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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JUNE 28: Lionel Messi of Argentina controls the ball during the Copa ... [+]
The biggest tournament in South American soccer is the Copa América. The biggest rivalry in South American soccer is Argentina vs. Brazil. When you combine the two, you have all the makings for one of the biggest matches in the world.
Argentina and Brazil will face off in the 2019 Copa América semifinal this Tuesday, July 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET (Telemundo; streaming on FuboTV, ESPN+ and the Telemundo Deportes app) at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. With the winner becoming a strong favorite to win the tournament and the loser suffering the ignominy of not even advancing to the final, there will be much more at stake than just bragging rights.
The 2019 Copa América has been a mixed bag so far for host nation, Brazil. The Seleção were dominant in two of their group stage matches, defeating Bolivia 3-0 in the opener and Peru 5-0 in the group stage closer. Sandwiched in between was a lackluster 0-0 draw against Venezuela. Brazil was held scoreless once again in its quarterfinal against a Paraguay squad that was down to 10-men for much of the match, but it managed to advance after a penalty shootout.
Brazil is fighting to reclaim its crown as the best in South America and one of the best in the world. While the talent has been there to stake that claim in the last decade, the results have not. The last time Brazil won a major international tournament—excluding the 2016 Summer Olympics—was the 2007 Copa América. In the time between then and the 2019 Copa América, it had only advanced as far as the quarterfinals in any Copa América. The last time it hosted a major international tournament, the 2014 World Cup, it was eliminated in an infamous 7-1 loss to eventual champions Germany before falling 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third-place game.
Argentina opened the 2019 Copa América with a 2-0 loss to Colombia. The Albiceleste's performance was put under further scrutiny following its match against Paraguay when it needed a Lionel Messi penalty to secure a 1-1 draw. Since then, Argentina has secured a pair of 2-0 wins, first over Qatar to finish the group stage then against tournament dark horse Venezuela to advance to the semifinals.
Although it has fared better than rival Brazil, Argentina has also struggled to win major international tournaments in recent years. It hasn't won the Copa América since 1993 but finished as runner-up in 2004, 2007, 2015 and 2016. It also finished as runner-up at the 2014 World Cup.
Argentina captain and legend Messi has been criticized for La Albiceleste's poor performances in cup finals. Many critics consider his failure to win a tournament with Argentina a strike against claims that he is the greatest soccer player of all-time. At 32, with far fewer Copa Américas and World Cups ahead of him than behind him, advancing past Brazil and winning the final could secure Messi's legacy as the greatest of all-time.
Tuesday's semifinal will be the 110th meeting between Argentina and Brazil dating back to their first match in 1914. Brazil leads the all-time series with 45 wins to Argentina's 39. The rivals have met once a year since 2014 with Brazil going 3-1-1 over that span.
How To Watch
WHAT: Argentina vs. Brazil, 2019 Copa América Semifinal
WHEN: Tuesday, July 2, 8:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
STREAMING: FuboTV; ESPN+; Telemundo Deportes app (Spanish)
TV: Telemundo (Spanish)
Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated Argentina defeated Colombia 2-0 in the group stage.
