Brazil will look to punch their ticket to the knockout phase of the Copa America 2024 when they face Colombia on Tuesday at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco.
There were some concerns after Brazil kickstarted the tournament with a dull 0-0 draw against Costa Rica, but they hammered Paraguay 4-1 in the very next game to all but confirm their advancement to the knockout stage.
They need only need to avoid defeat on matchday three to advance beyond the group stage. Selecao are three points above Costa Rica for a place in the knockout phase with a goal differential of +3, while the latter are at -3.
In worst case scenario, they would need to lose by three, and Costa Rica would have to beat Paraguay by four to knock the Brazilians out of the tournament.
Los Cafeteros, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to 25 games across all competitions thanks to a 3-0 win over Costa Rica last time out, with a perfect 100% record this year, claiming six wins. The Colombians have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals and even a draw for them on matchday three would ensure they top their group and avoid the tough task of facing a rampant Uruguay in the next round.
This is set up for an early Copa America classic between two of the big guns in the tournament!
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Brazil vs. Colombia live stream, TV channel
- TV channel: N/A
- Streaming: N/A
Unfortunately, there has been no official confirmation of TV and live stream broadcasts of Copa America in India. Reports had suggested that FanCode and Sony were ready to take up broadcast rights for the tournament but, as yet, that has not been made official. So at the moment, there is no official platform in India on which viewers can stream or any channel on which the match will be broadcast.
However, if this match is not available to watch live in your location, or if you're travelling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
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What time is Brazil vs. Colombia kickoff?
This Copa America match kicks off from Levi's Stadium on Tuesday, July 2 at 6:00 p.m. PT local time in Santa Clara, California, San Francisco, USA.
For fans in India that means a 6:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday, July 3 kickoff.
Brazil vs. Colombia lineups & team news
Star forward Vinicius Junior, along with Real Madrid teammate Eder Militao, West Ham's Lucas Paqueta and Wendell, are among the Selecao players who have received a yellow card and could face a suspension, so the Brazilians may keep them on the bench to start with.
Seventeen-year-old Endrick will likely earn his first start at this tournament in place of Vinicius, having entered as a substitute in both of their matches so far.
PSG centre-back Lucas Beraldo could slot into central defence alongside his Paris Saint-Germain clubmate Marquinhos, while Andreas Pereira would be the most likely player to replace Paqueta on matchday three.
Douglas Luiz was dropped on matchday two, with Brazil head coach Dorival Junior favouring Joao Gomes and Bruno Guimaraes as the holding midfield double-pivot.
Savio justified his place in the opening lineup on Friday, scoring his first goal with the senior side. Rodrygo played as the central striker against Paraguay, but the Real Madrid wizard may return to his preferred position on the left-wing for this match. .
Brazil projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson (GK) — Danilo, Beraldo, Marquinhos, Arana — Guimaraes, Gomes — Savio, Pereira, Rodrygo — Endrick.
Colombian skipper James Rodriguez was pulled out with less than 20 minutes left to play due to a knock on Friday, but head coach Jaime Lorenzo has confirmed that it was only as a precautionary measure.
Starting defender Jhon Lucumi survived a scare after he went down with an apparent leg injury in the 2-1 win against Paraguay in Colombia's Group D opener, but the injury has already been deemed minor, and after missing the teamsheet against Costa Rica, he could return to feature here, with that pending a late fitness test ahead of Tuesday's match against Brazil.
Los Cafeteros will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of veteran goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, with the team revolving around Rodriguez. While he's no longer plying his trade in Europe, the former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder remains a pivotal figure for his national team and may not be risked in this game.
Should Rodriguez be benched as a precaution, 25-year-old Leeds United winger Luis Sinisterra will likely earn his first appearance at this tournament, having not featured either as a starter or a substitute in both of their matches thus far.
Luis Diaz scored the 13th goal for his country on matchday two, converting an opening-half penalty, while Ivan Cordoba and Davinson Sanchez scored the other goals.
Colombia projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Vargas — Munoz, Sanchez, Cuesta, Machado — Castano, Uribe, Arias — Sinisterra, Duran, Diaz.
Brazil vs Colombia prediction
- Score prediction: Brazil 2-2 Colombia
Given Colombia have already secured progression to the next round and Brazil are currently leading Costa Rica by three points with a vastly superior goal differential (+3 to -3), it is quite possible that both teams are looking ahead and have started making plans for the quarterfinals.
With both sides set to take a safety-first approach in a bid to avoid risking injuries and suspensions, TSN expect an entertaining, closely-contested contest with some young talent on each side keen to impress the onlookers.
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