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After an exciting group stage, it’s time to shift our focus to the Copa America knockout phase, with two quarterfinal matches on Saturday.
Keep in mind that other than in the tournament final, single-match ties feature overtime; 90 minutes plus stoppage time will be immediately followed by a penalty shootout if the score is still level.
After Argentina advanced on Thursday and Canada on Friday, Saturday will feature the final two quarterfinal matchups, both of which contain unexpected wrinkles in their own ways.
Brazil vs. Uruguay is a clash of titans rarely seen this early in the tournament, made possible by the latter’s surprising failure to top their group, while Panama wasn’t supposed to make it this far. Now, Los Canaleros will play Colombia, which topped Brazil in the group stage with some more consistent football.
So who should we expect to make it to the semifinals, where the winners of these two matches will meet? Let’s start by taking a look at one of the most impressive teams of the tournament — Néstor Lorenzo’s Colombia squad.
Saturday’s Copa America quarterfinals
Colombia vs. Panama odds
- Moneyline: Colombia -300, Panama +875, Draw +425
- Total: Over 2.5 (-125), Under 2.5 (-110)
Odds via BetMGM
Colombia vs. Panama prediction & pick
Just like clockwork, James Rodriguez has emerged after an uneventful stretch of club seasons to put in a remarkable shift for his nation. In the tournament, he has yet to earn a FotMob match score lower than 8.1, as he’s twice been named Man of the Match by the rating source, with three assists to his name already, including a tremendous one against Brazil to help seal the group.
It’s a good thing Rodriguez is putting in another great summer, as the Colombia defense, including goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, really has yet to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with, although fullback Daniel Munoz has distinguished himself in attack with a pair of goals.
Put simply, this Colombia squad, which had won seven consecutive matches ahead of the tournament and has not lost any of its past 25 outings — a streak dating back to early 2022 — is red-hot. The match could be a fun one, as Panama has shown a lot of heart in this tournament, but the talent and experience levels are far too disparate for another upset to take place.
That being said, between the spunk shown by Panama (six goals in the group stage including at least one in each match) and Colombia’s attack-first style, expect some goals in this match; over 2.5 is a really solid play, whether Colombia simply run rampant or Panama contribute as well.
Colombia vs. Panama best bet
Uruguay vs. Brazil odds
- Moneyline: Uruguay +185, Brazil +155, Draw +210
- Total: Over 2.5 (+120), Under 2.5 (-175)
Odds via BetMGM
Uruguay vs. Brazil prediction & pick
There’s a bit more nuance at play in the Brazil-Uruguay match. As you might expect of an Argentine with the guts to go across enemy lines and manage Uruguay, Marcelo Bielsa has been ruthless throughout this tournament. Uruguay is the only squad to run up the score against bottom-dweller Bolivia, and they trotted out a full-force squad en route to a win against a USA squad that needed the points far more than La Celeste did.
Brazil has been, as Ronaldinho infamously yet aptly predicted, the most joyless iteration of one of the most traditionally delightful footballing nations. Of course, we’ve seen football succeed without being “aesthetic” in the past, and this is not that; the results have been poor, from pre-tournament tune-up matches to the group stage itself. It’s not solely an instance of solid play without end-product; the Seleção only managed 0.29 expected goals against Colombia in an anemic performance.
Between Brazil’s recent lack of creativity and Uruguay’s unforgiving play style, expect this to be a grueling battle. Whichever direction it goes, this has all of the makings of a match that is decided by a single moment of brilliance, or perhaps chaos. Either way, be ready for a lone goal to be all it takes for a team — likely Uruguay — to advance.
Uruguay vs. Brazil best bets
- Under 1.5 goals (+186, FanDuel)
- Uruguay to advance (-110, FanDuel)
