Copa America 2015 Predictions & Preview: Argentina, Lionel Messi vs Jamaica
Argentina and Jamaica will play each other in a group stage game on Saturday evening. This game is extremely critical because it could very well determine the winner of the group.
Let's break down the teams and pick a winner.
Argentina (3)
Argentina is the highest ranked team in this tournament. Only Germany and Belgium rank higher in the world today. Argentina has 14 Copa America championships all-time, second only to Uruguay's 15. Unfortunately for Argentina, they haven't won this tournament since 1993, when they defeated Mexico in the finals.
Argentina got off to a bit of a disappointing start. They tied against Paraguay 2-2 despite a goal from Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. Argentina showed great resilience by defeating their rival, Uruguay, in Game 2. Argentina is tied with Paraguay with four points in Group B. Not only do both Paraguay and Argentina have four points and one win, but they also have a plus one goal differential.
Argentina fans will be pulling for Uruguay to defeat Paraguay on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Sergio Romero will get the start in net with Pablo Zabaleta of Manchester City leading the defense. Argentina has a strong middle field led by Javier Mascherano and Angel di María, while Messi, Sergio Agüero and Carlos Tevez direct the offense. Argentina will more than likely advance to the knockout stage regardless of what place they finish, but the position is very important. If Argentina can win Group B, that means they play the third place team from Group A or C.
Jamaica (65)
Just like Mexico, Jamaica (a CONCACAF team) accepted an invite to play at this year's Copa America. And similar to Mexico, Jamaica will be competing at the 2015 Gold Cup. This is Jamaica's first ever Copa America tournament, and it's a great experience to get prepared for the upcoming Gold Cup.
Jamaica lost their first two games, to Uruguay and Paraguay. Both games may have ended in defeat, but Jamaica was very impressive defensively only allowed two total goals. Offensively, not so much. Jamaica lost both games by a score of 1-0.
Duwayne Kerr will be starting in goal for Jamaica with a young and talented defense in front of him led by Jermaine Taylor of the Houston Dynamo. Unfortunately, Jamaica just doesn't have the offense to win a tournament like this. Notable players such as Dane Richards, Jermaine Anderson and Demar Phillips will not be playing for Jamaica to rest for next month.
Jamaica cannot win this group because they presently have zero points, but they can still qualify for the knockout stage. If Paraguay defeats Uruguay, and Jamaica wins this game, they will be tied with Uruguay for third place. It will come down to goal differential from there.
Schedule, Where to Watch
Argentina and Jamaica will play each other on Saturday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. EST. The game will be played at the Estadio Sausalito stadium in Viña del Mar, Chile. It will be televised on beIN sports. You can watch a live game stream here.
Prediction
This should be an easy one for Argentina. They have the advantage in every category and the best player in the world. A loss here would be a monumental upset. Argentina needs to win this game.
Argentina wins 2-0
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