The world of soccer will turn all its attention to South America this week as the Copa America enters the semi-final stage with the final four teams ready to do battle.
Reigning champions and favorites Argentina will meet Canada in the first semi-final before Uruguay take on Colombia to determine who will meet in the final on Sunday in the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
We'll take a look at the games and provide you with our best free soccer betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you take in the action on the field.
| Copa America Outright |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | -125 | -125 | -125 |
| Uruguay | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Colombia | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Canada | +2200 | +2500 | +2500 |
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Copa America 2024 information
Semi-Finals:
- Argentina vs Canada - Tuesday, 9th July, 20:00 ET kick-off
- Uruguay vs Colombia - Wednesday, 10th July, 20:00 ET kick-off
Final:
- Sunday, July 14th 2024, 20:00 ET kick-off
Argentina vs Canada
Most people predicted before the tournament started that Argentina would be the team to beat in America, as the reigning world and continental champions after successes in 2021 and 2022.
So far they've been proven right too, with Lionel Scaloni's side being unbeaten after four games so far, but they'll be coming up against Jesse Marsch's Canada side who have won just one of their four games in the tournament in 90 minutes.
Star men Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David have performed relatively well, with the Lille striker scoring one of the club's two goals thus far but Argentina have been the stand-out performers in the tournament having conceded just once and that's with Lionel Messi failing to register a single goal or assist so far.
The two teams met each other in the opening game of the tournament and Argentina came out on top in a dominant 2-0 win with strikers Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez getting on the scoresheet.
Defensively Canada have been strong since that opening game, conceding just once in three games but they have struggled to be a threat going forward and will need to turn in the performance of a lifetime if they are to make their first ever Copa America final.
Soccer picks: Lautaro Martinez to score anytime
La Albiceleste will be coming into this clash full of confidence but also with complete expectation that they will win the game, meaning all the pressure is on them.
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez was the hero in the penalty shootout in the last round once again, while defender Lisandro Martinez scored his first international goal during the 1-1 draw with Ecuador but the star of the tournament so far has been their other Martinez - Lautaro.
The Inter Milan striker is the top scorer in the tournament so far after a fantastic season in Serie A in Italy, and after some poor performances in major tournaments in the past he has finally stepped up to the mark.
With the way the team is performing, he is the most likely option to lead the team to victory, and with him performing in this manner it takes the pressure off Messi a bit too.
At +150 for the better team and tournament's top scorer to find the net in the regulation 90 minutes, it's a no-brainer of a bet for this fixture.
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Uruguay vs Colombia
With Marcelo Bielsa in charge, a lot of fans and pundits had Uruguay down as a dark horse for this tournament and they have been proven correct, but Colombia will be looking to cut their party short and make it to the final.
Uruguay have claimed three wins and a draw from their four games so far in the competition, conceding just once in 380 minutes of action. They earned a dominant 3-1 win over Panama in the opening group game, before a phenomenal 5-0 win over 5-0 win over Bolivia and 1-0 win over USA to finish the group with a 100% record.
That set up a huge quarter-final clash with Brazil and after a scrappy 0-0 draw over 120 minutes they claimed the victory on penalties to eliminate them. Colombia are also undefeated in their four games so far, and will be a tough game though.
Their quarter-final performance was far more dominant as they destroyed Panama 5-0, which followed on from a 1-1 draw in the group stages with Brazil and wins over Paraguay and Costa Rica.
Soccer picks: Uruguay to win in 90 mins
These teams have scored plenty of goals so far in this tournament, and defensively they have both been strong. However, it's Uruguay who have the better individual quality on the pitch and come into this game full of confidence.
Darwin Nunez has been in sensational individual form, while Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur and Facundo Pellistri are performing well too.
While Colombia's attacking trident of Luis Diaz, Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez are all performing well too, the aggressive style of Uruguay should be enough to keep them relatively quiet.
At +192, backing the better team to come out on top is the obvious bet. Doing it in 90 minutes won't be easy, but an early goal should see them close up defensively and take the narrow win.
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