Will Argentina make Copa America history against Colombia in final?

Argentina look Colombia successful Monday's Copa America last bidding to make history.

Victory for Lionel Messi's broadside successful Miami will spot them triumph nan title for an outright grounds 16th time.

Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, was connected nan scoresheet arsenic Argentina hit Canada 2-0 to scope nan final, while Colombia overcame Uruguay 1-0 successful a semi-final marred by an angry confrontation betwixt immoderate players and fans successful nan stands aft nan last whistle.

The lucifer kicks disconnected astatine 01:00 BST.

Football is 1 of nan main threads linking nan 2 countries astatine other ends of South America - and it is almost a father-and-son relationship.

Along pinch Uruguay, Argentina were first retired of nan blocks successful South American football. Of nan continent's 10 nations, Colombia were nan ninth to return portion successful nan Copa, entering for nan first clip successful nan 18th edition, successful 1945.

Soon afterwards, Colombia launched a pirate master league. Outside nan power of Fifa, it did not person to salary transportation fees.

At this very infinitesimal Argentina's players went connected strike. And truthful Colombia lured galore of nan large names northbound - including nan awesome Alfredo di Stefano, who starred up beforehand for Millonarios of Bogota for a fewer years earlier going connected to alteration European shot pinch Real Madrid.

Since past location has ever been a beardown Argentine power connected Colombian football. Frequently nan nationalist squad coach comes from Argentina, arsenic is nan lawsuit now, pinch one-time Swindon Town defender Nestor Lorenzo doing a good job.

Defending world and continental champions, Argentina person won nan Copa 15 times. Victory connected Sunday will put them 1 up of Uruguay arsenic nan astir successful squad successful nan competition's history.

Colombia person conscionable 1 title to their sanction - connected location crushed successful 2001, a tourney to which Argentina refused to move up. The top triumph successful Colombia's history was a 5-0 World Cup qualification rout of Argentina successful Buenos Aires backmost successful 1993 - nan first clip La Albiceleste had ever mislaid a qualifier astatine home.

However they get complete nan line, that triumph will beryllium surpassed successful prestige if Colombia tin flooded their aged mentor connected Sunday pinch a title astatine stake.

At nine level James Rodriguez is simply a forgotten man. In a profession of ever-decreasing circles, he is presently surplus to requirements astatine Sao Paulo successful Brazil. But pinch nan nationalist squad he is sparkling erstwhile more.

In a highly system broadside he is allowed to roam free, uncovering small pockets of abstraction from which to activity his left-footed magic. His cross-pass for Daniel Munoz to group up Colombia's opening extremity against Paraguay was possibly nan outstanding infinitesimal of nan tournament, a glorious portion of imagination that took retired nan full defence.

Rodriguez turned 33 connected Friday, and has utilized this tourney to show location is plentifulness of shot still near successful him.

But really overmuch is near successful Lionel Messi, who has reached 37 while nan shot was rolling?

Sunday will beryllium Angel di Maria's past lucifer successful nan nationalist team. Might it besides beryllium team-mate Messi's, astatine slightest arsenic acold arsenic tournaments are concerned? This is simply a existent possibility.

Messi is utilizing nan Copa arsenic a trial to judge if he tin do himself justness successful nan adjacent World Cup. On nan grounds truthful acold he has intelligibly declined since Qatar.

He is uncovering it harder to footwear distant from defenders. Messi is still tin of brilliance, but it is much sporadic.

Coach Lionel Scaloni confessed arsenic overmuch erstwhile he dropped Lautaro Martinez for nan semi last successful favour of nan moving powerfulness and nan other man successful nan build-up of Julian Alvarez. This switch, of course, happened successful Qatar. But past Martinez was retired of form. Now he is nan apical scorer successful nan Copa, and moreover truthful he has recovered himself connected nan bench.

Argentina were placed successful by acold nan easier half of nan draw, and person cruised - pinch nan objection of nan quarter-final against Ecuador. With a move to 3 successful nan centre of midfield, and Moises Caicedo free to tally forward, Ecuador gave them existent problems, until goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez erstwhile much came up pinch heroics successful nan punishment shootout.

Like Ecuador, Colombia are a physically beardown squad pinch 3 successful nan centre of midfield, making it difficult for Argentina to get into nan hit of their passing game. Colombia are good coached, clear astir wherever they want to property - either dropping heavy and staying compact aliases hunting successful packs higher up nan field.

In unfastened play Rodriguez is simply a splendid proviso statement for Luis Diaz. And his set-pieces tin besides beryllium devastating - inviting an aerial battle from nan likes of Davinson Sanchez and Jefferson Lerma.

All of this will interest an Argentina defence who are prone to a precocious collapse. It happened successful nan World Cup against France, nan Netherlands and Australia, and it happened successful nan Copa against Ecuador - and besides successful nan semi-final against Canada, who wasted 2 aureate chances successful nan past 5 minutes. One time this will costs Argentina nan crippled - but will it beryllium Sunday?

There are 2 cardinal questions here. The first is emotional. England are not nan only squad playing their first last distant from home. Colombia are unaccustomed to this benignant of occasion. The fever successful nan stands from their devoted supporters tin promote aliases inhibit. How will nan squad react?

And nan different mobility is physical. This has been a title played successful gruelling summertime heat, which, moreover if immoderate of nan stadiums are aerial conditioned, has taken a toll.

Colombia person had a time little to remainder - and they played nan full 2nd half of their fiery semi-final against Uruguay pinch 10 men aft a silly reddish paper picked up by nan different fantabulous Munoz, nan Crystal Palace full-back.

How overmuch has this taken retired of them and do they person capable state successful nan vessel to bring nan curtain down connected nan Messi show?