Colombia vs Costa Rica

State Farm Stadium sets the stage for a ‘David vs Goliath’ Copa America 2024 clash between Colombia and Costa Rica.

Colombia got their Copa America 2024 campaign off to a flying start, with two unanswered first-half goals propelling them to a 2-1 victory against Paraguay in their Group D opener. It was barely surprising to see Los Cafeteros commence their journey in the States States on a winning note, considering they’re unbeaten in international football for over two years, a run featuring 24 matches (W19, D5), including nine consecutive triumphs. Extending that outstanding streak would see Colombia put together ten wins in a row for the first time in the nation’s history and, in turn, fired them into the Copa America knockouts for a sixth tournament on the trot with a game to spare. All signs point in that direction, as Nestor Lozano’s men have defeated Costa Rica in eight of their last nine encounters (L1).

While Costa Rica’s recent results against Colombia paint a bleak picture for the North American outfit, they can draw confidence from defying the odds on the opening day to hold Brazil to a gutsy 0-0 draw. Gustavo Alfaro’s men must upset the apple cart again to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Copa America knockout phase for the first time since 2004. Indeed, they’ve flamed out of the group stages in their last two appearances despite winning a game apiece. A four-game unbeaten run (W2, D2) sounds decent from Costa Rica’s perspective, especially considering they’ve kept a clean sheet in all four matches. Los Ticos could commence their Copa America campaign unbeaten in the opening two rounds for the first time since 2001.