FiredUp Network
Thursday, July 4 Copa America Quaterfinals Preview With Carmine Isacco
. Hello, everybody is Joseph asick and welcome to the fire network. Welcome to Copa America quarter final preview with the coach. Carman Asako Carmen, before we begin. Happy Independence Day to yourself. Happy July 4th to all my friends in America, which are many. And they want you to sing the national anthem, so we'll do it after. To celebrate America's less than great tournament at Copa America. Can you believe Canada has done more with a week coach than America did? One week coach. Yeah, well, he was maybe 10 days or two weeks, let's say. No, he had preparation for against France and Netherlands. He's got a good group with credit to him, credit to the staff, credit to him for keeping Monobielo credit for for him. No finding those the best scenarios for the best players. Oh, yeah, it's exciting. Yeah, do you know what? It's been interesting. They've come under a little bit of scrutiny, red cards, and obviously we've seen it at the bottom of the referee. In a debacle, that was the Uruguay game against the US. But all things said and done, I don't think it was an advantage for Canada. Or even I think it was just the game. And they met with controversial situations head on. And they put themselves in a good position to play against Venezuela in the round of 16. All right, so let's look at tonight's match up Argentina versus Ecuador. And by the way, I'm wearing my Spanish shirt for the next show, Euro 2024, quarterfinal preview because Carmen has yet to give me a team of Canada, New Jersey, Carmen. I'm putting you on the spot. What's taking so long? I see you wanting your jacket, Canadian jacket and everything like that. At least give me a jacket. Give me a jersey. Give me something. We've got to support the nation where I'm the president of the provinces of Canada. Yes, I'm working. I'm working on it. I'm working. All right. All right. Argentina, Ecuador. Yeah. Not straightforward by any means. I think Ecuador with with the bright and the whole of the Algon connections and Castello and Samuelo. Good, good, like good pedigree. You know, and Marva Lenzia, we've seen in World Cups do do special things. One of the teams that I don't think Argentina would have earmarked to play. That's for sure, especially this early. But, you know, history, Argentina is in a rhythm and a flow. And, you know, whether it was with their young kids or whether it's with their new their squad. It's going to be a tough, tough team to beat and arrested messy, you know, arrested messy had about, let's say 10 days off, maybe. And so that's a lot of recovery, a lot of rest. And hopefully he's he's ready for this last sprint. But yeah, it's going to be interesting how they deal with the messy situation. And imagine if they go with Martinez, Mesti and Julian Alvarez up top in the three. That's scary to deal with, but also defensively. They have some stuff to deal with for sure. Like Valencia and Castello and a lot of good players that have good pedigree. So I don't think it's a slam dunk, but I think it's going to be a tough task record or to hold them. That's for sure. And, you know, you look at the games that they played against Chile and Canada, they've left it late. And I think that I think that Ecuador has has a lot of energy and a little more depth to deal with Argentina. So, you know, I'm saying Argentina needs to score early to make this game comfortable. And if not, you could see this game going late and maybe Ecuador are finding a late winner, but obviously the juice boxes aren't saying that but it's, it's going to be interesting to see. And interesting to see if Argentina gets tested to the end like they did against Chile, but in under different circumstances. So you're calling Argentina to win, by the way, the purveyor of juice boxes, John Nelson, I've given him the whole weekend off, okay, to celebrate in the Penn State in the United States. And we'll get back at him next week because, you know, like, it's Independence Day. We didn't want to joke around, you know, USA. Like I would cheek used to say, all right, so like put it that way. So now they match that everybody here in Canada's going to talk about okay. Canada versus Venezuela. Do we have a chance. And if we win. Is this the biggest win ever in Canadian history? Well, no, we have a big chance. I think I don't know what the automakers are saying, but I think we have a big chance against this Venezuelan team that's, you know, they have their world on, who's one of the top strikers in the Mexican league and, you know, a proper player, they've got other players playing to high levels, but I think player for player. We're probably better. As a group, we're going to have to be