Seeley’s Selections – Tuesday Night’s Copa America Fixtures

Two matches in Group B in the Copa America on Tuesday and two pretty entertaining ones are expected.

Paraguay v Jamaica, 10pm, Tuesday 16th June, live on Premiere & Setanta
The first game is the clash between group minnows Paraguay and Jamaica and it’s very hard not to see past the Paraguayans in this one at BoyleSports’ tempting price of 4/5.

Paraguay broke favourite backers’ hearts in their opening matches after a tremendous second half performance to come back to snatch a draw after being 2-0 down against tournament favourites Argentina.

That point was cheered as much in Dundalk as it was in Asuncion and I expect them to continue exactly where they left off against the Argies in this one.

Jamaica were very fortunate to get away with just a 1-0 defeat against Uruguay and they defended magnificently for most of the 90-minutes and they will have to again in this one to get anything from it.

The Uruguayans had a whole host of chances to the majority of the possession but they couldn’t get more than just the one goal that their performance deserved. The Jamaicans haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven games now against South American sides and they are certainly going to concede against the dangerous Paraguay.

“The Reggae Boys” have won their last two matches against Tuesday’s opponents both pretty convincingly which may encourage some at the 15/4 with BoyleSports, but the nations have moved in different directions since their last international in 2003 and this is expected to be payback time.

Coming into this Copa America, the Paraguayans had won just once in their last nine matches but they did look fantastic going forward against the Argentinians and should be too strong in this one and a 2-0 win at 6/1 is the best way to go at BoyleSports.

Seeley’s Selections:
Correct Score: Paraguay 2-0 @ 6/1

Argentina v Uruguay, Wednesday 17th June, 12:30am
The other Group B clash between tournament favourites Argentina and defending champions Uruguay is the biggest and best game of the tournament so far.

The Argies haven’t won a Copa America since 1993 and for 60 minutes of their group opener against Paraguay it looked as though the bookies had it spot on in making Alejandro Sabella side the favourites to win the tournament after Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi had given them a 2-0 lead.

Then they did what has become all to familiar in recent years for Argentina backers they took their foot off the gas and were held to a 2-2 draw with two late goals.
This now becomes a game that they simply can’t lose and the BoyleSports odds-compilers don’t expect them to making the two time World Cup winners just 8/13 to bounce back with three crucial points.

Uruguay struggled in their opener against Jamaica just edging it 1-0, but that scoreline flattered the “Reggae Boys” and many might be tempted by the 19/4 with BoyleSports on them to make it two wins from their opening two matches and book their place into the quarter-finals.

Neither side can afford to lose this and a draw isn’t a bad result for both sides and at 11/4 with BoyleSports, that is what I believe will happen.

They drew 1-1 in a bad tempered meeting in the last Copa America four years ago in a fiery encounter which saw eight men booked and both ending the game with 10 men and that is the scoreline I like again in this one at the 6/1 with BoyleSports.

It’s impossible not to see goals with so much attacking flair on both sides and also with major question marks about both defences, in particular the Argentinian one.

Both teams have scored in nine of the last 12 clashes between these two great football nations and at 10/11 with Boylesports, that looks the only real option punting again.

Both Aguero and Messi were on target against Paraguay with the City marksman getting the opener as predicted in this column and I’m sticking with him again at the 10/3 to score the opener in this crucial meeting.

B Lucky!

Seeley’s Selections:
Draw @ 11/4
Both Teams To Score – Yes @ 10/11
Sergio Aguero First Goalscorer @ 10/3

*Prices correct at time of publication