Two serious tests for Brazil and Argentina in the "Copa America" ​​quarter-finals

The defending champions Brazil and Argentina, the two favorites to win the Continental Cup, begin serious tests in the Copa America finals in football, when they play the quarter-finals against Chile and Ecuador, respectively, after completing the group stage perfectly.

The two ancient teams topped their groups with 10 points each from three victories and one draw, and a fiery confrontation awaits them in the quarter-finals.

Brazil, the defending champion and host of the current edition, at the last minute, after the hosts Colombia were excluded due to political problems in the country, and Argentina due to the spread of the “Covid-19” virus, will collide with Chile, the champion of the 2015 and 2016 editions and the fourth of the last edition. Chile enters the match, taking advantage of a week of rest, as it was exempted from the last fifth round of the group stage, because each group includes five teams, while Brazil played the last round when it fell into the trap of a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in the absence of its star Neymar, whose coach Tite preferred not to involve him for fear Whoever gets a warning deprives him of the quarter-finals.

Neymar, 29, is looking for his first title with the Brazilian national team in the Copa America, after he missed the last edition that won the title due to injury. Neymar, crowned with Brazil in the Confederations Cup in 2013 and gold in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, sets the record for the number of international goals held by "King" Pele with 77 goals, with only nine goals separated from him after he scored a double in the current version.

And Brazil hit hard in the current version, as it started with a big 3-0 victory over Venezuela in the opening match, followed by the last sweeper against Peru with a clean four, before turning the table on Colombia 2-1 in the third round, then a draw with Ecuador in the absence of its most prominent stars.

Brazil is seeking to exploit the shaky morale of the Chilean players, who narrowly booked their ticket to the quarter-finals after they finished the group stage in fourth place in the first group with one victory and were in the second round at the expense of Bolivia with a difficulty 1-0, compared to two draws and one loss.


"mentally prepared"

The situation is no different in the second confrontation between Argentina, the leader of the first group, and Ecuador, the second fourth, which passed the first round without achieving any victory (three draws and a loss).


Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who will face Ecuadorean coach Gustavo Alvaro, warned his players, "Argentina is mentally prepared to face everyone. We have great respect for Ecuador, which has proven to be a good team with fighting players."

Scaloni is counting on captain Lionel Messi, whose contract with Barcelona has expired, who showed his height in the current version by scoring three goals, including a double against Bolivia in the last round of the group stage, in his 148th international match in a national record that was erased by the number of his former teammate. Catalan Javier Mascherano.

There is no doubt that the "Flea" is Yemeni in continuing his journey with his country for at least three matches, thus leading him to the crowning of a major title that he has been chasing after him since his beginnings with Albiceleste in 2005, where he was distinguished by disappointing ends: losing the Copa America 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2014 World Cup And Peru, runners-up in the last edition, opens the quarter-finals against Paraguay. Peru regained its balance after losing a humiliating 4-0 in the second round against Brazil, which could meet with it in the semi-finals. Peru regained its balance with two wins and one draw, ending the group stage in second place.

On the other hand, Paraguay suffered two losses in the first round against a win and a draw, and it will be deprived of the services of its injured striker Miguel Almiron.

Uruguay, whose star and Manchester United star, Edinson Cavani, faced Brazil in the quarter-finals by scoring the winning goal against neighboring Paraguay (1-0) in the last round, is a difficult test against Colombia.

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