Copa America 2016: Saturday Group Times, Odds, Live Stream and TV Schedule
Hosts USA have their 2016 Copa America Centenario fate in their own hands entering Saturday's slate of fixtures, as a win over Paraguay will see the Stars and Stripes qualify for the knockout stages.
Even a draw might do, as the USA lead both Paraguay and Costa Rica by two points. The Costa Ricans would have to beat Colombia by more than five goals in their match on Saturday if the Stars and Stripes draw with Paraguay, which seems an impossible task.
Here's a look at the schedule for Saturday's Group A clashes, complete with TV and live-stream info and full odds, courtesy of Oddschecker.com:
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| Midnight/7p.m. | USA v Paraguay | USA 15-13, Draw 28-11, Paraguay 13-5 | Fox Sports 1/FuboTV (U.S.) |
| 2 a.m. (Sunday)/9 p.m. | Colombia v Costa Rica | Colombia 8-13, Draw 3-1, Costa Rica 11-2 | Fox Sports 2/FuboTV (U.S.) |
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.) and FuboTV (Global). All 32 Copa matches will stream live on Premier Sports in the UK.
Preview
The USA's start to the Copa America was far from perfect, as manager Jurgen Klinsmann's troops looked unconvincing in the loss to Colombia, but the Stars and Stripes bounced back nicely against Costa Rica and are now in firm control of their destiny heading into their final group-stage match.
Via U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann made it very clear the squad isn't worried at all:
Paraguay showed few flashes of creativity in the scoreless draw against Costa Rica, but they did manage to score against Colombia and showed their talent.
Victor Ayala found the target in that match, and per the tournament's official Twitter account, it was an absolute beauty:
Paraguay forced Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina into a handful of strong saves, and if Klinsmann was watching, he will have noticed their ability to do damage on set pieces and their strong play in transition.
Talent-wise, the South Americans may not field as many difference-makers as the Stars and Stripes do, although the likes of Dario Lezcano and Antonio Sanabria, who was used as a substitute agains the Colombians, should not be underestimated.
Klinsmann has been unwilling to shake things up so far, leaving Christian Pulisic and Darlington Nagbe on the bench against Costa Rica, despite persistent calls from the fans. The 4-0 win vindicated his decision, however, and there's a good chance it strengthened his belief in his favourite XI as well.
FS1's Stuart Holden hopes for some changes, but in all likelihood, Klinsmann will shy away from starting too many youngsters in such a pivotal match:
Backed by their own fans, this is a match the USA should win, and even if they draw, it's hard to see Costa Rica putting five past Colombia.
Los Ticos have yet to score a single goal this tournament, and they'll now face Group A's top team, who haven't been tested all that severely despite not playing their best football.
One man who has done what's expected of him is Real Madrid's James Rodriguez, who added to his goal tally against Paraguay, per the event's official Twitter account:
The attacking midfielder is lethal in space and has a knack for creating space and finishing chances―against Costa Rica's suspect defence, he should shine.
Barring a major miracle, the team to advance alongside Colombia from Group A will be playing in Philadelphia, and with the home-field advantage and Klinsmann's men only needing a draw, the advantage lies with the USA.
Paraguay have the uncanny ability to frustrate opponents and make them beat themselves, but the Stars and Stripes have enough veteran leadership and experience to overcome such a challenge.
Final Predictions: USA 1-1 Paraguay, Colombia 2-0 Costa Rica
