Copa America 2015: Pivotal Factors to Decide Group B
The 2015 Copa America gets underway in a few days in Chile and ahead of the tournament start, we're looking at each group in turn to see where it could be decided.
Whether it is the players on the pitch, the managers on the sidelines or the record of the nations involved, we've assessed and analysed each of the quartet to find out exactly what we need to look out for once the games begin—and where the group could be decided.
Check out our squad profiles on each of the Group B teams here:
The Absence of Luis Suarez
1 of 9
We'll begin with the reigning holders of the Copa America, Uruguay, and how they might struggle to go about getting through in the top two of this group, never mind retaining their title.
They are missing a couple of key players from their squad, notably injured defender Martin Caceres and the retired striker Diego Forlan, but by far the biggest miss is the suspended Luis Suarez. The Barcelona treble-winner is one of the game's biggest attacking threats, a creator as well as a finisher and Uruguay's record all-time scorer, with 44 to his name so far.
Suarez will miss the Copa America though, still suspended after his bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup last summer. His industry and determination to win are huge losses alone, but without Suarez the attack looks severely blunted.
Has Messi Had Enough for This Season or Will His Year Continue into Copa?
2 of 9
You can't go far in Group B without encountering a star name, and one of them is the biggest of all: Argentina's Lionel Messi.
The mercurial front man, along with Suarez, has just won everything in club football with Barcelona, playing in some incredible games and showing amazing levels of quality over the past five months in particular.
While there is no doubting his status as one of the world's best ever, there will naturally be a point in the year when he cannot quite keep up that same level of performance—and Argentina will be hoping that doesn't come in the next few weeks. Manager Tata Martino has to try and get the best out of him, technically as well as tactically, for another half-a-dozen games.
If he does, Argentina will boss the group—and may do so anyway—and have a chance to win the tournament outright.
Paraguay's Mixed Squad and Copa Mentality
3 of 9
It's not all about Argentina though, especially in terms of who else can reach the knockouts.
Paraguay made their way through to the final last time out but changed managers just a few months ago, with Ramon Diaz only in charge for a couple of friendlies so far. He has named a very mixed squad of established, experienced performers and names who are new to the international scene.
How are they treating the Copa? As a tournament to do well in once more, or a quickfire round of matches to establish a team and selection policy ahead of World Cup qualifiers after the summer? If Diaz is tasked with experimenting to find a winning formula, it could come at the cost of a quick exit in Chile—but with obvious longer-term benefits.
The Garay-Otamendi Partnership
4 of 9
Argentina have often been seen as a team of amazing attacking talent, but which isn't matched up by defensive solidity at the opposite end of the field.
In this Copa America, though, Martino finally has the chance to establish what could be an almost perfect pairing of two in-form players, a centre-back partnership which could be tremendously tough to break down: Ezequiel Garay and Nicolas Otamendi.
Both aggressive, tremendously strong in the air, committed to winning every ball going and both good tacklers, this pairing has the potential to stop any attack taking a central route toward goal. Garay has just won the Russian Premier League title with Zenit, Otamendi basically dragged his Valencia team over the line into the Champions League places in Spain's La Liga. Aged 28 and 27 respectively, they are in their prime, ready to shine and should complement each other immensely well.
Looking at the attacks they'll face in the group stage, their biggest initial tests might be facing their own team-mates in training.
Jamaica's Potential Shock Value
5 of 9
The 2015 Copa America will be Jamaica's first foray into the CONMEBOL competition and they'll follow it up with a second appearance next year in the centennial event.
This lack of experience in facing the South American sides could be both a problem and a blessing; sure, Paraguay and the others will doubtless have watched the Reggae Boyz in the buildup to the tournament, but playing against their style and players is another matter.
The unpredictability factor might be Jamaica's biggest asset in pulling off a positive result—and they might only need one win to sneak through to the knock-outs. If someone like Kemar Lawrence can replicate good early 2015 form at club level in this tournament, maybe the CONCACAF side can upset one or two teams.
Revisiting the 2011 Final
6 of 9
On June 20, Uruguay will face Paraguay, three years and 11 months almost to the day after the two sides met in Buenos Aires, playing in the final of the 2011 Copa America.
On that occasion it was Uruguay who came out on top, 3-0 winners thanks to Suarez and Forlan, but this time the fixture could be another which decides much for Group B. It will be the final match of the group stage and it's not much of a stretch to imagine this game will determine who goes through automatically with a win.
It won't have the same aura of glamour and expectation as a final, of course, but psychologically and emotionally, it should certainly be a boost for Uruguay—and a reason to win for Paraguay.
The 3rd-Place Gamble
7 of 9
The top two go through from each group, but only two of the three third-placed teams will follow them into the knockout stages.
While that's an opportunity for a lesser side to sneak through with perhaps a single victory, it also of course comes at a cost—the third-place team in Group B, if they qualify, will face the winners of Group A, likely to be hosts Chile. Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia are the other sides in that group.
Playing in their home stadium, backed by the fans and no doubt confident and determined after recent major-tournament displays, Chile will be a tremendously difficult opponent to beat for any of Group B's sides. It would take a lot to get past them in the quarter-finals—but the second-placed team in Group B will face the winners of C, which could be Brazil or Colombia.
Is that any better than one spot lower and facing Chile?
World Cup Hangovers?
8 of 9
It's a theme which could affect many players throughout this tournament, but Group B has a number of names in this factor.
Last summer's World Cup, a long 2014-15 season and now another summer tournament; eventually, someone is going to suffer for it if they haven't already. Argentina went all the way to the World Cup final last year, with a couple of their players—Messi and Javier Mascherano—then enjoying a prolonged domestic campaign as they played their last game less than a week ago in the Champions League final.
Then there's Uruguay to consider: not only do they have the Copa in 2015 and the World Cup in 2014, but they also played at the Confederations Cup in summer 2013! For a lot of players it is a long, long run without an extended break.
Hopefully the tournament doesn't suffer on account of it.
Group B Galacticos
9 of 9
For all the talk of match-ups, tiredness, new managers or psychological barriers, ultimately we can expect quality players to have the biggest say in what happens over the course of three matches against each other in Group B.
Argentina are of course packed with top-tier talent: Messi stands above them all but Otamendi, Mascherano, Angel Di Maria, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero are all outstanding players. Uruguay might be shorn of a couple, but in Diego Godin, Edinson Cavani and Fernando Muslera they also have genuine match-winners in key positions.
Paraguay and Jamaica don't have names who can compete on that sort of level and will be expected to make team work, tactics and no doubt an element of luck play a part for them—but all should still contribute to an exciting group.
