Copa America 
/ Michael Lintorn / 22 June 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Colombian fans will expect big things from Porto star Radamel Falcao
"Colombia have reached the semi-finals of five of the last eight Copa America instalments."
The 2001 champions are knockout round semi-regulars, and given a decent draw and the presence of one of Europe's most in-demand forwards, should do so again.
The odds
Colombia are [5.6] to top Group A and [38.0] to win the tournament.
The past
Their only triumph came in classy fashion a decade ago on home soil when they won all six of their matches without conceding and with Victor Aristizabal scoring six times, but their recent record isn't bad either. Colombia have reached the semi-finals of five of the last eight Copa America instalments.
The coach
At the relatively young age of 55, Hernan Dario Gomez already qualifies as a veteran of international management and a decent one at that. He led his nation to the 1998 World Cup and the latter stages of two Copa America competitions in the 90s, and has since taken charge of Ecuador and Guatemala.
The rivals
Recent results against Argentina have been poor, yet three victories in 12 years against them shows that an upset is achievable, while their head-to-head advantage over the two weaker teams means that a group-stage exit would be a huge disappointment:
Argentina (W1 D0 L4)
Costa Rica (W5 D0 L0)
Bolivia (W3 D2 L0)
The wanted
Radamel Falcao is attracting interest from clubs throughout Europe after scoring 18 goals FC Porto claimed the Europa League. He has yet to show that form for his country, though a return to tournament football could fix that. Udinese defender Cristian Zapata meanwhile is a Liverpool target.
The fresh faces
In a squad low on both youngsters and players that still ply their trade in Colombia, striker Jackson Martinez is the closest thing to a potential breakout star. The 24-year-old was a consistent scorer at Medellin and has fared well in Mexico with Jaguares, while he has taken his limited chances at this level, netting three times, each in competitive games. He was linked with Wigan last summer.
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