ll work the quick passing type so acquainted to conventional followers of Colombian soccer. However they’ll additionally go lengthy and direct. The primary goal is Liverpool’s Luis Díaz on the left. And the introduction of Jhon Cordoba for Friday’s 3-0 win over Costa Rica gave them one other athletic goal to make use of on the opposite facet of the sector, stretching the opposing defence and creating house for the passes of Rodríguez.

A decade on from his World Cup breakthrough, Colombia’s No. 10 may have a degree to show on Tuesday. Rodríguez has been based mostly in Brazil for nearly a 12 months, however a succession of coaches at Sao Paulo have discovered little use for him. A forgotten man, he has performed 10 minutes of membership soccer previously 10 weeks.

With the nationwide group, although, he’s important to the trigger. Lorenzo has constructed a construction that in an in any other case highly-structured facet permits Rodríguez to roam, to seek out pockets of house that he can use as a base for his vary of passing. The precision of his set items can also be essential. Colombia can battle for targets — they missed out on Qatar after an astonishing run of seven video games with out scoring. They lack a prime class center-forward. However they’re a bodily imposing group who carry an aerial menace. Rodríguez is a provide line from free kicks and corners, in addition to in open play.

Díaz was the hero when the perimeters final met. Again in November, just some days after his father had been launched by kidnappers, Díaz celebrated in Barranquilla, the town the place his profession started, scoring each targets in Colombia’s 2-1 win, their first ever over Brazil in World Cup qualification.

Then skilled by Fernando Diniz, Brazil had been a rabble, and Colombia pummelled them for a lot of the evening. However Brazil took an early lead, and there have been occasions throughout the remainder of the match when, towards the run of play, they’d additional probabilities.

The pace and expertise of the Brazil wingers induced loads of issues — and can certainly achieve this once more on Tuesday. Colombia right-back Daniel Muñoz is fast. However he’s not the best pure defender, and he’ll need assistance to rein in a rampant Vinícius Júnior. Colombia left-back Johan Mojica, in the meantime, has had issues previously with Brazil’s Raphinha. Mojica is comparatively tall for the place, and might be caught off steadiness.

There could possibly be a case for the recall of Deiver Machado at left-back, a extra lithe determine who missed a lot of final season by harm. However whoever performs will probably be in for a testing evening towards Raphinha or Sávio.

Everybody on the sector in Santa Clara is in for a testing evening. Up to now within the Copa, Brazil and Colombia have every confronted Paraguay and Costa Rica. They’ll discover one another a big soar in high quality. There will probably be loads of wholesome competitors within the stands, between Colombia’s devoted touring followers and Brazil’s mass of supporters. And the group section of the Copa ought to come to a memorable climax on the California grass.