Copa America is in full swing, and Group B is still up for grabs on Matchday Two. Mexico and Venezuela will face off at SoFi Stadium in Hollywood Park Wednesday to stake their claim over the group. The dual leaders are coming off opening-day wins. Mexico defeated Jamaica 1-0 on Saturday, while Venezuela delivered a 2-1 upset over their CONMEBOL rivals Ecuador. A win at SoFi Stadium would put either team in the driver's seat toward knockout rounds.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match:
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Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, June 25 | Time: 9 p.m.
- Place: SoFi Stadium -- Inglewood, CA
- TV: Fox Sports 1, TUDN, Univision | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
Storylines
Mexico: Head coach Jimmy Lozano and the squad picked up an important three points against Jamaica but it wasn't easy. The group was rattled at the loss of Edson Alvarez early in the match with an apparent hamstring injury but rallied to get on the board later for a lone-goal victory. Now they'll likely be without Alvarez for the remainder of the group stage, and possibly the tournament, Lozano and his squad will need to show they can respond to adversity, and forward Santiago Giménez has got to live up to the pressure for the team to be successful.
Venezuela: The Venezuelans had a second-half surge against Ecuador in their opening game. They frustrated the opposition early with good goalkeeping by Rafael Romo and a player advantage after Ecuador captain Enner Valencia left the pitch on a red card. Adjustments by head coach Fernando Batista were key, as Eduard Bello and Jhonder Cadiz subbed into the game and led the team to victory. If they can be patient and not concede on transition, they'll do well against Mexico.
Group B table and schedule
| Place | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Venezuela | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | Jamaica | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
June 22
Ecuador 1, Venezuela 2
Mexico 1, Jamaica 0
June 26
Ecuador vs. Jamaica, 6 p.m. on FS1
Venezuela vs. Mexico, 9 p.m. on FS1
June 30
Mexico vs. Ecuador, 8 p.m. on FS1
Jamaica vs. Venezuela, 8 p.m. on FOX
Prediction
The first match of a group stage is always the most difficult, so maybe that means we're all in for a bit of chaos during matchday two and a good old-fashioned draw. Pick: Mexico 1, Venezuela 1
