The Copa America is well under way, with the group stages already done and dusted.

Argentina made light work of progressing from Group A, even though Lionel Messi had to sit out their last fixture.

And key to their success has been the goalscoring form of Lautaro Martinez, who is making up for some bad misses at the 2022 World Cup.

Brazil also progressed, with Vinicius Junior their talisman as expected, while Darwin Nunez is the key attacker for Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing Uruguay.

Ahead of the knockouts, how is the Copa America Golden Boot race shaping up?

Lautaro Martinez (four goals)

We'll start with the leader in the race, and that is Martinez.

The forward had an outstanding season for Inter, who he led to the Scudetto while finishing as top scorer in Serie A, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances, and comfortably outperforming his 17.6 xG.

However, he came into the build-up to this tournament in poor form for his country, having not netted for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

But he scored a double in a 4-1 win over Guatemala in a pre-tournament friendly, and even though he has started just one of Argentina's matches so far, he has netted four times.

Martinez is also the Argentina player with the most shots (nine). In fact, since his debut in the Copa America in 2019, Martinez is the tournament's top scorer with nine goals (two in 2019, three in 2021, four in 2024), four more than Messi and Luis Diaz (five each).

It remains to be seen whether Martinez will have to settle for a super-sub role once Messi returns to the fold, but with Ecuador next up, and then a potential semi-final against either Canada or Venezuela, Argentina's path to the final is opening up nicely, and Martinez should fancy his chances.

Vinicius Junior (two goals)

Fresh from winning the Champions League with Real Madrid (and scoring in the final – again), Vinicius came into the Copa America as Brazil's talisman.

With Neymar absent through injury, the onus is on the winger to provide the creative spark and clinical edge to drag what looks like a more dogged, workmanlike squad through to the latter stages.

However, he will be absent for Brazil's clash with in-form Uruguay, who are arguably the favourites going into that tie, due to picking up two yellow cards in the group stages.

Vinicius' booking tally matches his goal tally at the tournament so far, with both of those having come in the first half of a 4-1 rout of Paraguay.

But with Brazil only having a maximum of two games left, will he have time to catch Martinez?

Darwin Nunez (two goals)

One player who could end Vinicius' hopes altogether is Uruguay forward Nunez.

The Liverpool striker is an erratic finisher, but he is an integral part of Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing attack.

The 24-year-old may never be ultra-clinical, (he had a shot conversion rate of 10.2 per cent in the Premier League in the season just gone) but his pace, tenacity and work rate make him the ideal Bielsa folly up top.

Indeed, he has converted just one of his six Opta-defined big chances so far at this Copa America, but his two goals have come from an xG of 1.8, showing he's about on track.

If Uruguay can get past Brazil, they will face Colombia or Panama in the semi-finals. Nunez should be locking in on that Golden Boot.

Salomon Rondon (two goals)

An unlikely name on this list is Venezuela veteran Rondon, but his two goals – scored in wins over Mexico and Jamaica – helped his side top Group B with nine points.

Venezuela will face Canada in the quarters, and while Jesse Marsch's team are a surprise package in the last eight, they have proved they can be wide open defensively at times.

Only three players can better Rondon's 1.98 xG across the tournament so far, while the 34-year-old has had 13 shots, which matches Martinez's total.

He is getting into good positions and having plenty of attempts. If Venezuela indeed get the better of Canada, who's to say Rondon cannot claim this prize?

Daniel Munoz, Eduard Bello, Maximiliano Araujo (two goals)

There are three other players tied on two goals, though perhaps they are a tad more unlikely to challenge Martinez.

Munoz grabbed his second goal of the tournament in Colombia's 1-1 draw with Brazil, though as a right-back, he cannot be expected to keep up the scoring run.

Bello, meanwhile, has scored his two goals from just three shots, so that does not seem particularly sustainable.

Araujo, on the other hand, has netted twice from an xG of just 0.6, so he is overperforming.

What about Messi?

Not only did Messi finish as joint-top scorer at the 2021 Copa, he was also the leading assister and then, 18 months later, he went on to lead Argentina to World Cup glory, scoring seven goals in the process, from 6.6 expected goals – only Kylian Mbappe (eight) netted more times in Qatar.

