By Kehinde Okeowo
Euro 2020 might have taken the shine off the ongoing Copa America being hosted in Brazil, yet, the tournament remains one of the most fascinating soccer spectacles around the globe.
South Americans, known for their soccer artistry and samba brand of football, have treated their continent and the entire world to a scintillating soccer fiesta in the last 25 days.
CONMEBOL, South America’s football ruling body and the organizers of 2021 edition of Copa America, have also inadvertently offered football lovers, another opportunity to watch two arch rivals rekindling old rivalry in final.
The competition which began on June 13, 2021 is expected to come to a befitting end on July 11, 2021, with 22 matches played so far and the final to be played between Brazil and Argentina.
Peru and Columbia, who lost to Brazil and Argentina respectively at the semifinals, are expected to slug it out in the third place march on Saturday, July 10, 2021 at Estadio Nacional de Brasilia Stadium, a day before the final heavy weight clash will be played at the famous Maracana Stadium.
A total of 10 teams qualified for the tournament and were evenly divided into two groups. Group A consists of La Albiceleste of Argentina, La Charruas of Uruguay, Los Guaranies of Paraguay , El equipo de todos of Chile and La Verde of Bolivia, while Group B comprised of the host, Selecao of Brazil, La Blanquirroja of Peru, Los Cafeteros of Colombia, La Tri/ Tricolor of Ecuador and La Remolacha Mecanica of Venezuela. Eight out of the 10 teams qualified to the quarterfinals stage.
Argentina, who is ranked 8th in the world by FIFA with 1642 points and captained by soccer maestro, Lionel Messi , topped Group A with 10 points having won 3 games and drawn 1, before trashing Ecuador 3-0 in quarterfinal. The team had a more difficult game in semifinal where it defeated Colombia on penalty to advance to the final. Brazil on the other hand, topped group B with the same number of points, before squeezing through to semifinal with 1-0 score line over Chile. Thereafter, it defeated Peru 1-0 in another tight encounter.
Golden boot race is between two team mates, Lionel Messi, who has four goals and currently a free agent having played for La Liga club Barcelona last season and his compatriot, Lautaro Martinez, a 23-year-old striker, who has three goals and plies his trade with Serie A defending champion, Inter Milan.
Brazilian and PSG superstar, Neymar Jr, who scored two goals and made three goal assists has outside chance of upsetting the applecart with his team still in the competition. The race for the golden glove is between Emiliano Martinez of Argentina who has three clean sheets in four games, David Ospina of Colombia who kept three clean sheets in five appearances and Ederson Santana de Moraes of Brazil who has two clean sheets in two games.
The age long football rivalry between the two teams in the final began 107 years ago, when they played their first match.
The competition has remained intense and keen with Brazil having the upper hand with 41 wins in 105 matches, Argentina is not far away with 38 wins and 26 games of the encounters ended in stalemate.
As curtain draws on the 47th edition of Copa America, the battle for supremacy between the two biggest superstars in the competition, Messi and Neymar, is expected to light up the final game.
Argentina who have won the competition 14 times, 6 times more than Brazil, will be attempting to equal Uruguay’s record of 15 titles, while the host and defending champion, Brazil, will be itching to narrow the gap between the two nations.