Euro 2024 and Copa America power on towards the finals as England and Uruguay look to join Spain and Argentina

We have our first UEFA Euro 2024 and Copa America finalists with Spain and Argentina reaching the final game of the two respective tournaments on Tuesday with their ultimate opponents coming up this Wednesday with the Netherlands vs. England and Uruguay vs. Colombia. I am Jonathan Johnson with the latest on the imminent Euro and Copa semis.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, July 10
🇪🇺 Euro 2024: Netherlands vs. England, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🌍 Copa America: Colombia vs. Uruguay, 9 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🇺🇸 US Open Cup: LAFC vs. New Mexico United, 11 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass

⚽ The Forward Line

🇪🇺 Euro 2024 final four

Lamine Yamal comes of age

The UEFA Euro 2024 final is half set with Spain edging past France 2-1 on Tuesday to set up a date with the Netherlands or England in Berlin on Sunday. Oranje vs. the Three Lions is Wednesday's offering and will provide an intriguing final pairing with La Roja very much favorites after seeing off Les Bleus' previously rock solid back line in Munich. Lamine Yamal's stunning goal made the headlines, but Dani Olmo's was also a brilliant effort and that after the French had done what had become unthinkable -- score from open play. James Benge summed it up best when writing about the Barcelona star's special night at Allianz Arena.

• Benge: "Receiving the ball up 30 yards out, matched up against Adrien Rabiot, the man who had the temerity to question his qualities in the build-up, Yamal opened his chest wide, shaping to move right with an exaggerated drag from his left boot. In an instant, he chopped back, forging a yard of space that four defenders might have been in position to snuff out. Behind Rabiot, all William Saliba could do was zag left and right, distance making it no easier for Euro 2024's best defender to get a read on what Yamal was about to do. Once the goal was in sight, Yamal swung. Starting over Dayot Upamecano's right shoulder, the ball arced tantalizingly towards the outstretched left glove of Mike Maignan.
  
  "The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper had sprung well, his technique looked spot on. He wasn't getting close. In off the post. Checkmate. Fifteen yards away, Kylian Mbappe had had the best view in the house. His shrug said it all. He'd set the bar high in the first 20 minutes. Yamal had flown over it. These are the sorts of moments that end up immortalized in the footballing annals. This is not an ecosystem anything like the days when players would arrive at a World Cup or European Championships unknown beyond their nation and depart a global great. Yamal's Euro 2024 is the best you're going to get."

Netherlands vs. England

These two meet in Dortmund with the Dutch arguably the underdogs to win this Euro now, but they did see off an underrated Turkiye side to get here. The English edged out Switzerland en route to BVB Stadion, but Gareth Southgate's men are still waiting for that convincing win to finally silence the critics. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have been on and off over the course of the tournament while Bukayo Saka was the hero against the Swiss, but they now go up against an in-form Cody Gakpo who will be keen to add to his tally against this England back line.

Harry Kane's goal struggles

Up against the performing Gakpo is ineffectual Bayern Munich talisman Harry Kane who continues to struggle to not only find the back of the net but to even influence many of England's games as captain. A goal against Slovakia in the round of 16 was arguably expected but the quarterfinals vs. Switzerland was the latest part of a larger tournament which has asked more questions than provided answers. Like Bellingham, Kane has come up big when needed against Slovakia, but he was not on the field as the Swiss were beaten. Many are questioning how crucial he really is and this semifinal could put those debates to bed with a strong performance from the below-par star.

• Benge: "Barring a remarkable chain of events, Southgate is not going to drop his captain, one of the great through lines in the run to three semifinals in the last four major tournaments. For all his difficulties over the last few weeks, that is an understandable attitude to have. If the ball is dropping to any England player in the box, you would want it to be Harry Kane. The issue is whether he is going to be in the box when required. Kane has never been the sort of sprinter who can transition from one end of the pitch to the other in the blink of an eye. He is not going to become that at 30 years of age, at the back end of an international tournament, coming off the back of a grueling season that ended early due to an ongoing back issue. Already it is being said that England's captain is his nation's Cristiano Ronaldo."

Cody Gakpo's hot form

Denied his fourth Euro goal in the 2-1 win over Turkiye in the final four, the Liverpool man is one of four players on three goals for the tournament and he will be keen to that against this English side. Gakpo is based in England for the Premier League giants and the Oranje star is enjoying a breakout moment internationally even if it was also a decent 2022 World Cup that earned him his Anfield switch. How the 25-year-old rises to the challenge of being the main source of Dutch goals against a Three Lions side seemingly waiting to truly find their stride will be intriguing. Ronald Koeman's men are growing into this edition in a way that England are struggling to do so under Gareth Southgate so far.

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🔗 Midfield Link Play

🌍 Argentina reach Copa America final

Defending Copa America champions Argentina will have the chance to successfully defend their title this weekend after seeing off Canada 2-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday. Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi did the damage, which was the first time that the Inter Miami man has scored in this tournament and even that finish required VAR verification. The Albiceleste were billed as favorites pre-tournament and they have lived up to that despite a cagey opening against Jesse Marsch's unexpected final four outfit. The Canadians struggled to keep up their frantic opening pace, though, and eventually lost out to goals in either half. Next up for Lionel Scaloni's men will be the winner of Colombia vs. Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium come Sunday.

Colombia vs. Uruguay

The Colombians, now unbeaten in 28 Games, will face a tough test against Marcelo Bielsa's impressive Uruguayans with Liverpool pair Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez on opposite sides in this final four encounter. Ronald Araujo is a doubt and Nahitan Nandez is suspended, which will challenge Bielsa's nous, but the form book says that the last three meetings between these sides have all been draws. Uruguay are rampant in attack while Colombia are more efficient and boast a refocused James Rodriguez who has three assists from set pieces. Whoever gets to face Argentina this weekend, it will have been well-earned over what promises to be a final of sorts before the actual final.

🔗  Top Stories

🇫🇷 France's Euro 2024 exit: Didier Deschamps' goal shy French side got sent home after falling short against an impressive Lamine Yamal-led Spain in the semifinals.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England at Euro 2024: Why Phil Foden and captain Harry Kane are struggling with the Three Lions while Luke Shaw aims to go 90 minutes against the Dutch.

🇺🇸 US Open Cup shock: MLS outfit Atlanta United are stunned by USL side Indy Eleven in the quarterfinals despite only coughing up one chance.

👀 Teenage dreaming: Guillem Balague joins Golazo Network to wax poetic about Spain's super-young superstar after he led the team to victory.

📣 Motivational speaking: Giorgio Chiellini has a message for American soccer fans after covering Euro 2024.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bet

• Copa America: Uruguay vs. Colombia, Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET
  💰 THE PICK: Uruguay to win and both to score (+600) -- Into the final four for the third time in the last four editions, the Colombians will not want to fall on the wrong side of history -- again. Los Cafeteros have only gone to two finals with one being their 2001 success but their current unbeaten run of 27 games with 21 of those victories gives them hope. However, standing in their way is Marcelo Bielsa who is looking to end Uruguay's wait for a final given that their last semifinal outing was in 2011 when La Celeste won. If they get to Sunday's showdown with Argentina, it will decide which of them overtakes the other in terms of their shared record of 15 titles apiece. Expect a lively one, but a Uruguayan win over this strong Colombia side could return nicely. 

📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network

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