Copa América (Feat. STU HOLDEN)
It's a special Thursday edition of the Weekend ahead of tonight's opening match: Lionel Messi's ARGENTINA vs Jesse Marsch's CANADA.
Never in all my days did I see a Football Weekend with so many watchable games. It helps that some of the best matches at EURO 2024 so far have featured off-beat protagonists, and then there are the true heavyweight bouts like SPAIN vs ITALY on Thursday. And now comes Copa América to make absolutely sure that there is never a three-hour window where top-level football leaves your television.
Yes, what a time to be alive as a football fan, and joining the show this week to preview the Copa festivities is STU HOLDEN, the former U.S. Men’s National Teamer who was one of the first Americans I ever saw play in a Premier League midfield. Now he’s a co-commentator and analyst for FOX Sports, which will be broadcasting Copa América here in the United States side-by-side with the EUROs.
We touched on how American players have gone to a new level in Europe since Stu’s days, American Jesse Marsch’s appointment as Canada’s head coach, Lionel Messi and the mighty Argentines’ clash with nemesis Chile, the North Americans getting torched by the South Americans in pre-tournament friendlies, how the USMNT should line up, the major threats posed by Colombia and Uruguay, and whether there’s a mismatch between Coach Gregg Berhalter and the current crop of young American footballers:
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THURSDAY
SLOVENIA vs SERBIA
9am ET, 2pm BST
A week ago I might have suggested you just check out the showpiece matches later in the day, but by the laws of the group stage so far, this could be the game of the tournament. These two share an intertwined history as part of the former Yugoslavia—and before that, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes—and they also share a need for points. Slovenia have one, Serbia none, but a trip to the Round of 16 is still possible for them both. Not every EUROs match is listed here, but rest assured, the new rule is clear: if the EUROs are on, you watch the EUROs.
DENMARK vs ENGLAND
12pm ET, 5pm BST
The English didn’t exactly thunder into this tournament on Matchday One, though they did play some stylish stuff for about 20 minutes or so against Serbia before settling into a performance that some might call Extremely Southgate. Yes, England manager Gareth has his critics, but he also knows how to advance deep into knockout tournaments and his nous will be tested here.
The Danes controlled the first 65 minutes against Slovenia, but the aging legs of Christian Eriksen and Co. began to look a bit heavy after that. This is not the same team that ventured to the semifinals at EURO 2020(1) as the years chip away at their dynamism, but they’ve added 21-year-old striker Rasmus Højlund to the mix and they do have quality in the final third. Then again, it was England they lost to in those semifinals, and the Three Lions have only grown stronger in the time since.
SPAIN vs ITALY
3pm ET, 8pm BST
Now this is a European Championship fixture. These two have won three out of the last four editions of this tournament, but they’ve been thrown into an Anchorman streetfight in Group B. Both took maximum points on the first matchday, and this will be a seriously high-level tactical and technical encounter, perhaps the best fixture of the group phase. You know the players, you know you’re watching.
ARGENTINA vs CANADA
8pm ET, 1am BST
It’s the reigning World Cup champions against one of the theoretically rising powers of North America. Canada have a star on the world’s stage in Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich and a forward in Jonathan David who scored 22 goals in 37 appearances for Lille this season. The vibes going into that World Cup were immaculate, as Canada took more points than anybody else in North American qualifying. But the times since have been tumultuous, and fans will be hoping new hire Jesse Marsch can create an order to things.
No American has coached at a higher club level than Marsch, and Stu Holden told me on this week’s podcast that the 50-year-old ventured deep into the interview process for the U.S. Men’s National Team job. He didn’t get it, and now he’s taken a job with another nation for whom 2026 is a home World Cup. There’s high risk and high reward to the decision, not unlike his teams’ trademark high-energy, high-pressing style since his days in Red Bull World.
He’s got the personnel for it—Canada have some exceptional athletes in the squad—and it could be just the thing to ruffle Argentina’s feathers. Or the mighty Argentines might just swat them aside.
