In little more than a month, Argentina will begin their defence of the Copa America, and the South American heavyweights are ready to battle it out with all-comers.
According to the latest Copa America 2024 betting odds, the World Champions are the team to beat, with Brazil and Uruguay likely to mount a serious challenge. And there are plenty of other nations with some special players which will fancy their chances of going deep into the competition and maybe upsetting the biggest guns.
Group B has a collection of dark horses in Mexico, Ecuador, Jamaica, and Venezuela because it’s a competitive group with a good number of household names to look out for.
So let’s take a look at the SBOTOP pick of three players to watch from Group B, a striker, a midfielder, and a defender. They are key men for their nations, valuable assets to their teams in Europe, and are sure to make plenty of Copa America 2024 highlights.
Edson Alvarez, Mexico
Mexico are ninth in the FIFA Word Rankings, above the likes of Uruguay and the USA, and they have a rich history in world and American football. They will be favourites to qualify from Group B, and with players like midfield enforcer Edson Alvarez in their side, El Tri will be hard to beat.
The West Ham United star has made a big impact in his first campaign in the Premier League, and he has left his mark on plenty of opponents.
He has been so impressive that the Hammers are bracing themselves for some top European clubs circling for his signature this summer and, after losing Declan Rice last year, they will be desperate to keep Alvarez.
But he is an ambitious player and, with uncertainty around the London Stadium at the moment, he may be tempted by a move, just 12 months after he signed from Ajax in a £35 million switch.
The Hammers have struggled without his energy and strength when Alvarez has been absent through inevitable suspensions and, while he is mainly deployed as a defencive midfielder, he can play at centre-back, and this versatility is a real asset for club and country.
He will star in the USA, and there will be plenty of interest from Europe’s top clubs in how he performs.
Piero Hincapie, Ecuador
He’s been a big part of Bayer Leverkusen’s treble-chasing team, and Piero Hincapie is another star who has attracted the attention of some big guns.
Liverpool are reported to be considering a move for the 22-year-old defencive rock in the summer. He has been in sensational form during Die Werkself’s first-ever Bundesliga title season and, since arriving at the club in 2021 and developing rapidly, Hincapie has become one of the first picks in Xabi Alonso’s team.
He is a leader on the pitch and has maturity beyond his years. At the beginning of the campaign, Leverkusen tied him down to a new deal which runs until 2027, and that means Liverpool will have to pay handsomely if they are to lure him to the Premier League.
He established himself in the Ecuador team at the 2022 World Cup and, alongside the likes of Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, Hincapie will make Ecuador a difficult side to break down.
Bobby Decordova-Reid, Jamaica
For our striker, we’re looking at the Reggae Boyz and their experienced frontman Decordova-Reid, who has had anotherinfluential Premier League campaign at Fulham, where he has starred since 2020, helping the club back to the Premier League and to become an established top-fight side once again.
Decordova-Reid is a clever and versatile forward with quick feet and the ability to turn a defender inside out and, alongside former Leicester City star Demarai Gray, now playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ettifaq, he will set out to dazzle the crowds at the Copa.
Now 31-years-old, Decordova-Reid is in Jamaica’s leadership group, and the Reggae Boyz are hoping to escape the group stages of the Copa America for the first time.
And while he is a constant goal threat, the Cottagers star may well play a slightly deeper role, allowing Clermont Foot’s in-form striker Shamar Nicholson to lead the line.
Jamaica are not one of the fancied teams at Copa 2024, but Fulham star Decordova-Reid is a player who can shine and potentially help the Reggae Boyz make it through this group. But they will have to turn their swashbuckling attacks into goals against two very tough opponents in Mexico and Ecuador.
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