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Wednesday’s Copa America semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia has the potential to be the match of the summer.
Both teams are physical, talented and play with the kind of reckless abandon that is far too rare in this stage of major international tournaments.
Add in the fact that the bookmakers cannot separate these two teams and you have all the makings for a classic between two soccer-crazed countries.
For the last decade, Uruguay had the reputation of a tough tournament team that relied on its structure and work ethic to get results.
That all changed when Marcelo Bielsa took over as manager in 2023.
Bielsa is one of the most influential managers of all time thanks to his all-action style of play.
He wants his team to hunt in packs, win the ball and take risks to create scoring chances.
It has worked wonders for reimagining a team that had become a bit stale.
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Now, Uruguay’s putting up offensive numbers that would ask questions of the best defenses in the world.
Colombia has been terrific in this tournament and has become an offensive force of its own, but given how this match projects to play out I’d give a slight edge to Uruguay considering the nearly pick ’em price.
THE PLAY: Uruguay three-way moneyline (+175, FanDuel)