Copa America 2015: Knockout Stage Fixtures and Live Stream Schedule
The Copa America’s penchant for craziness was on show once again in the group stages of the 2015 edition of the competition, paving the way for an intriguing set of quarter-final fixtures.
Eventually, all the illustrious names made their way through to the final eight, but not without incident along the way.
Indeed, despite beating Brazil, Colombia only managed to finish in third position in their group behind the Selecao and Peru; subsequently, Los Cafeteros will play Argentina in a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown.
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Bleacher Report's South American football expert Tim Vickery recently ran the rule over the remaining sides:
Here’s a closer examination of that tantalising tie, the other three clashes to come in this engrossing competition and the key details on where to catch the action via an online stream.
| 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 |
Matches can be streamed via beIN Sports Connect (U.S.).
Quality Quarter-Final Ties to Come
Chile have probably had the best tournament of any side so far. La Roja won two and drew one of their three group matches, playing with the ferocity and incision that has become synonymous with Jorge Sampaoli’s side.
With raucous home crowds at their back, Chile will feel as though they have an edge in this tournament too. But as we can see here courtesy of Goal.com’s Ben Hayward, their quarter-final opponents Uruguay have a brilliant record against host nations in this competition:
Oscar Tabarez’s Celeste side haven’t been at their best so far. Clearly missing the attacking ingenuity and intensity of Luis Suarez, Uruguay only netted two goals in their opening matches. At the back they’ve been pretty solid, but it’s important they strike a better balance if they’re to beat the hosts once again.
The winner of that tie will face either Bolivia or Peru, who have been the surprise packages of the tournament to date.
As noted here by Bleacher Report guest columnist Jonathan Wilson, beating Ecuador in their Group A clash was a historic moment for Bolivia.
La Verde were also able to nab a point against Mexico thanks to a 0-0 stalemate, but their frailties were on show in earnest in their previous game, with Chile running riot in a 5-0 victory. As such, despite some determined displays from the Bolivian players, Peru are the big favourites for this one.
The other side of the draw is loaded with South American juggernauts, compounded by the quarter-final tie between Argentina and Colombia. Football journalist Rafael Hernandez has high hopes that this match will spark the competition into life:
"Argentina vs Colombia in the quarterfinals it is. Could be the best Copa América match yet, which isn’t much. Plus Gerardo Martino.
— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) June 21, 2015"
Despite the attacking talent at hand for both of these teams, neither has been able to find any rhythm in their forward forays quite yet.
La Albiceleste manager Gerardo Martino has a luxury of attacking riches to chose from. But as of yet, the former Barcelona boss has yet to stumble upon a system that will appropriately accommodate the talents of Angel di Maria, Sergio Aguero and, of course, Lionel Messi.
Many were tipping Messi, after a stunning season with Barcelona, to help end Argentina’s 22-year trophy drought at this tournament. This cartoon from Siaran Bola Live sums up his situation with the national team perfectly:
"Messi. No Body Perfect. pic.twitter.com/QLoNRTURBA
— Siaran Bola Live (@SiaranBolaLive_) June 22, 2015"
Colombia are also struggling for impetus in attacking areas. The odd flash from James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado aside, Jose Pekerman’s team have been one-dimensional in their play, something not helped by the ornamental showings of Radamel Falcao at the point of the attack.
The winner of that encounter will come up against Paraguay or Brazil, who will be without the suspended Neymar for the remainder of the tournament. However, the Selecao produced a solid display without their talismanic captain in the previous match, beating Venezuela 2-1 to secure their progression into the quarters.
One player who really stood up in the absence of Neymar was Chelsea winger Willian, as noted by football writer Rik Sharma:
Paraguay always represent obdurate opposition, but Dunga’s side should have far too much quality in this one.
However, it’s worth remembering Los Guaranies knocked out Brazil at this stage four years ago; a repeat of that result would plunge Brazilian football back into crisis just 12 months on from their embarrassing exit in their home World Cup.
