Technoglitch
Core Member
The winner will be …
… Argentina. They have a ridiculously good squad, particularly in forward areas, and, wracked by the fact they’ve won no senior international tournament since 1993, they’re one of the few major nations to be treating the competition with full seriousness. Gonzalo Higuain, whose missed chances cost Argentina at the World Cup and 2015 Copa America, is in the form of his life. Jonathan Wilson
… Argentina. Now that we know they’re going to be there in the first place, this team should be strong enough to hold off even the well-organized Chile team, or the ongoing Dunga revamp of Brazil. Graham Parker
… Argentina. Clearly the strongest squad, especially as a Neymar-less Brazil are more interested in winning the Olympics on home soil. Runners-up in three of the past four Copas, and last champions in 1993, Argentina are due. Tom Dart
… Argentina. The Albiceleste find themselves on promising form heading into the tournament. Even with Messi battling back pain, Argentina still boast the deepest attack and a vastly improved defense. A forgiving group draw doesn’t hurt either.Dave Martinez
… Mexico. No Suarez for the group stages for Uruguay means El Tri will run away with Group C – and that means they wouldn’t have to face an inconsistent Brazil until the semi-finals. Osorio’s squad is deep and extremely talented, led by Javier Hernandez and one of the most exciting midfield units (Guardado, Herrera, Corona, Lozano) in the tournament. And let’s not forget thanks to the Mexican-American community in the US, every game will feel as if they’re playing at the Estadio Azteca. Luis Miguel Echegaray
USA will get to …
… the quarter-finals. With home advantage they should be good enough to get out of a relatively straightforward group, but Brazil or Ecuador await in the last eight. Brazil are out of sorts and Ecuador, while in rich form, are beatable, so a semi-final isn’t impossible. JW
… the quarter finals. A semi-final place may be the target, but starting the tournament with a “final” against Colombia, as Jürgen Klinsmann has put it, may not give them the result to advance better than second out of the group – particularly with Klinsmann’s insistence on experimenting right up to the very last warm-up game. That will tee them up for a difficult quarter-final and probable heartache. GP
… watch as better teams compete for the trophy. Home field advantage wasn’t any use in last year’s Gold Cup and overall the squad’s generating less buzz than a beehive in a pesticide factory. The pressure on the coach may spur the team on, but it’s borderline whether they even get out of a hard group. TD
… the semi-finals. But it won’t be easy. Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica will all present difficult challenges, but with Keylor Navas in doubt for Costa Rica, the US’s chance for advancement only grows. Led by a crop of youngsters and buoyed by home field, the US will be poised to make an impression. DM
… the group stage – and that’s about it. I hope I’m wrong: I’d love to see the hosts make a good run, but my gut tells me they won’t get out of Group A. It’s a tough group for USA, and I’m not even talking about Colombia. On their day, both Costa Rica and Paraguay can be a handful. Jozy Altidore is hardly Robert Lewandowski but Jürgen will miss him more than he thinks. LME
Copa América predictions: Argentina to win, hosts USA may struggle | Football | The Guardian
