Cuba and Martinique were both on the end of heavy defeats in their opening matches of the Gold Cup and both are left with an uphill battle to progress from Group A. Neither side can afford another defeat but this may come down to a mental battle and who can overcome their loss in the first game.
Argentina need to respond and quickly or they will face another disastrous tournament when they are trying to extinguish the memory of their last one. Paraguay lie in wait and will fancy their attacking unit to cause Argentina’s defence problems but they must be clinical in front of goal.
Mexico and Canada were both heavy scorers in the first round of group matches but know they face much stiffer opposition in their second game. Canada in particular will know they have a big job on their hands as they come up against the pre-tournament favourites.
Qatar put in a valiant performance in their opening game of the Copa America as they earned a draw from their game with Paraguay but now face Columbia who come into the game on the back of a solid win over Argentina.
Italy and Poland both won their opening game in the European Under-21 Championships and a win for either of them here will give that side a superb chance of progressing to the knockout phase. Italy will come in as favourites and rightfully so after a brilliant win over Spain and can win again here.
Scotland and Argentina face-off in a do-or-die match that will determine their fate in this Women’s World Cup. Both teams need a win to stand a chance of progression to the knockout stages with a draw set to eliminate the two which could see this become a very open affair.
Brazil were comfortable winners over Bolivia in their opening match of the Copa America with them able to see off their opponents after eventually breaking the deadlock at the start of the second half. They now face a Venezuelan side that struggled against Peru and could be in for a long night here.
England had to work hard for their win over Argentina but that will stand them in good stead for another tricky contest with Japan. Both teams are still capable of qualifying as group winners but on the flip side, Japan have yet to even seal their place in the last 16.
Spain suffered defeat against Italy in their opening game of Group A and must now beat Belgium to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the semi-finals. Belgium too will need a win but after suffering a disappointing loss to Poland, their chances look slim.
The United States have suffered a poor two years since claiming the 2017 Gold Cup as they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They have numerous new players in their squad which will help them attempt to begin righting the wrongs of that ill-fated campaign ahead of the 2022 qualifiers.
Pre-tournament favourites England face a difficult opening contest against France with both teams capable of going all the way in this year’s European Under-21 Championships. Neither side will want to begin with a loss as that could be devastating in this format.
Panama have not won a game since April 2018 which was ironically against their opponents in this game. Trinidad and Tobago are also out of form having failed to win any of their last four matches but Panama are the side able to put their losing streak behind them here.
Both Romania and Croatia are appearing at their first European Under-21 Championships for numerous years and will be looking to make an early impression. It is going to be an uphill task for both teams having been placed in a tough group alongside pre-tournament favourites England as well as France.
Australia were staring down the barrel of a shock exit from the Women’s World Cup but a superb response to going two goals down to Brazil saw them claim a vital victory and they can now build on that performance as they look to seal a place in the last 16.
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