The Copa America kicked off during the weekend and here is a look at some of the winners and losers from the fixtures. Bet On football here.
Winners
Philippe Coutinho
Brazil began the Copa America tournament on the right footing after seeing off Bolivia by a 3-0 scoreline. Philippe Coutinho came through for Brazil with two quick second-half goals after the team had been booed by the home crowd for a poor showing in the first half. This was such a reprieve for the Barcelona midfielder who has struggled since making the switch from Liverpool to the Spanish giants. He will be looking to build on from this display and hopefully, things go well for him in the coming season.
Colombia
Columbia managed a 2-0 win against tournament favourites Argentina to improve their chances of lifting the Copa America. Carlos Quieroz men approached the match with a lot of caution and Argentina paid dearly for not taking their chances. It should be noted that Colombia’s goals both came against the run of play. Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata were both on the score sheet as they both struck late to deny Argentina.
Uruguay
Luiz Suarez and Edinson Cavani starred for La Celeste against Ecuador on Sunday as they strode to a 4-0 win. The 15-time Copa champions were in great form as they swept a ten-man Ecuador side with minimal hassle to move top of Group C. This win was particularly important seeing that they had injury concerns ahead of the tournament. Uruguay will face Japan in their next match on Friday, before facing off against defending champions Chile.
Losers
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi endured yet another painful defeat as he captained his Argentinian side into the Copa America clash against Columbia. Messi has had a very successful club career but he has not lived up to expectation when turning out for the national team. They now occupy the bottom of Group B and if they do not turn the tide in the coming games, then Messi might go down as the great player who never flourished with the national team.
Ecuador
Ecuador were handed their first defeat of the tournament after going down 4-0 against Uruguay. Jose Quintero was sent off early in the first half following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to hand the advantage to their opponents. They will need to win the upcoming matches to reduce the huge goal difference and have a slight chance of progression, as this was a poor way to start the tournament.
Paraguay
Qatar overturned a two-goal deficit to earn a shock 2-2 draw against Paraguay in their Copa opener. Paraguay had taken the lead from the fourth-minute through Oscar Cardozo’s finish from the penalty spot before Derlis Gonzalez doubled that advantage in the 56th minute. The visitors got themselves back in the game with a 68th-minute strike from Almoez Ali. An own goal in the dying stages of the game ensured that both sides would share the spoils. Paraguay will have been disappointed with their inability to protect the lead here and they will need to look into that sooner than later.