Messi has scored 13 Copa America goals, which puts him joint-seventh on the all-time list, alongside fellow Argentina great Gabriel Batistuta. 

However, he has been unable to add to that total so far.

He took on the role of creator in Argentina's opening win against Canada, and has had seven shots in total, but so far, no luck.

Gareth Southgate must look towards starting Anthony Gordon or Cole Palmer in England's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday, says former Three Lions defender Wes Brown.

England seemed set to be heading out in the last 16 last Sunday until Jude Bellingham's superb 95th-minute overhead kick sent the tie to extra time against Slovakia.

Harry Kane then headed in the winner just a minute after the restart, with England able to hold on to get into the last eight with a 2-1 comeback victory.

Southgate has resisted altering his line-up so far at the Euros, making just two changes to his starting XI in four games, yet Brown believes England would benefit from considering their two youthful attackers.

"He's [Southgate] the manager and he's stayed with the same four at the top with Bellingham there," said Brown, speaking to Stats Perform at the Home of Adidas football in Berlin.

"And I think we've all seen the likes of Palmer come on and do really well. It's just a matter of, for the next stages, are you going to change one or two players?

"I don't think it will change much in general. It's not like any of the lads have done anything bad, but no one's played brilliantly as well.

"I think that's where people talk about balance and maybe we should bring Gordon on, or Palmer especially to change it, because he is the in-form player at the moment, I think everyone would agree.

"We've managed and done enough to get through to where we are, and I think that speaks for itself considering we've not played great, fluent football."

England scored just two goals as they topped Group C with one win and two draws, and their games produced the fewest expected goals (xG) among the teams during the group stage (2.26 for, 1.13 against).

Bellingham's leveller was the first shot on target against Slovakia in the last 16, though Brown credited the team's mentality to keep going until the end.

"The way we've been playing, we've not really created much," Brown, a 23-cap international for England, said.

"I know we hit the post, and we had one other opportunity. [But it’s] not quite up to the standard everybody hoped we were going to be. But we're through.

"I think that's very important; the lads have maintained the mentality to keep going and get the goals when needed. I know for a fact we can play much better and we've got another opportunity now to do that against Switzerland at the weekend."

England, however, suffered a blow early on in the last 16, as Marc Guehi received his second booking of the tournament in the third minute, ruling him out of Saturday's game.

The Crystal Palace centre-back has received plaudits for his performances so far, yet Southgate is now facing a dilemma over who will partner John Stones in defence.

"It's a tough one," Brown added. "The obvious choice is either [Ezri] Konza or [Lewis] Dunk.

"Dunk hasn't had any game time at the moment. Konza came on the last time and played out of position a little bit, so I would have thought it would be Konza.

"But the manager is going to have to come up with a decision, he could easily move a few other people around, I don't know, could you play [Kyle] Walker there?

"There's a lot to think about, but if you're talking like-for-like, you've probably got to bring Konza in."

Los Angeles FC head coach Steve Cherundolo is anticipating an "exciting" battle against derby rivals LA Galaxy on Thursday.

The two teams are locked in at the top of the Western Conference, both on 40 points, though LAFC have the slight advantage of a game in hand.

Cherundolo's side are unbeaten in nine MLS matches, winning eight of those, and have won their last two outings by an aggregate score of 9-2.

Asked how LAFC would cope with the threat the Galaxy pose, Cherundolo praised the improvement of their neighbours.

"It's our rivals. They're a team that scores a lot of goals," Cherundolo said.

"They have weapons, and they've added to the transitions and got some defensive stability, so they're really a complete team this year.

"They're top of the table with us, so they're a team that has found a way to get results while playing well, so it should be an exciting match."

Meanwhile, the Galaxy are on a four-match winning run of their own and have only lost one of their last 11 matches in MLS.

Head coach Greg Vanney is pleased with his side's defensive stability, and was quick to pick out goalkeeper, John McCarthy.

"His maturity back there and his capacity to come up because he did come up with a couple big saves [against San Jose], but his capacity to come up with a save when we need it has been really strong for us," Vanney said.

