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Copa America Semi Final 2 Preview

After a pulsating game last night in the first semi final when Brazil beat Uruguay on penalties, after the game had ended 2-2, the attention switches to Argentina and Mexico tonight. Statistically the two best teams in the tournament go head to head for the right to meet Brazil in the final next Sunday night.

Both sides had comfortable wins on Sunday night in their respective quarter finals although Argentina were made to work harder for their 4-0 victory than the score line might suggest. Mexico took advantage of an early sending off against Paraguay to wrap up a 6-0 thrashing of the team that has qualified for the last three world cups. The victory came at a cost though as top scorer Nery Castillo of Olymiacos hobbled off with an injury, which will keep him out of the match tonight.

Argentina were held at half-time by a plucky Peru side missing their most creative player in the shape of Jefferson Farfan. However, their resistance crumbled shortly after half-time and Argentina went on to secure a comfortable 4-0 win - a substitution at half-time clearly proving influential as Diego Milito was removed in favour of Carlos Tevez who provided the creative spark. Argentina showed that goals can still be scored in abundance despite the lack of top scorer and attacing talisman Hernan Crespo. Like Castillo, Crespo, will also be out for the remainder of this tournament.

So, which team will cope best without their top scorer? Argentina certainly have the strength in depth to cope better with the loss of Crespo and have had more time to adjust to seeking an alternative, although the performance of Diego Milito in the 1st half against Peru, leads one to believe that he won’t be in the starting XI for the semi final tonight. Tevez may well have done enough to earn a place in the line-up from the start. If Messi and Tevez can click up front it will be difficult to see how Mexico can cope with that.

Mexico could well call on Adolofo Bautista who replaced the injured Castillo in the rout against Paraguay. Bautista was unable to get in on the scoring act despite several colleagues helping themselves to a goal against the hapless Paraguayans. Bautista plays his football in Mexico and has been recently transferred to Jaguares after 3 seasons with Chivas. Hugo Sanchez may also be tempted into playing Omar Bravo, usually a regular starter but has been played from the bench to give others a chance from the outset. Bravo has the ability to cause the Argentine defence problems with his speed although he isn’t the most mobile striker. Andres Guadardo could be a third option �the player who came on to great effect last year against Argentina in the World Cup could have a similar impact tonight. Indeed, the then Argentine coach said that the arrival of Guardardo took everyone by surprise in the camp that evening. He had a super game in Gelsenkirchen and was unlucky to end up on the loosing side. Perhaps a similar impact could be made tonight by the youngster who has recently transferred to Spanish football to join Deportivo la Coruna.

Argentina and Mexico met each other 3 years ago in the group stage of the tournament a game which Mexico won 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Ramon Morales. Argentina though have won the most recent meeting of the two sides when they knocked Mexico out of the World Cup 2-1 in extra-time. Mexico took the lead in that game and caused the Argentines some difficulties before they eventually overcame their Central American opposition.

If Rafael Marquez can organise the Mexicans sufficiently they may just have enough to be able to frustrate the Argentines. However, do Mexico have enough cunning to be ale to prise open the Argentine defence? Balls over the top to Bravo may be the route forward to beat Argentina as their defence isn’t the quickest and is liable to push forward in an attempt to force the Mexicans backwards.

The winner of this game will meet Brazil in the final who will consider themselves a shade fortunate not only in the manner of their victory but also during the penalty shoot out itself. Twice Brazil let Uruguay carelessly back into the game sitting back each time they got themselves into the lead allowing the initiative to be handed back to the Uruguayans. Fired into an early lead by Maicon the game was then held up for some 14 minutes after a floodlight failed. The game was restarted despite the lights not working as there was sufficient light being generated by the remaining installations. Although neither team attempted much by way of warming up exercises it was Uruguay who took the most out of the enforced break in play. Seemingly timid and uncertain of their positions after a change in formation to a back three to allow their wing backs to more effectively engage Brazil’s attacking full-backs after the resumption they pushed on penning Brazil back. Their bright played was duly awarded with a crisp finish from Forlan from one of several set pieces the Uruguayans forced � Brazil going to sleep and allowing Forlan acres of space on the edge of the penalty box to get his shot away. Brazil had their noses back in front just before half time after Julio Baptista got his toe onto the end of a ball from Maicon. Uruguay gathered themselves in the break and made some changes allowing them to get tighter still on Maicon down the Brazil right. Starved of their one outlet of service Brazil withered and it was Uruguay who succeeded in forcing the equaliser when substitute Abreu got on the end of a cross-cum-shot from Forlan with 20 minutes to go.

The game went to penalties and these too weren’t without incident. During several of the Uruguayan penalties the Brazil keeper Doni was seen to clearly encroach on the taker. A facet of the game that isn’t controlled sufficiently for my liking has once again decided the outcome of the match. Although on the occasions that Doni did encroach it didn’t matter as the penalty was scored anyway however, on the final penalty it had some significance. Lugano, the Uruguay captain, placed his shot to the left of Doni but thanks in part to the adventurous positioning of Doni, he was able to comfortably save the shot. Replays showed that Doni was some 2 yards off his line before the penalty was struck, a clear infringement of the game’s rules.

Posted by Walter Townsend on Wednesday, 11th July 2007

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