FRIDAY
NETHERLANDS vs FRANCE
3pm ET, 8pm BST
This is among the standout matches of the group stage, two old European rams locking horns with top spot in Group D on the line. The Dutch should be a proper problem for France with one of the best back lines in the tournament, plus players going forward who can hurt you (including, it seems, Wout Weghorst). Head coach Ronald Koeman will hope Memphis Depay can stretch out a good performance across more of the 90 minutes than he managed against Poland, and that his Frenkie de Jong-less midfield can hold its own against France’s powerful engine room led by the reborn N’Golo Kante.
Yes, the French are absolutely formidable. Even without Kylian Mbappé, whose nose was clobbered disastrously on Matchday One, they’re star-studded: one of Kingsley Coman or Randal Kolo Muani should join Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé, and Marcus Thuram in attack, and they have a defensive line to rival Virgil Van Dijk and the Dutch. This one looks tasty.
PERU vs CHILE
8pm ET, 1am BST
This pick’s a bit off-beat considering Peru’s decline over the past few years, but there’s an intriguing subplot here with Chile’s manager Ricardo Gareca. In 2018, the Argentine nicknamed El Tigre and El Flaco coached the Peruvians to World Cup qualification after a 36-year absence. A year later, he led them to the final at Copa América. Now he leads a nation they never much liked to begin with.
In the 1870s, Peru formed an alliance with Bolivia to oppose Chile’s claims on the Atacama Desert, and for five years they fought the War of the Pacific. In the end, Chile took the coastal territory—land-locking Bolivia in the process—and the other two never forgot. Success for Gareca with Chile would have a particularly bitter taste for Peruvians, and Chile have already won the Copa twice this decade.
That footballing generation is fading out of the picture now: Gary Medel and Arturo Vidal are out of this squad, though Mauricio Isla, Eduardo Vargas, and 41-year-old Claudio Bravo are still around. So is Alexis Sánchez, the game-breaking genius who led them to two consecutive victories over Argentina in those finals in 2015 and 2016. There are also some newer recruits, like explosive 20-year-old winger Darío Osorio and Ben Brereton Díaz, who Gareca previously dropped with orders to improve his Spanish. It’s an unusual problem for a Chilean, but in fairness, he was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent.
As for Peru, they haven’t won this competition since 1975 and they’ve got a 40-year-old striker on board in Paolo Guerrero, but don’t sleep: they’ve reached the semifinals in four of their last five Copas.
SATURDAY
TÜRKIYE vs PORTUGAL
12pm ET, 5pm BST
Even before 19-year-old Arda Güler unleashed a homing missile from 25 yards, Turkey were putting on a show. Another Güler goal was ruled out for a literal toe offside, they smashed the post, and Mert Müldür lashed a glorious volley into the top right corner that initially put them in front. The Turks were a bit unsteady at the back, however, as Georgia stretched them out and left them statuesque in their own 18-yard-box at times. That could be trouble against a Portuguese side that on paper is among the very best in the tournament, though their opening performance in Germany was nothing to write home about.
ECUADOR vs VENEZUELA
6pm ET, 11pm BST
Peru have a 40-year-old forward, and Ecuador’s is 17. Kendry Páez is a phenomenon, with seven goal involvements in 13 matches in the Ecuadorian Serie A this season. He’s already been snapped up by Chelsea, though he can’t join them until next summer when he turns 18. He’s a stylish dribbler with a great feel for space and pressure, and he could be the schemer-in-chief here. Moisés Caicedo will run the midfield behind him, and further back this Ecuadorian defense is full of players from Europe’s top leagues. Piero Hincapié just enjoyed a titanic season with Bayer Leverkusen but reportedly is not nailed-on to start, even with Pervis Estupiñán out injured.
This is widely regarded as the strongest squad Ecuador has ever brought to Copa América, but coach Félix Sánchez’s approach—controlled possession and more methodical buildup—has been questioned by some on the basis this group might be better suited to high pressing that gets them into transition. This should be a fairly straightforward assignment to ease into the tournament against a nation that’s ultimately in love with baseball.
