To the victor goes the spoils...in every tournament except Copa America. Yes, the world's most unpredictable international tournament is at it again. Chile and Peru, unlike Mexico and Uruguay, have done what was asked of them in the first two matches of the group stages, and now control their own destinies in the final match. Right now, they sit in first and second place in Group C. If all standings hold, their respective quarterfinal opponents would probably be...ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL?!?!
Yes, as a reward for doing well, Chile and Peru could end up facing two of the most talented national sides in the world. Meanwhile, if standings hold and Uruguay gets their third straight draw on Tuesday night, they would be facing Venezuela in the quarterfinals. I guess good things come to those who wait to actually play decent football.
The second placed team in the group definitely gets Argentina, while the team who comes out in a less favorable position in tonight's match won't know their opponent until Wednesday night. They could actually draw any of Ecuador, Paraguay, Brazil or Venezuela, so there's plenty of incentive to win.
Chile aren't quite the thrilling side they were under Marcelo Bielsa, at least yet, but they're still far from boring. Alexis Sanchez, Humberto Suazo, and company are still capable of scoring goals in bunches. They should be able to beat Peru, but then again, Uruguay should have been able to beat Peru as well.
Both Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan, far and away Peru's most accomplished attacking players, are missing from the squad. The fact that they've been able to pick up four points so far in this tournament despite missing those players is not just a bit surprising, it's downright astonishing. If Peru are able to defeat Chile on Tuesday night, their run progresses to jaw-dropping on the levels of disbelief scale.
Tune in for what should be bags of fun from Argentina...if the two sides don't agree to a gentleman's handshake draw.