Matchday 1 of Copa America has come to a close and what a time it was. Brazil suffered a draw to Costa Rica and Enner Valencia is now suspended after Ecuador fell to Venezuela. Add that with the United States and most of the tournament favorites winning and we have quite a few changes in our Copa America power rankings. Lets see how the CONMEBOL and Concacaf sides shake out. It was a good round for Concacaf sides and that's reflected in our ratings, but there's still plenty of time for things to go wrong for early upstarts, and for Brazil to recover and bounce back up to the top of the rankings with two more group stage matches on the horizon.
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| Rank | Team | Change | Blurb |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Argentina | - | Argentina were tested by Canada in their opening match, but despite that, they still won 2-0 and are one step closer to making the knockout stages. Lionel Messi did look human, missing two good chances, but when he needed to thread a ball for the insurance goal, Messi found Lautaro Martinez. Winning ugly is just as important as strong performances. |
2 | Uruguay | - | In a dominant performance, Uruguay could've had five or more goals if not for some attacks that just broke down. For all the woes that playing Darwin Núñez can bring, his work rate and confidence are so important for the style of soccer that Marcelo Bielsa wants to play. They will want to keep an eye on defending the wide areas as a clash with the United States looms. |
3 | Colombia | - | Things got a little shaky near the end facing Paraguay, but if Colombia can consistently get vintage James Rodríguez, it won't matter what mistakes they make. He assisted both of Colombia's goals as they kicked the tournament off on the right foot while Daniel Muñoz continued his excellent 2024, also finding the back of the net. |
4 | United States | +1 | Like Argentina, it wasn't the greatest performance by the United States to kick things off, but it can't be taken for granted how important it is to just pick up three points. A day where Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun both find the back of the net is a good day and there are plenty of reasons for Gregg Berhalter to feel confident about their matchup with Panama. |
5 | Mexico | +2 | They won, but at what cost? Jamie Lozano will now be concerned over the fitness of Edson Álvarez who picked up a hamstring injury against Jamaica. The captain of the Mexico squad, he'll be a big loss defensively, but if they can at least pick up a point against Venezuela, it may be enough to make the last eight. |
6 | Venezuela | +2 | It's a lot easier to play soccer when you're up a man for most of the match, but it doesn't matter how Venezuela did it as they managed to pick up a point off the toughest team in their group in Ecuador. Already boosting their chances to reach the final eight, now there is a great chance to qualify for the knockouts with a match to spare. |
7 | Brazil | -3 | On another day, Brazil are awarded a penalty and score four goals, but not on Monday as they failed to score on Costa Rica. Vinicius Junior's performances in a Brazil shirt are becoming concerning and everything that Dorival Júnior does feels uninspired. |
8 | Ecuador | -2 | Enner Valencia was more interested in practicing his Karate moves than he was in actually playing soccer, getting sent off in the 22nd minute of play. But even with that, Ecuador looked like the better team until the 60th minute as Jeremy Sarmiento found the back of the net. Valencia's suspension could end up being a silver lining as the squad needs to learn how to play without him sooner than later. |
9 | Canada | - | Canada played Argentina valiantly and there's no shame in losing to them 2-0. That game was one that you expect, but now it's about how the Canucks can respond when facing Chile and Peru who are closer to their level. More will be needed from the strikers, but with a positive start to the tournament, it's something to build on. |
10 | Costa Rica | +4 | It's not like the Ticos actually played a good game of soccer against Brazil, but that's the strongest indication that Costa Rica may be closer to returning to their best than expected. Historically Costa Rican soccer has been built on frustrating their opposition and getting points against the odds and they did just that. Pick up a victory somewhere and this group could get interesting now. |
11 | Jamaica | -1 | Still in search of their first Copa America goal ever, Jamaica held serve with Mexico but their midfield was non-existent. Michail Antonio did have a goal called back due to being offside, but there needs to be more of a balance in remaining games. |
12 | Paraguay | -1 | Better than expected against Colombia, Julian Enciso is ready for his moment to shine in this tournament and with Brazil drawing, anything can happen in the group. Miguel Almiron was disappointing in the match, but there is still talent in this squad. |
13 | Panama | -1 | In the first half, Panama were overrun by Uruguay, but they found their way in the second half, even netting a goal. Now they get to go toe-to-toe with the USMNT in what will be yet another tough matchup. They can't let Adalberto Carrasquilla get marked out of that game as well. |
14 | Chile | -1 | If Alexis Sanchez finishes his chance it's a very different match, but he didn't, and all Chile have to show from things are yellow cards and a ton of fouls. Ben Brereton Díaz needs to start moving forward and even that may not be enough to save this side. |
15 | Peru | +1 | Again, they're like Chile, but worse, as that game turned into a foul fest. Getting dominated in possession and only taking seven shots in the match, Peru doesn't really deserve to get a bump but there are a few reasons that Bolivia deserves to be at the bottom of these rankings. |
16 | Bolivia | -1 | How do you allow six shots and four on target to Ricardo Pepi off the bench? The striker only played 30 minutes and while he didn't score, Bolivia's defense allowed chances after chance to the USMNT. If they even score a goal in this tournament it may be something to celebrate. |