"You can't say too much about that, especially when you're on the road. The opposition is going to get something. There's going to be a moment here or there and when there has been, John has been there. Three shutouts is big for us."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy – John McCarthy

The Galaxy have won four straight matches, keeping clean sheets in each of the last three.

It marks the first time LA has posted three straight shutout wins in all competitions since a four-match run in 2016, and McCarthy will be keen to equal that record in the derby.

LAFC – Mateusz Boguesz

Mateusz Bogusz has contributed to three goals in each of his last two matches (two goals and one assist versus San Jose Earthquakes on June 21 and a hat-trick against Colorado Rapids on Saturday).

The Pole is one of five players to do so this year after no more than three players had done so in any previous MLS season.

MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN

Los Angeles FC have won five of their last six MLS matches against the Galaxy (L1, incl. playoffs), including a 2-1 victory on April 6. The Galaxy lost only three of the first 14 editions of El Trafico from LAFC's debut in MLS in 2018 through April 2022.

LAFC have won 10 of their last 11 matches in all competitions (D1), including a 3-0 win over Colorado on Saturday. They are the first MLS team since Sporting Kansas City in 2011-12 to win 10 times in the span of 11 matches in all competitions.

Meanwhile, this will be the Galaxy's 28th home match on the Fourth of July in 29 MLS seasons, only not doing so in 2020 (no game). LA have scored at least twice in nine of their last 10 Independence Day games dating back to 2013, only failing to do so in a 2-0 loss to Kansas City in 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy – 34%

Draw – 25.8%

LAFC – 40.2%

Toni Kroos says he is not feeling nostalgic about the possibility of his career ending on Friday when Germany face Spain in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

Kroos came out of international retirement to play for Germany on home soil at the European Championships, but announced in May that he would be retiring from football at the end of the tournament.

The German won LaLiga before earning a sixth Champions League title in his farewell game for Real Madrid and is now aiming to finish his career by lifting the Euros trophy for the first time.

With a place in the next round not guaranteed, Kroos could play his final game on Friday should Germany lose to Spain, but that is not something he is thinking about.

"It is the second most important title you can win, and it would have a huge importance for me," he said. "If I did not see having the chance to do it with the team, I would not have [come back].

"It would be a sensational end, but I have also considered the possibility of it not happening. I am not nostalgic at all and did not bring any treats for [journalists] either.

"I do not expect it to be my last game, so I assume we will see each other again."

Kroos has been an influential figure in the side already. In the group stage, he completed 95% of his passes (411/431), the highest completion rate by a player to attempt 300+ passes on record in the competition.

After a string of disappointing major tournament results in recent years, with Germany being knocked out of the last two World Cups in the group stage, Kroos is confident they can go all the way this time around.

"There were big doubts about the tournament before it started," he added. "That's normal after the previous tournaments we had.

"So we've now reached a minimal goal and, whatever the result, we won't be speaking about a tournament catastrophe here. But anything that comes now is not a bonus.

"We, as a team, have the goal to win the tournament. So, it is not a bonus, but we are at a stage in the tournament we wanted to reach.

"We should be satisfied, but the demand within the team is to progress further, and we are convinced we can do it."

Iliman Ndiaye has completed a £16m (€18.5m) move from Marseille to Everton.

Ndiaye, a Senegalese international, has signed a five-year deal with the Toffees.

He is Everton's third signing of the transfer window, after the addition of Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa and the re-signing of Jack Harrison, who rejoined the club on loan from Leeds United.

The 24-year-old only joined Marseille, his boyhood club, last year, having previously starred in the Championship with Sheffield United. However, he netted just three times in Ligue 1 last season.

Everton, though, will be hoping Ndiaye replicates the form he displayed in the second tier when he propelled the Blades to promotion in 2022-23.

Ndiaye was fourth-best in the Championship for goal contributions (24 - 14 goals, 10 assists) that season, while his tally of 111 dribbles completed ranked behind only Patrick Roberts (112) and Joao Pedro (116). He converted 20% of his shots.

"I am so pleased to be an Everton player," Ndiaye told evertontv. "I'm so excited and can't wait to get going.

"As a player, I like to dribble, show skills and get the fans out their seats. I want to score goals and get assists, but I also like to work hard. I love running, chasing the ball, getting the team high up the pitch. As a striker, you're the first defender. I love doing that bit."

