Copa America Bracket 2016: Latest Title Odds, Sunday Group Fixtures, Predictions
Colombia's odds of winning the 2016 Copa America Centenario took a hit following their shock loss to Costa Rica on Saturday, allowing hosts USA to move ahead of them in Group A. The 3-2 defeat means Los Cafeteros could now meet Brazil in the quarter-finals, provided the South American giants grab a result against Peru on Sunday.
Brazil have yet to play their best football, but following their 7-1 beatdown of Haiti, they find themselves in pole position in Group B. Oddschecker gives the Canarinho the second-best odds of winning the tournament heading into their final group-stage match. Here's a look at the latest odds:
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| Argentina | 11-10 |
| Brazil | 11-2 |
| Mexico | 6-1 |
| Colombia | 7-1 |
| Chile | 9-1 |
| USA | 14-1 |
The schedule for Sunday's fixtures:
| 11:30 p.m. BST/6:30 p.m. ET | Ecuador vs. Haiti |
| 1:30 p.m. BST (Monday)/8:30 p.m. ET | Brazil vs. Peru |
Brazil and Peru are tied at four points apiece entering Group B's final matchday, leading Ecuador by two points. Ecuador will play Haiti before the two leaders go head-to-head, and unless the winless Haitians lose by more than six goals, a draw against Peru will be enough for Brazil to grab the top spot in Group B.
While there's little doubt the Brazilians will play for the win and the top spot on Sunday, a first-place finish is far from ideal following the conclusion of Group A. As shared by Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, the Colombians played it safe against Costa Rica, and they're a far better team than they showed on Saturday:
James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado both sat out the first half, and David Ospina and Carlos Bacca didn't play a minute of their 3-2 loss. With those four, Colombia are a far better team, and one of the favourites to win this year's title, per Oddschecker.
Brazil and Colombia met in the 2014 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, an entertaining contest that saw the hosts advance after a 2-1 win. This year's Brazilian team isn't as strong as the one we saw two years ago, however, and star players like Neymar and Douglas Costa didn't make the trip to the U.S. for this summer's showpiece.
The lack of creativity and flair held the team back in their opener against Ecuador, a scoreless draw, but the introduction of Gabriel Barbosa, aka Gabigol, against Haiti added an extra dimension to manager Dunga's side, and the youngster could be in line for a start on Sunday.
Per Goal's Raisa Simplicio and Rupert Fryer, Dunga explained his decision to introduce Gabigol at half-time against Haiti: “I made the change because I felt we needed a player with more speed. The Haitian team played in lines, and we needed more diagonals to get in behind them.”
Peru played an open game of football against Ecuador and were nearly rewarded for their attacking intentions, taking a two-goal lead but squandering the advantage. In all likelihood, they'll be a little more closed against Brazil, relying on the scoring prowess of Paolo Guerrero for the upset.
On paper, that should play into the hands of Jonas more than speedster Gabigol, but Barbosa has earned his chance to start, and his raw athleticism would be a fantastic weapon against Colombia in the next round. Here's a look at some of his highlights:
Dunga faces a tough decision: He could opt to give Gabigol his chance to start now and gain some vital match rhythm ahead of a possible clash with Colombia, or he could go with the veteran Jonas in the pivotal match against Peru and work from there.
Of course, Brazil's spot in the next round is far from guaranteed. Peru have made it out of the group stages in seven straight Copa America's and won't make it easy on their opponents on Sunday.
Much will depend on the match between Ecuador and Haiti. If Les Grenadiers somehow beat Ecuador or hold them to a draw, both Peru and Brazil will qualify for the next round before their match even starts, and the Peruvians will likely open up a bit more and play freely, knowing a draw or loss would see them take on USA―a weaker opponent than Colombia on paper.
Predictions: Brazil beat Peru and advance from Group B in first place, Ecuador join them after beating Haiti.
