Argentina will face off against Jamaica at the Copa America 2015 tournament on Saturday, bringing an end to their Group B campaign. Live stream of the match can be watched below.
According to an article from beIN Sports, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino has been slapped with a one-match sideline ban for stepping onto the field in the game with Uruguay; Argentina won that game 1-0 on Tuesday. He was sent there by Brazilian referee Sandro Ricci.
"I was sent off because I went on the pitch," Martino said in a post-match news conference.
beIN Sports reported that as part of Martino's penalty, he would have to watch his team perform from the stands. In addition, he will be unable to contact any of his players or staff once inside the stadium.
"Martino stepped onto the field of play during his remonstrations at the official's decision to stop play and show Nicolas Lodeiro a yellow card for a foul on Javier Mascherano, rather than playing the advantage," beIn Sports wrote.
According to Liam Apicella of SportsMole, Martino has been criticized by some Argentina fans for "his perceived negative tactics." It also didn't help that a video of alleged dissention within the Argentina team went public.
"To make matters worse, recently video footage has been released of captain Lionel Messi and playmaker Angel di Maria, who are alleged to have been heard mocking Martino's team talk as they made their way out of the tunnel for the second half of that game," Apicella wrote.
Apicella added that although Argentina is considered one of the favorites to win Copa America, the team has not won an international tournament since 1993.
"With so many good players available, the thinking among the natives is that the drought should end this summer, so the pressure is on Martino and his charges to deliver," Apicella wrote.
As for Jamaica, Apicella noted that their odds of advancing to the next round of the tournament were slim. That's because they lost their opening two matches, requiring them to beat Argentina to advance, which is highly unlikely barring an upset.
"The Jamaicans created good goal-scoring opportunities in those two outings, but they were let down by some wayward finishing," Apicella wrote. "Nevertheless, as the supposed whipping boys heading into the competition, the men from the Caribbean can at least hold their heads up high heading into this fixture, regardless of the outcome."
Based on his analysis, Apicella predicted that Argentina will easily beat Jamaica and advance to the next round. The only factor he looked at was how big the margin of victory could get.
"They haven't performed well and at tournaments, it's hard to switch it on at the drop of the hat," Apicella wrote of Argentina. "They will have enough to win through, but against spirited opposition, it may not be a big victory."
The game between Argentina and Jamaica will begin streaming online at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT Saturday on beIN Sports Connect and on Fubo TV.
