Copa América: Lionel Messi, Neymar headline star-studded semifinal matchups
The 2021 Copa América is down to a star-studded final four.
The semifinals at Copa América begin Tuesday, with Brazil taking on Peru (7 p.m. ET, FS1). The action continues Wednesday, when Argentina and Colombia square off to fill the remaining spot in the final (9 p.m. ET, FS1).
With the final within reach, which teams will seize the moment?
Here's what you need to know about the semifinal matchups.
Brazil vs. Peru
Key player for Brazil: Neymar
Key player for Peru: Gianluca Lapadula
FOX Bet odds: Brazil -450, Peru +1200, tie (end of regular time) +450
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Lucas Paqueta scored the only goal of the game as Brazil defeated Chile 1-0 in the quarterfinals at Copa America.
What to know: Down to 10 men for most of the second half, the Brazilians hung on to topple Chile in the quarterfinals. Lucas Paquetá came on at the stroke of halftime and made an instant impact, scoring Brazil's lone goal against Chile in the 46th minute. But minutes later, Gabriel Jesus was sent off with a straight red card for a dangerous tackle. A pair of second-half interventions from Ederson helped Brazil weather the storm, while Neymar helped provide an outlet with a team-leading 68 touches, 45 of which came in the attacking third, in 90 minutes played.
After finishing second in Group B, Peru's strong tournament continued with a thrilling win against Paraguay in their quarterfinal contest. That match featured six goals, two sending-offs and a penalty shootout. Gustavo Gómez had an eventful game for Paraguay, scoring a goal in the 11th and an own goal in the 21st and picking up two yellow cards late in the first half for a red card and an early shower.
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In a game that featured two red cards and multiple comebacks, it was Peru who walked away with a victory, as they defeated Paraguay in penalties.
As he has done most of the tournament, Lapadula continued to be a headache for the opposition. The 31-year-old forward scored his second goal of the competition to put Peru up 2-1 before halftime. Tied 3-3 at the end of extra time, the game eventually went to penalties, where Lapadula and three of his teammates converted from the spot for a 4-3 win in the shootout. With André Carrillo suspending after a sending off of his own, Peru manager Ricardo Gareca will have some retooling to do for the semis.
Head-to-head history: Brazil are 33-8-5 all time against Peru, per TransferMarkt.com, with their most recent win coming in the group stage of this competition. Brazil ran out to a 4-0 lead in their Group B clash, as Alex Sandro, Neymar, Everton Ribeiro and Richarlison all found the back of the net.
Argentina vs. Colombia
Key player for Argentina: Lionel Messi
Key player for Colombia: David Ospina
FOX Bet odds: Argentina -133, Colombia +400, tie (end of regular time) +230
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Argentina cruised to a 3-0 win over Ecuador with Lionel Messi's spectacular goal and two assists. Argentina advances to the semifinals, where they will face Colombia.
What to know: Messi's march to his elusive first international trophy carried on with a 3-0 win against Ecuador on Saturday. Argentina peppered Ecuador's goal with 21 shots, eight of which were on target. Messi played provider on Argentina's first two goals, feeding Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez on either side of halftime to go up 2-0.
Then, with the game winding down, Messi took matters into his own hands. A foul on the edge of the box set the stage for Messi to deliver one of his trademark free-kick goals, and he delivered.
Through five matches, Argentina's defense has conceded just two goals. Speaking of stingy defenses, Colombia battened down the hatches for a 0-0 quarterfinal finish against Uruguay, advancing 4-2 on penalties. Ospina came up huge both during the run of play and in the shootout. The 32-year-old Colombian captain made three saves in the game, then made two crucial stops in the penalty shootout. As his teammates made all four of their kicks, Ospina's heroics propelled Los Cafeteros to victory.
In other good news for Colombia, Juan Cuadrado should be ready to roll against Argentina after missing the quarterfinals due to yellow-card accumulation.
Head-to-head history: Argentina boast a 20-8-6 record against Colombia. Their most recent meeting was roughly a month ago, a 2-2 draw in World Cup qualifying on June 9.
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