Sean Dyche's team certainly need an extra attacking threat. They were the league's second-lowest scorers, with just 40 goals, and the competition's biggest expected goals (xG) underperformers, scoring 15 fewer goals than would have been anticipated based on the quality of opportunities they created (40 goals from 54.9 xG).

Ecuador head coach Felix Sanchez has likened their Copa America quarter-final to a final, as they prepare to take on defending champions, Argentina, in Houston.

La Tricolor did not make the best start to the tournament with their 2-1 defeat to eventual Group B winners Venezuela.

However, an impressive 3-1 win over Jamaica, coupled with their goalless draw against Mexico, was enough to see them finish second in the group and qualify for the knockout stage.

Ecuador have never won the Copa America, but a statement victory over Argentina would surely make them the ones to watch.

Sanchez is confident his players have what it takes to cause an upset.

"We know it is an unmatched opponent, and we know how tough it's going to be, and we'll see how that unfolds," Sanchez said.

"It is yet another final for us, and we will try to compete against the world's champion and the world's best team. I believe that our team is going to be extremely motivated with a very high morale and trying to play a good match.

"I have full confidence in our players. I know that they are going to give their best as they've done in the three matches. We know how tough it is, and we're going to do whatever we can to win it."

Argentina stayed perfect through the group stage, winning all three games without conceding a single goal, with Lautaro Martinez providing the spark – he has the lead in the Golden Boot race with his four goals.

It also looks like they will be boosted by the return of Lionel Messi, who missed their 2-0 victory over Peru due to a hamstring issue, while head coach Lionel Scaloni will be back on the touchline after serving a one-match ban.

Assistant coach Walter Samuel is still expecting a tough battle though, noting the difficulties that Ecuador's style poses.

"They are different rivals," Samuel said. "We faced Ecuador in the last friendly. We know them and [they] have a capable coach. The physical part is a big deal, but they have a great technical quality, too. They are playing this tournament well, and it'll be difficult.

"We have seen many players who had not had game time [against Peru]. We have now used almost the whole squad. Now comes the next round and we need to be ready."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina – Lautaro Martinez

Only two Argentina players have scored more goals in a single edition of the tournament in the 21st century than Martinez has in this one (four): Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007 and Lionel Messi in 2016, both netting five goals each.

Martinez leads the way in Argentina's squad for shots (nine), despite only starting one of their matches so far.

Ecuador – Kendry Paez

Kendry Paez was an integral player for Ecuador in the group stages as he made the most ball recoveries (19) and attempted the second-most shots (10, behind Salomon Rondon's 13) among all teams in Group B.

The 17-year-old will join Chelsea next year, and is already displaying the quality that attracted the Blues in the first place.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN

Unsurprisingly, Opta's model is backing the defending champions to book a place in the semi-final.

Argentina have never lost to Ecuador at the Copa America, with 11 wins and five draws. However, they have only met once in the knockout rounds, with La Albiceleste advancing in 2021 after a 3-0 win in the quarter-finals.

In fact, Ecuador have only ever beaten Argentina five times in their previous 40 meetings in all competitions but have not got the better of them since a World Cup qualifier in October 2015, winning 2-0 (drawn one, lost six since).

Argentina have won their last eight matches, including friendlies, equalling the longest winning streak under Scaloni as head coach; a win in the quarter-finals against Ecuador will set a new record for the Albiceleste since Scaloni's debut in September 2018.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Argentina – 68.1%

Draw – 17.2%

Ecuador – 14.7%

Manchester City's Julian Alvarez has been named in Argentina's Olympics squad for the Paris games and is likely to miss the start of the 2024-25 Premier League season. 

Alvarez, who is currently at the Copa America, was included in Javier Mascherano's 18-man squad as one of the three overage players, along with Geronimo Rulli and Nicolas Otamendi.

The final of that competition takes place just 10 days before the Olympics begins, with Mascherano’s side playing Morocco, Iraq and Ukraine in the group stage in France.

With the Olympics final to be played on August 9, the day before Manchester City's Community Shield fixture against Manchester United, Alvarez's involvement has almost certainly ruled him out of the start of the new season. 

