It's no secret to any Colombian how poorly our nerves are each time we faced this team in the Copa America in the most recent editions. But the big difference and advantage is that we're playing in the group stage where we have a lot more room to breathe. Now if things go by expected we should walk into this match with 6 points already and get another 3 from this match; even before this match, we'll likely secure a spot into the next round regardless from this point on. This Peruvian team is arguably the weakest team in this group and will try to get revenge from us due to the recent qualifiers that we just had. Honestly, the team should be walking into this match with no issues unless we're doing rotating players and they don't click.
See, I said a week ago we were the weakest team but I don't know anymore. When we're on it, we're comfortably better than Ecuador and Venezuela. Actually I can confidently say Venezuela is the weakest given they are missing like 5 or 6 key players, and now even more with their COVID cases.
Ecuador-Peru-Venezuela are all the same to me in a tournament like this. So inconsistent and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. You never know which team will show up. Yes Peru has gotten up for Copas for the most part but that is no guarantee they will for this tournament. There's always an exception to the rule.
Well, now with Venezuela having 8 COVID cases and calling up Metropolitanos' squad essentially, I can comfortably say Venezuela are gonna be weaker than Bolivia in this tournament. And Ecuador have a HORRIFIC Copa America record. They've only made it out of the group stages once this century.
You want to talk about history? Here's the thing,, even if Venezuela has a bunch of backups they still can grind out some results. They always seem to get up for us on neutral sites such as this and have beaten us. They have been a stone in our shoe to quote a saying from Scolari. Heck, they have even played hard against Brasil. Ecuador to me is a better team than Peru and will want revenge against you guys so that game is a coin flip.
I saw Venezuela's squad. They have called up some talented players like Abraham Bahachille and Robinson Flores, but most of their squad are Venezuela based, and like 4 or 5 players from Metropolitanos who got 3 points in their 6 Sudameriicana games. I will be very, very surprised if they get even so much as a point in this group. Ecuador are a good team but their record in the Copa America is just too awful. I don't see this being any different. We'll finish 2nd or 3rd. It really depends on our result against you guys. Brazil is gonna finish top, with a draw or 2 and then winning the rest. Our record in Copa America is great, with no group exits since 1995. The most of any team besides I believe Argentina. This is where my confidence stems from.
We shall see. Nothing will surprise me. Such a unique tournament during unique times and circumstances. I will not base anything solely on history during a strange tournament in 2021.
Brazil crushed Peru in their first match of the group stage. For us realistically a draw again Peru would very likely guarantee us qualification to the next round (I mean it is 4 spots so let's be real here). I do think that this should take the pressure off our players especially when we beat Peru quite recently in the qualifiers. This should help them mentally which they desperately need if we are to make a good run on this tournament. Peru will be out for blood and will do what they can to get a win out of this given their situation but our players need to wake up.
we need to beat Peru, im sure we'll miss at least 5 clear shots on goal but those guys are a mess defending so we should put at least one in. I'm sure Brazil will squish us too. I'm thinking 3-0/3-1
So looking at the highlights of the match against Venezuela I didn't realize just how many good chances we wasted...don't get me wrong their keeper deserves props for playing well but damn a lot of us not scoring is our own fault and idiotic shots. I do think that with Peru's defense like you said it's beatable.
most of his saves were nothing crazy but he turned up when it mattered because there were like 2/3 clear saves that he pulled which were impressive. Most of the time the players were too retarded to shoot properly.
Yes, we didn't have a MF problem - we dominated possession. We also didn't have a problem creating real chances - we blew multiple open goals just by being morons. Rueda needs to work on the mental aspect. I remember Pekerman had sports psychologists working with the team on stress, poise and mental resilience type stuff back in his tenure. It's really that kind of stuff we need to handle stuff better and avoid squandered open goals and early goals from concentration lapses. I really hope the fans don't turn on the Atalanta guys. They just need one of these to drop and I think the rest will come - they are both getting in the right positions with great movement and also press well. Richarlison looked awful in his last Everton games... And the qualifiers... Last night looked just like himself. Rueda just has to coach.
i can't imagine anyone being frustrated with Muriel / Duvan at this time... as long as they get touches against Peru, we should be ok on Sunday. the casual fan probably doesn't realize that Muriel is not physically capable of playing 90 minutes. that's going to be my concern especially when it comes to knockout round games.
The way he presses full field and attacks with sprints it's what you'd expect. His playing style is about high intensity and overcoming the cb - and I would rather he go hard play his Baby Ronaldo style which makes defenses uncomfortable and creates a lot of goal chances and get tired after 60-70 than he try to do something different and be less effective. I think this is key to what Gasperini has understood about him.
I expect another difficult game. They want to stay alive in this tournament and they know they have to get at least a point to do that. That said, their keeper played pretty bad against us in Peru a few weeks back and that could be the difference again. They had no real answers for guys like Mina and Duvan. I doubt they have them now. I expect something like a 2-1 hard fought victory but am hoping for more goals to gain some confidence.
Would like to see the same lineup like we played against Venezuela but with Medina and Fabra as full-backs. I also have my doubt regarding Cardona. He is a genius but we don't have an advantage with him on the line. Against Peru I would like to try Jaminton or Chara, to add some speed. We can play Cardona behind Zapata and instead of Muriel in the starting XI. Or either Cardona on the bench and Muriel as second striker-mediapunta.
Fully agree! I really wish we had another box to box midfielder other than Uribe. I'm tempted to say play Cuellar and rest Uribe but I fear we would lose a lot of connectivity. I would love to see what Campaz would do if given a starting opportunity.
So so far aside from Brazil no other match as been won via dominance by more than one goal. Although Paraguay was the only other team and that was against Bolivia. Even Chile didn't win by more than one goal against Bolivia today.