cryptodigitalmarketing17
07/15/2024
As an action-packed month of international soccer comes to an end, the Euros and Copa America will fade from our television screens, leaving us with indelible images of Lionel Messi-worshipping Argentine fans taking over Times Square, a sea of orange Dutch fans marching to German stadiums, and Colombian yellow fever infecting crowds from Texas to California to North Carolina to South Florida, where the Copa culminated Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
We’ll remember Spanish wonder Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, hitting that magnificent goal against France, and England’s Jude Bellingham rescued England with a last-ditch 95th-minute bicycle kick over Slovakia.
We shall recall the Argentine team’s relief and excitement after surviving a difficult penalty kick shootout against Ecuador in the quarterfinals owing to the heroics of Albiceleste goalie Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez. And it will be difficult to forget the defeated host United States national team, who trudged off the field after being eliminated from the group stage on home turf.
Copa America 2024 served as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It was an opportunity to assess how the Americas’ teams are looking with two years to go, as well as how many of the World Cup locations would fair.
This is what we discovered: Argentina remains a powerhouse, even when Messi isn’t at his best. Messi’s team used to collapse when he slipped. That’s no longer the case. Messi is undoubtedly still the team’s captain and leader, both on and off the field. He can still create amazing moments. The eight-time Ballon d’Or champion is adored by his teammates. It remains to be seen if the 37-year-old Messi will still be playing in two years, but the squad demonstrated that it can carry Messi, which will benefit Argentina as it seeks to defend its World Cup championship.
Colombia, Canada, Ecuador, and Venezuela are all on the increase.
Los Cafeteros of Colombia advanced to the Copa America final for the first time in 23 years, riding a 28-game winning streak into the title game versus Argentina. James Rodriguez, 32, demonstrated that he still possesses the qualities that made him the star of the 2014 World Cup. Coach Nestor Lorenzo has restored the team’s faith, so look out in 2026. Canada made significant progress under new American coach Jesse Marsch, despite his perception that CONMEBOL and tournament administrators handled his team and other non-South American teams “like second-class citizens.” Nobody expected Canada and Argentina to advance from Group A ahead of Chile and Peru. Few would have projected Canada to reach the semifinals, but they did.
Ecuador and Venezuela outperformed the normally strong teams, giving them cause to be optimistic about 2026. The United States and Mexico have a great deal of work to do. Despite relatively favorable draws and a lot of resources, the locks failed to proceed ahead of CONCACAF neighbors Canada and Panama, both of whom lost in the group round.
Gregg Berhalter, the United States’ coach, was sacked last week, as predicted. He guided the squad to the knockout round of the 2022 World Cup, with great expectations for a lineup dominated by players from Europe’s best leagues. But Team USA faltered following an easy victory over poor Bolivia, losing 2-1 to Panama (Tim Weah’s red card didn’t help) and 1-0 to Uruguay. A alteration was necessary.
Whoever becomes the next president of the United States will have a lot of pressure to turn things around. Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool coach and fan favorite, graciously rejected. Other probable international contenders include Marcelo Gallardo, Herve Renard, David Moyes, Joachim Low, and Jose Pekerman. The Columbus Crew’s coach, Wilfried Nancy, has been mentioned. Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo, who played for the United States and spent his professional career in Germany, is the front-runner among American managers. If I had to guess, I’d go with Cherundolo, which makes sense. However, one of the others would provide new perspectives and ideas for the team to consider.
After Argentina’s Copa opening, coach Scaloni complained about the state of the temporary grass pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and other coaches and players grumbled at various locations throughout the tournament. Uruguay’s coach, Marcelo Bielsa, was the most vociferous. Six of the 14 Copa sites featured artificial turf that needed to be covered with improvised grass fields, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, MetLife Stadium, and AT&T Stadium. All are NFL palaces with opulent suites, but the field is more significant to the world’s greatest soccer players. To avoid humiliation, World Cup officials must ensure that the grass is set down far ahead of time.
Finally, the officiating at the Copa America was a frequent subject of contention. It shouldn’t be that way. Part of the problem was that there was just too much diving and rolling about by guys looking for calls. There’s too much squabbling. Marsch stated in support of his Canadian players: “They’ve never berated referees, never rolled around on the ground like children looking for calls and yellows from referees.” Many Copa referees battled to keep games in control. For those watching Euro games, the contrast was apparent. Players there had significantly greater regard for the officials, who were in charge and, when they saw players dive, would wave them up and urge them to continue. Copa referees deserve a yellow card for their actions, and some should be red-carded and removed before 2026.