Last season, the 24-year-old made 54 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side, more than any other player. 

Manchester City's Premier League campaign starts on August 18th against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

Claudio Echeverri has also been included in the squad. The teenager joined the Premier League champions in January but immediately returned to River Plate on loan.

Sergio Gomez has also been called up by Spain for the competition, meaning Guardiola has three players competing at this summer’s games in Paris.

Portland Timbers head coach Phil Neville insists he and his players are keeping their feet on the ground ahead of travelling to FC Dallas this Friday. 

The Timbers extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in the MLS following their 3-2 victory over Minnesota United at Providence Park last time out. 

Neville's side are now fifth in the Western Conference table but are among a cluster of teams tightly packed in the middle of the division. 

However, the Portland head coach said that despite his side's recent form, they have achieved nothing but is confident his side will continue to push up the standings. 

"We are keeping our feet on the ground, I think that is massively important," Neville said. 

"If we hadn't scored that last minute goal, we would probably have been down in eighth or ninth. There are a number of teams jostling for positions in the league, so there is a long way to go. 

"We've got now four games before the Leagues Cup. We have a mini points target that we have set ourselves. 

"We want to keep pushing, we know the teams below us are pushing. We have to keep concentrating on ourselves. We are now in fifth, but we have achieved nothing.

"At this moment in time, fifth is not competing. Competing is being up at the top of the league. We are on the climb, we have momentum, we have confidence, we have belief but there is still a long way to go."

For Dallas, they suffered back-to-back league defeats in a narrow defeat to Cincinnati last time out, courtesy of Luca Orellano's second half strike. 

The result leaves Peter Luccin's side in 11th place in the Western Conference table, a point ahead of St. Louis City and seven behind Austin FC. 

However, the Toros will be hopeful of continuing their impressive home record against their opponents at the Toyota Stadium and build momentum ahead of their important league meeting with Kansas City three days later. 

pic.twitter.com/ySE1b0WqfU

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) June 30, 2024

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Petar Musa has been in fine goal-scoring form since his arrival from Benfica in February, notching 11 goal involvements from 19 games for Dallas.

The Toros’ top scorer has four goals in his last three league games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota United, and will be confident of taking his tally into double figures.

Portland Timbers – Evander

Evander grabbed a goal and an assist in the Timbers’ win over Minnesota on Saturday, his seventh match this season with multiple goal contributions.

In doing so, the Brazilian equalled Diego Valeri (2013, 2017) for the most such games in a single regular season by a Timbers player in MLS.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC DALLAS WIN

Dallas will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways following their defeat to FC Cincinnati last time out. The loss was just their third in their last 22 home matches in all competitions (W10 D9) dating back to the start of the Leagues Cup last July. It was also only the second time in that span that Dallas failed to score in a home match.

Luccin’s side hold a favourable record against their opponents and have lost just one of their previous 11 encounters against Portland at the Toyota Stadium (W6 D4), dating back to 2015.

However, the visitors will come into the fixture with confidence following their comeback win over Minnesota. They came from two goals down to win 3-2, having also come back to win the previous time they trailed by two goals (vs. San Jose in May). Prior to these two comebacks, Portland had a record of W1 D11 L100 when trailing by multiple goals in an MLS match.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 44.2%

Draw – 26.8%

Portland Timbers – 28.9%

Vincenzo Montella praised Turkiye's soul and belief following their victory over Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday. 

Merih Demiral's double ensured Montella's side progressed to the quarter-finals of a European Championships for the first time since 2008. 

"No one gave up," Montella said. "Everyone gave a bit extra in terms of their soul, and for a head coach, you know that there are matches such as these and you can only win matches such as these if there is a soul within the squad.

"There's that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all of those attributes, and that makes me very proud."

However, the result could have been so much different if it was not for the fingertips of Mert Gunok. 

With the game ticking towards the fourth and final minute of injury time, Christoph Baumgartner saw his header brilliantly tipped behind by the Besiktas goalkeeper. 

The triumph was of huge significance to the Turkiye head coach, having seen his side lose 6-1 to Austria in an international friendly back in March. 

"That was a horrible stain on my career," Montella said. "That was the team that I was really waiting for, to try and get this monkey off my back.