very good in circumstances, especially in the defensive half. We're going to have to be very good individually and as a group. But I still think, athletically, we have what it takes him and, you know, their depth is someone we know very well as well. So tell the who played for TFC, who, you know, didn't really leave a positive mark TFC. But yeah, it's not overwhelming by any means, especially what they've been through the last, you know, five games dealing with the Dutch dealing with the Chileans and the French and I think that this is going to be, and they've dealt with a lot of adversity. And I think that he's on Buchanan's situation. Will isn't is it is absolutely dreadful and awful for Tijon himself who, who looking at that and that match the last match, he played very well for the very well minutes very well off the bench. And credit, Jesse Marsh hasn't taken a wrong step credit to him for, you know, trusting Richie to play from the beginning and bringing Tijon in. You know, it's everything he's done so far has been spot on, and that's up, bringing in Tijon and making the impact he did for, for that time was absolutely spot on. But up, you know, next man up as far as the team is concerned. It's really unfortunate what happened. And I believe it's the Tibia too. Yes. And that's going to take and he just had surgery. You know, it's nice how we say successful surgery but surgery surgery and what the Tibia might be a long long, you might be the year off. I hope not. But I hope not, but we will see. But it's a sad advantage especially for special player and a special person. Yeah, but in a lot said, I think Canada is going to be the better team. I think Canada is going to have to be efficient. And I think that they're reaching their stride as far as confidence is concerned. I don't think anything is overwhelming. No moment is overwhelming to them. And they got that important goal. And I think that they're going to be that the Venezuelan's are going to be as as difficult to break down as the Chilean group, regardless of the 10 men or 11. Well, and you know, if Canada does win in Argentina wins, you know, Canada wants a rematch against Argentina and they will get a rematch in the semifinals. So put it that way. That's tonight and Friday's game. Now, let's go to Saturday. They got two games, 6pm and 9pm. Let's first start off with the 6pm Columbia versus Panama. I think it's going to be more. What do you say? I think I think Colombia satisfied with getting out of their group. And I do think they're going to, they have enough enough to challenge the Colombian. But as far as stats and everything, what's going on, I think, other than the Argentinians, the Colombians have been the best team. So this is going to be a good preparation for them for the for the quarter. Of course, Saturday, 9 o'clock, Uruguay, Brazil. Again, these two powerhouses like Maple Leafs and Montreal, but I always rough and tumble affairs. That my friend will be a war. That my friend will be a war. I've been, you know, I've been, I've been watching even the Commonwealth qualifying for World Cup and stuff like that. And it's a war. And it's, this is teams foreign in foreign to the North American viewer because we've been seeing a lot of South American teams, but this is the way it is. This is the way it is in Congo. It's tactical files, it's hard files. It's, it's, it's direct play. It's individual moments that are great, but it's, it's passion. It's, it's, it's a hard, this game is going to be hard, but I mean, but you look at the Brazilians. I'm not so sure that they're, they're built anymore to fight these ways. And without Vinicius, it's going to be, and not that he's been at his best, but I would take Vinicius at 50% any time. Without Vinny, it's going to be a tough goal, tough ask for the Brazilians. I expected more from the Brazilians, but I just can't see the, the, the Europeans not winning the fight. I won't call it the football match, but not winning the fight, even though Brazil, you look at their depth, you look at every position still, it's still off feeling, but your clients are, are, I think right now a better unit, a better team. All right, so that's a Copa America quarterfinals preview happening tonight, tomorrow, and we'll be here for a semi final and final next week. And in just a few minutes, Carmen and I will preview the quarterfinals of the Euro 2024. I look at Spain in it, I look at Portugal in it, France in it, but some team, maybe you could tell me how to spell the name, I T A, well what's the last two letters. They're embarrassing, it was an embarrassing. Okay, one, we'll talk about that on the Euro thing but that's Carmen Asacco, we'll be back in a couple seconds with the Euro 2024 update. Thanks a lot.