Group A: Argentina secure top spot and Uruguay overtake Paraguay

The group stage of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 reaches it’s conclusion with wins for Argentina and Uruguay against Bolivia and Paraguay respectively.

With these wins, the Albiceleste finish top of the group on 10 points, Uruguay finish second with 7, Paraguay on 6, Chile on 6 and Bolivia are eliminated on 0.

Lionel Scaloni’s side finished the group stage in style picking up a comprehensive 4-1 win against Bolivia with goals from Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gómez, Lionel Messi (twice) and Lautaro Martínez to finish in first place.

Argentina dominated throughout and their winning advantage could have been greater if it wasn’t for some goalkeeping heroics from Carlos Lampe for Bolivia.

With first place second Argentina will now face Ecuador from Group B on Saturday in Goiania.

NUMBERS FROM THE GAME

• The match between Bolivia y Argentina was the tenth meeting of the sides on nuetral ground in all competitions. Argentina didn’t lose any of these games (10 wins, 1 draw).

• Argentina has lost 2 of their last 26 games at the CONMEBOL Copa América (15 wins, 9 draws, 2 losses), in 2011, 2015 and 2016 they were eliminated on penalties. Their only losses came against Colombia (0-2) and Brazil (0-2) in 2019.

• Lionel Scaloni is on a run of 17 games without defeat (10 wins, 7 draws) and he equals Guillermo Stábile for the third longest unbeaten streak as Argentina boss. If they don’t lost against Ecuador he will equal Marcelo Bielsa’s record (18). Alfio Basile has the all-time record of 31 games between 1991 and 1993.

• Lionel Messi is now the player with most appearances for the Argentine national team (148). With the two goals tonight he is now the fourth top Argentine scorer in the history of the CONMEBOL Copa América. He is one behind Gabriel Batistuta and José Moreno and 5 behind leader Norberto Méndez.

• Lionel Messi had 4 shots on goal against Bolivia which is his highest at the CONMEBOL Copa América.

– Uruguay win and move into second –

Oscar Tabárez’ side picked up an important 1-0 win against a tough Paraguay side at the  Nilton Santos de Río de Janeiro to qualify in second place in Group A.

Edinson Cavani scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot to secure Uruguay second place and a quarterfinal tie against Colombia on Saturday.

NUMBERS FROM THE GAME

• Uruguay are now 16 games undefeated against Paraguay at the CONMEBOL Copa América (10 wins, 6 draws). This win means Uruguay have won all of their last four meetings.

• Paraguay have not conceded more than one goal in their last 7 games at the CONMEBOL Copa América (2 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses). The last time they conceded twice in the competition against a CONMEBOL rival was in 2016 in a 2-1 loss against Colombia.

• Uruguay have scored in their last three games against a CONMEBOL rival in the Copa América (2 wins, 1 draw). They have not scored in three consecutive games against South American rivals since 2007-2011 when they went on a run of 7 games (3 wins, 4 draws).

• Paraguay were unable to work a shot on the Uruguayan goal in the first half. This is the first time Uruguay have denied their opponents a shooting opportunity in a half since the 2007 Copa America when they won 4-1 against Venezuela.

• Uruguay had 18 shots against Paraguya. This is their second highest number of  shots in a Copa America game against a South American side since at least 2011 (29 vs Japan in 2019, 22 vs Mexico in 2011 and 22 vs Bolivia in 2021).