3 things to watch from the Liverpool players at Copa America

As we have all become wrapped up in the exploits happening at Euro 2024, there is another major international tournament set to get underway on Thursday, and that is Copa America 2024.

Liverpool will have some serious starpower on display in this one, if not as many options as they sent to the Euros. The likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Alisson Becker will be repping the Liverpool brand as they battle for glory amongst the Americas.

In this piece, I am going to highlight three things we should be looking for from our Reds at the Copa America tournament and how real their chances of success might be.

Will Darwin Nunez be able to shoulder the Uruguay scoring load?

This Uruguay outfit is a very talented group. The likes of Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte and Rodrigo Bentancur make up a strong midfield.

Ronald Araujo is the star defender from Barcelona at the back. As for the attack, the legendary Luis Suarez is on his last legs, despite what his MLS numbers tell you. Fellow national team icon Edinson Cavani retired from national team duty just before this tournament and Diego Forlan isn't walking through the door either.

This leaves manager Marcelo Biesla with Darwin Nunez as his focal point in attack. This could either be a brilliant plan or it might backfire tremendously, it just all depends on which Darwin shows up.

The last two seasons have shown us Nunez is capable of scoring some absolute worldies when he is on and he is a menace with his work rate and pace.

However, his finishing consistency leaves a bit to be desired and it has cost the Reds previously and his nation cannot afford him to be so wasteful.

He seems to be a more confident player with the National Team so I am curious to see if he can bring his scoring boots and challenge for the Golden Boot of this event. If he does, Uruguay will certainly go far.

Can Luis Diaz carry the torch for darkhorse contender Colombia?

Colombia have not lost a match since February of 2022 as they roll into the Copa America tournament. Their squad is largely centered on Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez. Jhon Durán of Aston Villa will likely be the man up top to score the goals.

However, as Diaz goes, so usually go the Colombians. He is their inspirational leader and talisman and he was in fine form in their most recent friendly as he recorded a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Bolivia.

He plays as a left-attacking mid in their 4-2-3-1, but he has the freedom to cut inside at his discretion to make things happen.

Rodriguez is in the middle typically pulling all the strings just behind Diaz. Yet, winning friendlies and qualifiers do not match the intensity of a tournament like this. It will be fascinating to see if Diaz can keep bringing an end product to his constant endeavor as that is what has plagued him for Liverpool.

If he is not as his dynamic best, Colombia could fail to hit the heights they are capable of, but if he is fit and firing, they can beat anyone on their day.

Alexis Mac Allister going for more international glory with Argentina

Mac Allister and his countrymen are already World Champions but they will be looking for a successful Copa title defense here.

Macca was not part of the 2021 Argentina side that won the last edition of the Copa America so he will be eager to leave his mark this time around. It's a testament to his growth as a player that soon after that 2021 Copa triumph, he was an instrumental player in their 2022 World Cup win.

The Argentine squad is clearly stacked with talent from Messi on down, but Mac Allister has his role to play within the midfield as well.

He's typically been deployed in the heart of the midfield flanked by Enzo Fernandez and Giovanni Lo Celso on most occasions. His defense unlocking passes from deep will be crucial to breakdown a lot of defenses that will likely be dropping deeper than normal.

He takes on a more box-to-box role for Argentina and his versatility makes him a useful option at both ends for La Albiceleste.