Group D Round 2 fixtures will be kickstarted by Colombia who will be battling Costa Rica in a bid to qualify for the next round. This is a must-win match for the Colombians to extend their lead at the helm of the group. Brazil had a disappointing start at the tournament when they were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica, they will be aiming to return to the winning lane at the expense of Paraguay.
Here is a preview of the two mouth-watering clashes:
9/20 Columbia | Draw 26/10 | Costa Rica 6/1 (00:00)
High-flying Columbia will be looking to build from their 2-1 win against Paraguay when they take on Costa Rica at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on June 29. They will be aiming to stretch their winning run which has gone to nine matches. Liverpool’s Luis Diaz has been impressive in the front scoring important goals for Nestor Lorenzo’s side who won all their friendly matches in preparation for this competition.
Costa Rica will have their hands full in their attempt to spoil the home side’s long-standing unbeaten run. They have proven to be a side not to be taken lightly when they held Uruguay to a goalless draw earlier this month and went on to score seven goals in the following two friendly matches. They are expected to give the Colombians a run for their money following their impressive performance against Brazil in the opening match where they salvaged a point. Colombia to win.
7/1 Paraguay | Draw 34/10 | Brazil 1/3 (03:00)
Paraguay will begin their campaign with two tough encounters including Columbia and Brazil who are some of the teams that are tipped to win this year’s edition of the tournament. The Albirroja have been unstable and seem to be struggling with the stronger teams. They will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Colombia that they suffered in the opening match and will be looking to take advantage of Brazil’s lacklustre start.
The Samba Boys won two and played two draws in their four friendly matches before the beginning of the competition. They failed to build from their unbeaten run in the friendly matches when they were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica despite their star-studded line-up. Their toughest opponent in the group will be Colombia and a win in this match will enhance their chances of qualifying for the next round. Raphinha, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior are the players to watch in this match. My money is on Brazil to win.
Written by Siphesihle Soni