Group C of the 2016 Copa América Centenario will start this Sunday, with two teams that are dealing with similar problems. On one side of the pitch, Jamaica will try to recover last year's form, which saw them play rather good games throughout the summer, leaving a good impression on those who watched them play in South America. On the other side, Venezuela hopes the team's decision of sacking their former coach will help them with a much-needed course correction, and this tournament might come in handy to get to know their new tactician.
Both teams need to win this game if they want to shock one of the top seeded teams in this group. If they can't grab all the points on Sunday, their chances of success against Mexico and Uruguay will be rather slim. With this in mind, neither team can afford losing, which will make this quite an interesting fixture.
Jamaica's form
Winfried Schäfer's squad knows perfectly well how to play the underdog role in a tournament, following their historical run in last year's Gold Cup. But even if they are comfortable playing that role, their recent results show that their tactics need inmediate improvement for further commitments.
The Reggae Boyz have only won one of their last five matches, losing three in the process. But even with those less-than-motivating results, a team that includes a Premier League winner with Leicester City can't be overlooked. Wes Morgan will be the heart of Jamaica's defense, while MLS players such as Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes will try to help out and damage Venezuela's net.
Giles Barnes needs to improve his recent performances if he wants to be useful for the Jamaicans.
Venezuela's form
La Vinotinto is currently experiencing one of the worst years in recent history. Following their Copa América elimination last year, the team had a disappointing start of the World Cup Qualifiers. Before last year came to a close, a number of players threatened to leave the team if the Venezuelan Federation refused to fire former coach Noel Sanvicente, and once their execs accepted, the challenge for coach Rafael Dudamel will be huge.
The former goalie was a respected footballer in Venezuelan history, and fans trust in his experience to steer them to safety. In order to accomplish that feat, Dudamel will try to motivate players such as Salomón Rondon, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and Luis Manuel Seijas, three of the most experienced players in the team's roster. If the manager's able to do so, young talents like Adalberto Peñaranda will have it easier to shine, giving La Vinotinto some hope for better days.
Last year, Venezuelan strikers were only able to score one goal. Will they perform a bit better this time?
Head to head
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Venezuela and Jamaica have played five games between them. Each team has won two of those games, adding one draw to their overall tally.
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Jamaica won during their last meeting against Venezuela, a friendly match that ended with a 2-1 score line.
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This will be the first competitive game between Jamaica and Venezuela, as their other matches were friendlies.
Where to watch Jamaica vs Venezuela on TV or online?
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In Jamaica, on SportsMax 2 at 16:00 EST.
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In Venezuela, on DirecTV Sports Venezuela, DirecTV Play Deportes & Meridiano Televisión at 17:00 hrs VET.
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In the U.K., on Premier Sports at 22:00 hrs BST.
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In the U.S., on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, fuboTV, FOX Network, Univisión Deportes USA, Univisión USA & Fox Sports GO at 17:00 hrs EDT.
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In Canada, on Univisión Canadá at 15:00 hrs PDT.
Live elsewhere? Check out our Jamaica vs Venezuela match page for further info on where to watch this game in your country of residence.
*Please note that all live games, TV Schedules and online streaming info are subject to change.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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