MEXICO vs JAMAICA
9pm ET, 2pm BST
El Tri have been in a state since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup at the group stage, but they’ve got a new manager in Jaime Lozano who’s looking to shake things up. He’s dropped Guillermo Ochoa to end his 17 years as the national keeper, and there’s no Hirving “Chucky” Lozano or Raúl Jiménez.
The new look is West Ham’s Edson Álvarez at the base of midfield with two creative 8s—Érick Sánchez and Luis Chávez—in front of him. The latter takes some wicked set pieces, and they’ve got some fast and direct dribblers out wide in Julián Quiñones and Cesar Huerta. Up front, Santiago Giménez had 23 goals in 30 league appearances for Feyenoord this season, plus two in four Champions League matches.
Their opponents are in just a bit of disarray. Leon Bailey was suspended from the Reggae Boyz for breaking curfew a few months back and soon announced he was taking a break from the team. Later, he went public about what he considered poor conditions around the national setup. They’ve got talent, though: Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Demarai Gray, and Michail Antonio will be the main weapons as Jamaica sit in, soak up pressure, and try to strike out at opponents on the counterattack.
SUNDAY
SWITZERLAND vs GERMANY
3pm ET, 8pm BST
Formidable Germany have already qualified, but they’ll want to retain their domineering vibe against Switzerland, who are also on pace to escape the group. The outrageous German midfield may ultimately prove too much for Granit Xhaka and Co., but this should be an intriguing encounter. Maybe Xherdan Shaqiri will supply yet another wonderstrike.
SCOTLAND vs HUNGARY
3pm ET, 8pm BST
The Scots gave themselves an outside chance to make the Round of 16 when they snatched a point against Switzerland on Wednesday. If the atmosphere here is anything like that one—or Scotland’s first match at this tournament—then this will be lively. The Hungarians (and their own lively fans) will be looking to save some face now that their tournament has fallen to pieces.
USA vs BOLIVIA
6pm ET, 11pm BST
Like its North American neighbors, the USMNT has had a Jekyll-and-Hyde pre-tournament period with a crushing defeat to Colombia and a morale-boosting draw with Brazil. Now the real thing kicks off at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the venue is important because Bolivia have not won a competitive fixture away from their high-altitude home fortress in La Paz since 2015. At 12,000 feet, the Hernando Siles Stadium is twice the elevation of “Mile-High” Denver.
(As a side note, Bolivia is one of the most extraordinary places I’ve ever visited. You can trek through the wilderness and find blood-red lagoons, deserts that look like Mars, more llamas and alpacas and volcanos than you can shake a stick at, and the Amazon rainforest.)
But really, the Bolivians just hate traveling: they’ve won away twice in the last 29 years, though one of them was a victory over the United States at the 1995 Copa América. That’s exactly the kind of start that Gregg Berhalter cannot afford at this tournament, because Team USA’s head coach is under some pressure. The 5-1 to Colombia was damaging, but the biggest question is around the disconnect between players who now ply their trade in Europe’s top five leagues and a manager who has never coached in that environment. Still, the talent is there: Pulisic, McKennie, Reyna, Weah, and in defense, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards are coming off scintillating seasons in the Premier League.
URUGUAY vs PANAMA
9pm ET, 2pm BST
Since Marcelo Bielsa came on board a year ago, Uruguay have beaten Brazil and Argentina in World Cup qualifying and reinvented their approach. It’s Bielsaball now, a fluid mix of pressing and possession and sitting in a low block to counter. They can shape-shift according to the opposition, but here they will back themselves to control the game from the start.
They have quality all over the pitch, particularly with Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo in defense and a champagne midfield of PSG’s Manuel Ugarte, Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur, and Fede Valverde, the engine of mighty Real Madrid. Then there’s the thrilling and puzzling Darwin Núñez, who might have a miserable time fizzing chances wide for the next month or win the golden boot.
Their opponents, Los Canaleros—the canal workers—are known for their somewhat methodical possession game and keeping tons of width in how they line up. Adalberto Carrasquilla could provide a spark, but they’re up against a sky-blue outfit who have the look of semifinalists.⚽︎