"So I respect Austria, I respect their head coach, I respect their game plan, the tactics that they implemented on the pitch. But we head coaches, just like footballers, are competitors. 

"And I had that real competitive instinct deep within me because I wanted to change this result. It was only a friendly, but there's no such thing as a friendly at international level."

Montella's side face the Netherlands in Berlin this Saturday for a place in the semi-finals and set up a potential tie against England. 

"We've got huge following. There's passion and the love is really visceral back home in Turkey, so I'm very happy to have handed Turks a bit of pride," he said.

"So this responsibility, this love and support, we constantly feel it. But you can only really embrace these dreams if you work hard right from day one. We've done that right from the outset. We'll really celebrate tonight, but as of tomorrow, we get down to work."

Paraguay coach Daniel Garnero knows a dismal Copa America campaign may end up costing him his job.

Garnero's team, who were already eliminated before kick-off, lost 2-1 to Costa Rica on Tuesday.

It means they finished bottom of Group D, having lost each of their three matches.

Paraguay had not lost all of their group games at the Copa America since 1925.

And Garnero knows it could spell the end of his tenure.

"It was a bad tournament, a bad performance," he said.

"I am here because the association requested my services and if they don't want me to continue, that is their decision. I'll have to discuss that with them."

Paraguay did at least score in all their group stage matches, a feat they have achieved two other times this century in the Copa America (2015 and 2004), but the group, which also included Colombia and Brazil, proved far too strong.

They had the better of the chances against Costa Rica, who became the first team to score two goals within the first 10 minutes of play in a Copa America match since Argentina did so against Chile in 1995.

Francisco Calvo and Josimar Alcocer put Costa Rica 2-0 up. At 19 years and 362 days old, the latter is the third youngest player from a non-CONMEBOL team to score at the Copa America.

Ramon Sosa lashed in a brilliant effort to get Paraguay back into the contest, but Costa Rica held firm.

They have now gone four consecutive matches without losing to Paraguay in all competitions (W2 D2). This is the second-longest unbeaten streak for the Ticos against a CONMEBOL team, only surpassed by a five-match unbeaten run against Venezuela between 2001 and 2011 (W2, D3).

The victory was not enough to send Costa Rica through, though, as they finished third, one point behind Brazil.

"This was a very tough group. We were playing against Brazil and Colombia, two of the four favourites to win the Copa," Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro said.

"We had our strengths, our achievements and our mistakes, but we grew and we're analysing the performance rather than the results.

"The important thing is that we learn."

Brazil head coach Dorival Junior insists his side must learn to play without Vinicius Junior following their 1-1 draw with Colombia in California. 

Junior was shown his second yellow card of the tournament for a challenge on James Rodriguez, and will miss their quarter-final match against Uruguay on Sunday. 

The Real Madrid forward, who has scored twice for Brazil at the Copa America, will be available for their semi-final fixture, should they beat Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

"Unfortunately, we have already lost a key player like Neymar for a long time," he said.

"And we have to learn that in certain moments, we will not have important players in a game. Others will have to step up. And I think that is the way. We will have a difficult game against Uruguay."

For Colombia, their impressive unbeaten run continued, and they have now failed to lose in 26 straight matches (W20 D6), marking the second-longest unbeaten streak in their history. 

Nestor Lorenzo's side will face Panama in the quarter-finals at the State Farm Stadium on Saturday. 

Despite failing to win the match against Brazil, the Colombia head coach was happy with his side's performance against the nine-time Copa America champions. 

"We know that we are in a good moment as a team and we know that we are growing. But it's not easy," Lorenzo said.

"Brazil has great players. They play very well. You can not neglect the team for a second and I think we played a great game.

"We did not win, but whatever the result, my feeling would have been the same. I am satisfied because the team gave a little more and it was difficult to play a rival like Brazil."

Brazil joined Colombia in the Copa America quarter-finals, but they were denied top spot in Group D after a nervy 1-1 draw in San Francisco.

Raphinha's stunning free-kick after just 12 minutes was cancelled out by Daniel Munoz in first-half stoppage time, as the spoils were shared at Levi's Stadium.

