We’re only a few hours away from the start of the 2016 Copa America and anticipation is building into a fever pitch for this great sporting spectacle. 16 teams from across the Americas are now gathered in the United States as they prepare to battle it out in this special one-off edition of this great tournament.
Kicking things off in Group B is a showdown between CONCACAF team Haiti and CONMEBOL squad Peru. Who will emerge victorious in this opening clash? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our complete preview and sleeper picks for the Copa America Centenario.
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If there’s one team in this competition who knows how to play spoiler, it’s got to be Haiti. The Caribbean nation bucked the odds, beating Trinidad & Tobago, 1-0, in the final play-offs to qualify for its first ever Copa America tournament. That’s quite an achievement for the Les Grenadiers who are ranked just 71st in the latest FIFA World Rankings. That’s the lowest among all participating teams in this year’s Copa America.
Haiti will get a baptism of fire as standing in its way in the opening match is the mighty Peru. For Haiti to record a massive upset, it needs a huge performance from Kervens Belfort. Even though he is only 24 years old, he’s already the most lethal attacker on the squad. Belfort has already scored 11 goals in 28 appearances for Haiti. Much is expected as well from Sporting KC midfielder Soni Musivar. He is the team’s lone MLS player and his experience will play a crucial role for Haiti at the Copa.
That being said, chances against Peru will definitely be few and far between. The Les Grenadiers will need to be solid at the back to counter Peru’s vaunted attack. The onus is on goalkeeper Johnny Placide to be solid between the posts. The captain got regular playing time in Ligue 1 as Reims’ starting goalkeeper. That experience in the French top division will be integral for the 27-year-old as he will surely be tested often in this year’s Copa America.
Haiti is pegged at +55,000to win the Copa America Centenario.
There are plenty of question marks surrounding Peru heading into this historic Copa America Centenario. The Blanquirroja have failed to win in their last three competitive games, racking up two defeats and a draw in the first round of their CONMEBOL World qualifiers. That start was quite disappointing for the Peruvians who finished third at last summer’s Copa America.
The good news for head coach Ricardo Gareca is that his side is starting to hit peak form ahead of this year’s tournament. Peru won its last two international friendlies, defeating Trindad & Tobago and El-Salvador, 4-0 and 3-1 respectively. That’s a welcome development for Gareca who’s bringing up a new generation of players in this year’s tournament. He left familiar names like Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro out of the lineup with the hope that young domestic stars like Andy Polo and Edison Flores can finally launch their international careers on the big stage.
In fact, 13 of Peru’s 20 outfield players who are participating in this year’s Copa have fewer than 10 caps. Even with the infusion of young talent, Peru will still rely on the leadership of Paolo Guerrero. The 32-year-old veteran has boatloads of experience, playing in the German Bundesliga with champions Bayern Munich and Hamburg. He already has proven himself in the international stage, scoring 26 goals in 67 appearances for Peru.
The Blanquirroja will fancy their chances of grabbing the win against Haiti as they have fared extremely well against them of late. They are unbeaten in their last four meetings against Haiti in all competitions. The last meeting between the two nations was in a friendly on February 2003. Peru won that match, 5-1.
Peru is pegged at +6,600to win the Copa America Centenario.
