Copa America Results 2015: Quarterfinal Fixtures, Final Group Tables and More
With the group stage of the 2015 Copa America complete, the focus now shifts to the quarterfinal stage and the eight teams still in the hunt for the title.
Group C was the last domino to fall Sunday, as Colombia took on Peru and Brazil battled Venezuela. Entering the day, all four teams in the group were deadlocked on three points, and they all had goal differentials of zero as well, further confusing matters.
In the end, Colombia and Peru drew 0-0, while Brazil defeated Venezuela 2-1. As a result, Brazil, Peru and Colombia all went through to the quarterfinals.
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Below, you can view the final group tables, followed by the schedule and a brief preview for the quarterfinal stage.
Group Tables
| Group A | ||||||
| Chile* | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Bolivia* | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -4 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| Mexico | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| Group B | ||||||
| Argentina* | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Paraguay* | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Uruguay* | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Jamaica | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| Group C | ||||||
| Brazil* | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Peru* | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Colombia* | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Venezuela | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
Quarterfinal Schedule
| Wed., June 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Chile | Uruguay | Santiago |
| Thur., June 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Bolivia | Peru | Temuco |
| Fri., June 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Argentina | Colombia | Vina del Mar |
| Sat., June 27 | 5:30 p.m. | Brazil | Paraguay | Concepcion |
Quarterfinal Preview
The most intriguing quarterfinal match, by some distance, is Chile against Uruguay.
The hosts have been arguably the most entertaining side of the tournament. Chile's 10 goals are more than twice the output of the next-closest countries.
Football writer Miguel Delaney argued that manager Jorge Sampaoli's swashbuckling style should be the benchmark for a side like Argentina, which has all of the attacking talent in the world:
To the delight of football fans everywhere, Sampaoli also denied that Chile will revert to more defensive tactics in the next round.
"Chile will not change its style for the quarterfinals," he said, per Goal.com. "Playing like this is the only way to beat the big teams we will meet from here on."
Chile might be the sentimental favorite. It has never captured a Copa America title before, so it would be a monumental moment for the team to win on home soil. Plus, it's pleasing to see more proactive, attack-minded teams win trophies.
Uruguay will be standing in Chile's way in the quarterfinals.
Getting a read on the reigning Copa America champion is somewhat difficult. It's obviously a worse team without Luis Suarez, but to what extent remains unclear.
Edinson Cavani is a world-class striker, but he is the type of forward who often succeeds or fails based on the service he receives. If his teammates aren't getting him the ball in attacking areas, Cavani can disappear for long stretches during a game.
French football expert Jonathan Johnson added that Cavani's supporting cast at the national-team level can't match the talent around him at the club level:
If Uruguay can keep the score low against Chile, it might have a chance. But should it take two or three goals to topple the hosts, La Celeste might be in serious trouble. A lot will hinge on Cavani. Based on his performances so far in the tournament, that is a concern for Uruguay.
While Chile-Uruguay is the best match of the quarterfinals, Brazil might be the most captivating team of the next round.
From a neutral perspective, there's a certain amount of schadenfreude when watching a once-great nation lauded for its brilliant attacking football fall apart in the most ignominious way possible.
Systemic problems exist in the Brazil national team, from the power brokers both inside and outside the Brazilian Football Confederation to coach Dunga to the players themselves.
Neymar's suspension only exacerbates those issues, considering how much the team relies on his playmaking abilities. Brazil was a shadow of its former self without him at the 2014 World Cup, though Thiago Silva's absence also played a role.
Then again, Neymar's absence might galvanize Brazil this time around. Denmark won the 1992 UEFA European Championship without Michael Laudrup, the best Danish outfield player ever, so crazier things have happened.
Brazil's attacking players might feel especially liberated, knowing they don't have to constantly play the ball through the Barcelona winger. They can explore the space on the pitch for themselves.
Football writer Rik Sharma thought Willian, in particular, excelled against Venezuela on Sunday:
Should Brazil fall to Paraguay, though, fans may ask major questions of Dunga and some of the squad members. Crashing out in the quarterfinals would be a massive disappointment.
Brazil looked good under Dunga entering the tournament, but a quick Copa America exit would be a bad way to enter 2018 World Cup qualification.
