Peru vs Bolivia: Copa America 2015, Schedule, Predictions, Rosters, Stream & Preview
Who and who?
Yes, it's Peru and Bolivia. Neither one of these national teams rank in the top 60 in the world, but they're here. On top of that, neither one of these squads have won this tournament in 40 years. Regardless of rankings or past success, Bolivia and Peru will play each other in the quarterfinals knockout round of the 2015 Copa America.
Let's break down the teams and predict who will win.
Peru (61)
Peru didn't just survive the "group of death." Rather, they played very well. Peru had just one loss, and that was against Brazil. Peru's two other group stage games resulted in a draw against Colombia and a victory over Venezuela. There's no doubt about it, the primary reason Peru is here is because of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Gallese has allowed just two goals in three games.
Unfortunately, Peru's offense has scored just two total goals in three games.
The only players to score for Peru in this tournament are Christian Cueva and Claudio Pizarro. Team captain Carlos Lobatón leads a great midfield alongside Juan Manuel Vargas, but it's time for Peru's offense to get going. Surprisingly, Paolo Guerrero has yet to score a single goal. If Peru successfully defeats Bolivia, that means they will play the winner of the Chile vs. Uruguay game.
It's been a long time for Peru soccer fans. Peru hasn't won the Copa America since 1975 when they defeated Colombia in the finals. The Golden State Warriors recently ended their 1975 championship drought; maybe Peru can do the same thing this year.
Bolivia (89)
If Peru is a Cinderella story, then Bolivia is the 1980 United States Men's Hockey Team. Bolivia is ranked No. 89 in the world. Not only is that the highest in this competition, but they are the highest ranked team in all of CONMEBOL.
If Bolivia can advance past Group A (which they've done) and win three knockout round games, it would be the single most incredible run in Copa America history. Just like Peru, Bolivia fans have been waiting for quite some time as well. The last time Bolivia won this event was 1963 when they were the host nation. That year they defeated Paraguay in the finals.
Bolivia placed second in Group A behind only Chile. They scored a huge 3-2 victory over Ecuador, thus knocking them out of the tournament. Mexico also failed to advance. Incredibly, Bolivia has only scored three goals but they've allowed seven so far. In their last game they lost to Chile 5-0.
Team captain Ronald Raldes, forward Marcelo Martins Moreno and middle fielder Martin Smedberg-Dalence have the three Bolivia goals. Romel Quiñónez will be the starting goalkeeper against Peru. Bolivia has to be able to control the ball and time of possession away from Peru if they're going to have a chance in this one.
Schedule, Where to Watch
Bolivia and Peru will play each other on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. EST. That's 8:30 Chile time. The game will be shown on the beIN Sports Network. The game will be played at the Estadio Municipal Germán Becker Satdium in Temuco, Chile. You can watch a live game stream here.
Prediction
Unfortunately, one of these teams has to lose. A wild roller coaster ride has to end, and will be Bolivia's. You just can't have a negative four goal differential and expect to go very far. Peru hasn't proven to be a powerhouse, but they showed great resilience in Group C against Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela.
Peru wins 2-1
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