The draw was enough for the Selecao to secure second place in Group D – one point ahead of Costa Rica, who beat Paraguay 2-1 – though it came at a cost, with Vinicius Junior collecting a second yellow card in three games to rule him out of their last-eight clash with Uruguay.

Meanwhile, having held onto top spot with seven points from their three games, Nestor Lorenzo's Colombia will take on Group C runners-up Panama in the last eight. 

Los Cafeteros went close with a 25-yard free-kick in the eighth minute, when skipper James Rodriguez clipped the top of Alisson's crossbar. 

Raphinha went one better from a similar distance four minutes later, with goalkeeper Camilo Vargas only able to help his fierce delivery into his top-left corner.

It was the first goal Colombia had conceded in the first half of a match since their 3-2 win over Mexico last December, but they responded well. 

Davinson Sanchez's header was rightly ruled out for offside, before the equaliser arrived in the second additional minute of the first half. James fizzed the ball into Jhon Cordoba, who neatly threaded it through for Munoz to fire past Alisson.

Colombia continued to carry the greater attacking threat after the break and almost completed the turnaround with six minutes remaining, when substitute Rafael Borre fired over from six yards out.

At the other end, it took Vargas' smart reflex save to tip Andreas Pereira's effort over and prevent Brazil from snatching top spot with a dramatic last-gasp winner, as they joined their opponents in the last eight.

Selecao stutter into knockout stages, and must do without Vinicius

The nine-time champions have progressed beyond the Copa America group stage for the 14th time in their last 15 appearances.

And by avoiding defeat, the Selecao have also equalled their longest unbeaten streak in the opening phase at this tournament of 10 matches (also achieving the feat between 1993 and 1999).

However, Dorival will be concerned by his side's lack of sharpness in front of goal, with just three shots on target and an xG of 0.31 across the 90 minutes.

And they will head into a tricky quarter-final tie with Uruguay, who are fresh from winning all three of their Group C matches, without the suspended Vinicius.

Although, similarly to his nation’s opener against Costa Rica, the Real Madrid forward flattered to deceive here with his tallies of 28 touches and 13 passes the lowest by any player appearing for the duration of the contest.

It was his fellow winger Raphinha who took centre with his superb free-kick breaking the deadlock. Ironically, three of Brazil's last four goals from free-kicks have come against Colombia.

Stubborn Colombia's unbeaten streak continues

Colombia have finished third in two of the last three editions of the Copa America, and they will be confident of embarking on another deep run this time around.

One thing is for certain; Lorenzo's side will be difficult to beat at the business end of this tournament.

Despite seeing a 10-game winning streak come to an end today – while their wait for successive victories over Brazil goes on – Los Cafeteros are now unbeaten in each of their last 26 matches.

They had won each of their three previous games when conceding the opening goal, and that determination was evident once more as they responded yet again.

Munoz's strike was their fourth goal in the last 15 minutes of the first half at this year's Copa America; more than any other side has registered. Next up for them, Panama in Arizona.

St. Louis City will play their first MLS game without Bradley Carnell after the head coach was dismissed ahead of Thursday's meeting with San Jose Earthquakes.

Carnell's departure was confirmed this week after failing to triumph since mid-May, slipping down to 12th in the Western Conference standings after a nine-game winless run.

St. Louis were guided to a first-place finish in the West last season, their maiden campaign in MLS, yet they are preparing for a new era with technical director John Hackworth in interim charge.

"Given Bradley's many contributions to the club, this was not an easy decision,” said City's sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.

"Unfortunately, based on our results to date, we believe a coaching change is in the best interest of the club as we regroup and look to improve, both our performance and our results."

Hackworth has almost 30 years of coaching experience, including positions within the United States men's national team and MLS rivals Philadelphia Union.

His first task will be downing an out-of-form San Jose, who sit at the bottom of the West standings with just three wins to their name all year.

The Earthquakes are also without a manager after Luchi Gonzalez's dismissal, falling to a 3-0 defeat against LA Galaxy in their first match since his dismissal.

Gonzalez's assistant coach Ian Russell took interim charge for that home humbling, and will be desperate to turn things around as San Jose remain in search of a new full-time boss.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Louis City – Njabulo Blom

Njabulo Blom's seventh-minute goal on Saturday was St. Louis' 10th from outside the box in regular-season play in MLS, with Blom the ninth different player to record one of those strikes.

