Lionel Messi, Argentina and James Rodriguez face off against Colombia on Sunday night in the Copa America final in Miami, with kick-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. It’s a poetic Copa America final as Colombia take on the last team to beat them for a chance to win their first title since 2001 on Sunday in Miami. It would be their second title ever and to do so, Los Cafeteros will need to surpass defending champion Lionel Messi and Argentina. They’ve already set a record for most assists in the tournament, with James Rodriguez now having the most goals in a single Copa America with six but he’ll be aiming for at least a seventh to help Colombia go 29 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Here are our stories, how you can watch the game and more:
Basic official formations
Colombia: Camilo Vargas, Johan Mujica, Carlos Cuesta, Davidson Sanchez, Santiago Arias, Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios, Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez, John Arias, John Cordoba
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Gonzalo Montiel, Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez
How to watch and odds
- date:Sunday, July 14 | time8:45 PM ET
- locationHard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
- television: fox | Live broadcast: Fubu (Try for free)
- Prospect: Argentina +125; Draw +200; Colombia +260
Story lines
Colombia: Having overcome all the obstacles thrown at him, Nestor Lorenzo still has one more hurdle to overcome if Colombia are to win the Copa America. Right-back Daniel Munoz will miss the final through suspension after picking up two yellow cards in the first half against Uruguay. After Rodriguez, Munoz has been perhaps Colombia’s second best player at the tournament, scoring two goals and playing an excellent defensive role. Santiago Arias is likely to replace him in the final, which could change Colombia’s attacking lineup a bit.
Argentina: We need more of the Argentina that faced Canada and less of the team that underperformed for most of this tournament. While Messi has been dealing with fitness concerns, he was still able to score against the Canucks but it was the performances of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez that carried Argentina through this tournament. They will need more from their defence, especially on set pieces where Rodriguez assisted on four goals, but if there is a team that can stop a powerful attack in the final, it is Argentina.
prediction
Colombia will continue their march towards winning the Copa America and extending their unbeaten record. With another win, who can stop this team? He chooses: Colombia 2, Argentina 1
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