Copa America 2024: Colombia x Costa Rica, Match Preview, Odds, Team News and Predictions(28/06/2024)

A win versus Costa Rica on Friday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona will put Colombia in the Copa America quarterfinals.

Los Cafeteros are leading Group D with three points after defeating Paraguay 2-1, while Los Ticos surprised everyone with a 0-0 draw against Brazil.

Team news: Colombia vs. Costa Rica

Jhon Lucumi, the Bologna center-back, may not be available for this match for the Colombians; on Monday, a knock forced Yerry Mina of Cagliari to take his place after 25 minutes.

With record cap holder David Ospina relegated to the bench, Camilo Vargas was in goal for the Colombians once more, starting every game, while Luis Diaz won his 50th cap with the club.

After Daniel Munoz gave them the lead on Monday, Jefferson Lerma of Crystal Palace scored the game-winning goal, and James Rodriguez became the first player in tournament history to record two assists in a single group stage game since Andre Carrillo of Peru in 2019.

On matchday one, Costa Rica added Haxzel Quiros, Juan Pablo Vargas, and Jefferson Brenes to the starting lineup from the team that defeated Grenada 3-0 in World Cup qualifying.

After Joel Campbell (19 years and 15 days) came in for the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time in their opener in 2011, Jeyland Mitchell became the youngest player to start for a CONCACAF squad in this competition, at 19 years and 270 days.

Brazil had 19 shots against the Costa Ricans, but goalie Patrick Sequeira only needed to make three saves to record his fourth straight clean sheet.

Head-to-Head and Previous Matches

After a tough first 20 minutes, Colombia was able to convert the majority of their possession.

With 68% of the ball in their first game and two of their three targeted goals, Nestor Lorenzo's team is in a position to qualify for the tournament's last eight for the sixth time in a row.

Colombia has won nine straight games overall, seven of those victories by a single goal.

They may win consecutive group matches in this competition on Friday for the first time since 2019 when they finished at the top of their group.

Over their current, more than two-year unbeaten run, the Colombians have been excellent defensively, but they have also been strong in the offensive third, scoring 13 goals in their last four games.

Since the 2016 Copa America, when Costa Rica hung on for a 3-2 victory in Houston, Los Cafeteros have not lost against a CONCACAF opponent.

In their first game, Costa Rica achieved an amazing feat by defending for the whole of the game and hardly getting a look at the Brazilian goal.

Gustavo Alfaro's men joined Honduras (2001) and Mexico (2001 and 2007) as the only CONCACAF countries to hold Brazil off the scoreboard on matchday one.

Los Ticos are lucky that statistics don't decide how a game turns out because the Brazilians outperformed them in practically every area, with the Costa Ricans only having 26% possession and a 0.03 expected goals ratio.

The Costa Ricans haven't lost in five straight games since the start of the 2022 World Cup; thus, their current four-match unbeaten run is the longest one since then.

They have never recorded three straight clean sheets at the Copa America, but they haven't given up a goal in any of their last three games.

Nine of the eleven times they have played Colombia, Los Ticos have lost; their last victory over them came at the 2016 Copa America, more than 70 years after their first encounter in 1938.

Our Predictions

Colombia to win

Though Costa Rica has shown they can defend, they might be under constant siege again on Friday, and eventually, Los Ticos could become fatigued playing against another potent attacking team.

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