The second match of Saturday’s Copa América Centenario triple-header sees two of the tournament’s minnows facing off at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Central American invitees Haiti are the lowest-ranked team competing in the United States, and undoubtedly head into this contest as the underdogs. Though they’ve got a smattering of players who ply their domestic trade in Europe, there are certainly no household names. They’d do well to just avoid defeat in this match.
Haiti vs. Peru 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch Copa America online
Peru head into their Copa América opener against Haiti on Saturday as favourites.
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Peru have a slightly prouder footballing history, and are indeed two-time winners of the Copa América. However, they’ve not done so since 1975, and Ricardo Gareca’s young squad represents something of a changing of the guard. They only have six players drawn from outside their domestic division, and stalwarts like Claudio Pizarro, Jefferson Farfán and Juan Manuel Vargas have all failed to make the cut. It’s an experimental selection, and Haiti may well consider that as giving them a chance.
Key player: Paolo Guerrero (Peru)
One exception to Peru's focus on youth is Paolo Guerrero, the 32-year-old striker who needs only one more goal to surpass the legendary Teófilo Cubillas and establish himself as Peru's outright all-time top scorer. Formerly of Bayern Munich and Hamburg, he's played his domestic football in Brazil since 2012. He may not make Gareca's starting lineup, but it'd be a surprise if we didn't see him at some point.
Key question: Will Haiti be able to keep things tight at the back?
Haiti may be one of the weakest teams in the competition on paper, but French coach Patrice Neveu has certainly turned them into a difficult team to break down. With the exception of a 3-1 defeat they suffered in a pre-tournament friendly against Colombia, they’ve not conceded more than a single goal in a game in over a year. They boast a very sturdy defensive structure, and Peru certainly shouldn’t arrive expecting to blow Les Grenadiers away.
Match date/time: Saturday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. local
Venue: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.
TV: Fox Sports 2 (US - English); Univision (US and Canada - Spanish); DIRECTV Sports (Peru)
Online: Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO, Univision Deportes en vivo, Sling, fuboTV (US); DIRECTV Play Deportes, América TVGO (Peru)
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