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Until Chile brushed Mexico aside, ruthlessly knocking seven goals past El Tri in the quarterfinals, the favorite in this semifinal had seemed to be very clearly Colombia.
Los Cafeteros have a squad bustling with attacking talent and Jose Pekerman - one of the more respected coaches in the game today. Chile has...well, the 7-0 win over Mexico reminded us that Chile is the reigning Copa America champion and has a commitment to an attacking style of play that can simply overwhelm an opponent.
Man-for-man, one still might reasonably consider Colombia the more talented squad. But the gap between the players on these two teams is not so great, and Chile has the benefit of a long-term commitment to a style of play that is rare at the international level. La Roja doesn't quite have the continuity and chemistry of a club team, but it knows how it wants to play the game, even under new manager Juan Antonio Pizzi.
It should be a closely contested game between two teams capable of scintillating attacking play.
The winner advances to the final, where it will be cast as the underdog since Argentina beat has already beaten Chile in this tournament and beat Colombia in Colombia in World Cup qualifying last November. The loser will play the USA for the right to be regarded as the third-best team in this tournament.