The Copa America Centenario has reached the semifinals, and the host United States are not only still alive, they’re the only CONCACAF team still standing. They’ve got a brutally tough task ahead of them if they’re going to make the final, facing last year’s runner-ups and one of the hottest national teams in the world -- Argentina.
USA vs. Argentina, Copa America 2016: Time, TV schedule and team news
Beating Argentina seems almost impossible, but if the U.S. can pull it off it will be a massive coup.
Los Albiceleste are on an absolutely incredible run right now, winners in all four of their Copa matches so far, including a group stage rematch with the team who beat them in the final last year, Chile. It’s been almost awe-inspiring to watch them work, and as they demolished Venezuela with ease in the quarterfinal, USMNT fans were quaking in fear. This isn’t going to be a fun match or an easy one -- but the U.S. can win if they play motivated and to their full ability.
But playing to their full ability will be difficult -- Jermaine Jones is suspended after earning a straight red card in the USMNT’s quarterfinal against Ecuador, and both Bobby Wood and Alejandro Bedoya will be out with suspensions for yellow card accumulation. That’s a lot of the most important players to the style the U.S. have been playing out of the game, and while Argentina will be missing Nicolas Gaitan for accumulation, they’re much better suited to life without him thanks to their incredible attacking depth. How the USMNT adapt to their suspensions will be critical to the result of this match, because without Jones, Wood, and Bedoya, an already brutal match is going to be even tougher.
Key player -- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Let’s be real: this match begins and ends with Lionel Messi. He’s been a dynamic, unstoppable force ever since he first stepped foot onto the pitch in the Copa, and no one has been able to do much more than inconvenience him, much less slow him down. No player is going to change the match more than Messi will, and it’s going to be tough to take your eyes off him for fear that you’ll miss something incredible.
Key matchup -- Michael Bradley (United States) vs. Ever Banega (Argentina)
Midfield control is going to be crucial in this match, but it’s going to be more difficult to establish and maintain for the U.S. with Jones and Bedoya out suspended. That puts a lot of weight on Bradley’s shoulders, more weight than his critics might believe he can handle. No matter what, though, he needs to find a way to shut Banega down -- his presence has been crucial in Argentina’s possession game, and he’s frequently been the guy who’s tasked with getting the ball into the final third for Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and friends to play with. If Bradley can shut him down, Argentina might just be easier to contain.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. local
Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Univision, Univision Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), TyC Sports, DIRECTV Sports (Argentina)
Online: Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports Go, fuboTV (U.S.), TyC Sports Play, DIRECTV Play Deportes (Argentina)
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