An optimistic Colombia team aim to begin their Copa America campaign in winning ways on Monday when they take on Paraguay in Houston. With a string of strong performances behind them, Los Cafeteros hope to live up to the billing as this tournament's dark horses with a strong performance in their opening match. Though they are heavily favored against a midtable regional counterpart, Paraguay come with their own talents, chief among them a stingy defense that held Colombia to just one goal when the two sides last met in November.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Monday, June 23 | Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: NRG Stadium -- Houston, Texas
- TV: Fox Sports 1 | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Colombia -155; Draw +260; Paraguay +500
Group D outlook
Brazil and Colombia are heavily favored to advance out of Group D, with the former the oddsmakers' choice to top the group. Colombia have it in them to beat Brazil, just like they did in a 2-1 win in November, but will first have to prove they can handle lower-ranking opponents like Paraguay and Costa Rica. As for Paraguay, any points they can steal off of the likes of Colombia and Brazil will be crucial in their hopes to make the quarterfinals.
Storylines
Colombia: Three years removed from a third-place finish at the Copa America, Colombia have some big wins to celebrate in recent months. They picked up their first-ever World Cup qualifying over Brazil in November, beat Spain 1-0 in a friendly in March and demolished the U.S. 5-1 in one of their final friendlies before the Copa America, teasing that they could be one of the most thrilling teams at this summer's tournament. It helps when Luis Diaz is on the roster -- he scored twice in that game against Brazil and is coming off a 13-goal season for Liverpool. They might have a decent path to the semifinals, too, if all things go right but they will first have to prove their worth in the group stage -- and seem almost certain to do so.
Paraguay: One of South America's middle-of-the-road sides, Paraguay have posted some modest results in the run-up to the Copa America. Their 3-0 loss to Chile earlier this month is an anomaly for a record that's almost entirely dominated by one-goal margins -- that's true for their win over Panama this month and for their 1-0 losses to Colombia and Argentina last fall. It's a credit to their defensive resolve but that's not to say Paraguay do not come with attacking talent -- look no further than Miguel Almiron, who scored five goals and notched three assists for Newcastle United last season.
Prediction
This is Colombia's game to lose and there's little reason to suggest they will, considering the positivity they come to the Copa America with. Expect Diaz to play a big role, whether it's with goals or helping his teammates, as they establish themselves as a team to watch at the competition this summer. Pick: Colombia 2, Paraguay 0