Blom may fancy his likelihood of adding another long-range strike in this outing, considering the Earthquakes defence is far from convincing.

San Jose Earthquakes – Hernan Lopez

Hernan Lopez has contributed to a goal in each of his first four MLS road games (two goals, two assists), with the midfielder hoping to extend that impressive run here.

However, only two players have recorded a goal contribution in each of their first five MLS road games: Cucho Hernandez (six straight in 2022) and Romain Alessandrini (also six in a row in 2017).

MATCH PREDICTION – ST. LOUIS CITY WIN

The hosts are the heavily backed favourites for victory in this encounter, despite their woeful run of form of late.

St. Louis are winless in their last nine matches, losing six of those. Prior to this run, they had only lost as many games in 27 league matches dating back to June 2023.

Yet, the home side will fancy their chances of arresting that streak given St. Louis beat San Jose twice last season, winning 3-0 and 2-1.

The Earthquakes' form is poor, too, having lost 15 of their first 20 matches this season. Only Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001 suffered more such losses in the post shoot-out era since 2000.

Only four teams have collected fewer points than San Jose's 11 this year at this stage of a campaign, most recently D.C. United (10) in 2013, and that drab spell could extend here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

St. Louis City win – 52%

Draw – 24.5%

San Jose Earthquakes win – 23.5%

Jude Bellingham says he "felt like Ronaldo" while scoring a stunning overhead kick to send England to extra-time against Slovakia in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.

The Three Lions looked to be heading out of the European Championships on Sunday until Bellingham scored a 95th-minute equaliser.

Harry Kane then scored the winner in the first minute of extra time, with the captain later describing Bellingham's strike as one of the best in England's history.

Bellingham has admitted that while he was in the air, he compared himself to former Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored an iconic overhead kick for Los Blancos in the 2018 Champions League final.

"It was really instinct more than anything," Bellingham said while speaking on England's 'Diary Room' show. "It kind of fell in the perfect spot, and it was a little bit behind me.

"When I was in the air, I thought, 'I'm six feet off the ground, and it's like Ronaldo!' But I've watched it back, and I still had one hand on the ground, so it wasn't the most acrobatic.

"But it was a nice contact. Definitely one of the most important and memorable moments of my career so far."

The England performance was drawing comparisons to their early exit at the hands of Iceland at Euro 2016 until Bellingham's intervention, with his strike their first on target.

The Madrid man reflected on how close England came to an exit, but praised the team's belief for getting them over the line.

"It was an emotional rollercoaster really, and probably not the most enjoyable way that you want to win a game," he added.

"You want [to] feel comfortable and in control, but you've got to find ways to win, even if it means overhead kicks in 90 plus five minutes.

"The difference in emotion is huge – it's one minute being dead and buried, as I saw the Slovakia bench all ready to run on, and you feel a bit disheartened and a bit gutted.

“It's not the way I would've wanted it to end – I'm having a good time here with all the lads and the staff and one moment later, it all changes.

"You start believing that we could create one more chance and, luckily, we got it in."

England will play Switzerland in their quarter-final on Saturday, with the Netherlands or Turkiye awaiting in the semi-finals if they make it through.

One of the key components of building a successful career in any sport is a proper diet and good nutrition.

Malta and the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) during their recent event, "Kickin' Cuisine to Fuel Your Game," a cooking programme held at The Summit in Kingston on Saturday, June 29, made their attempt to impart this wisdom on some of the country’s young footballers.

As part of the Malta Sparks campaign, this initiative is geared towards the development of tactical, nutritional, holistic, and psychological skills of U-17 footballers from the prominent teams including Arnett Gardens, Waterhouse, Portmore United, and Harbour View under the Professional Football Jamaica Limited League's Elite Development programme.

The event highlighted Neville Bell as Malta’s new Brand Ambassador, offered sports nutrition tips from Rohan Francis, and featured interactive Malta Shake and Go as well as a meal preparation segment by Chef Asia Thomas.

The day ended with a lively dance-off and trivia competition for exciting Malta prizes.