The Rondo: Will Messi soar? Who crashes? Can USMNT make history? Those and more burning Copa America questions

Tom Hindle: Gregg Berhalter's side could manage some sort of genius result against Uruguay, batter Bolivia and Panama, and win the group, before upsetting Brazil in the last eight, and then losing in the semi-final. Equally, they could fail to make it out of the group, Berhalter could be sacked, and US soccer culture could fall apart entirely.

The reality is probably somewhere between. The USMNT is too good not to advance to the knockouts, but it's hard to back them to get a result against a "big" South American side. Let's say a quarterfinal exit, and everyone goes home with a vague sense of acceptance. The World Cup in 2026 is what really matters here.

Jacob Schneider: The U.S. will advance out of the Group Stage, but expecting much more, unfortunately, may be a stretch. The knockouts of Copa America are never easy, but the USMNT have been dealt a tough side of the bracket. Regardless of whether they take first or second in the Group Stage, they’ll end up facing either Brazil or Colombia in the quarterfinals (assuming no upsets).

That is a monumental challenge, but the one bright spot is that the USMNT has experience against both sides due to facing both Los Cafeteros and the Selecao in pre-Copa America friendlies this June; they even salvaged a 1-1 draw against Brazil.

As far the USMNT's chances, it comes down to how much they want it (as cliche as that sounds). Christian Pulisic will need to have a world-class performance every game, Matt Turner will need to be on his toes for 90 minutes and change each match, and the US midfield will need to be a fortress. They have all the qualities to compete, but can they perform at the level of their opposition? They have the pieces to do it.

Ryan Tolmich: The bar is essentially set at the semifinal, given the 2016 run. Getting there is far from a given as their side of the bracket is set up as an absolute gauntlet.

If the U.S. gets out of the group - which they had better - they'll be awaited by either Brazil or Colombia in quarterfinals. Colombia just blasted the U.S, while the USMNT was able to squeak out a fantastic draw with Brazil. They'd be huge underdogs in that game, whichever team they play.

Would that be enough to satisfy fans? Probably not. There is still so much desperation for a true marquee win, and such a quarterfinal could very well represent that chance. However, it's hard to see the U.S. actually winning at that stage, given what we saw against Colombia. So we'll peg them as quarterfinalists, albeit disappointed ones.

TH: Uruguay, you'd think. Marcelo Bielsa's methods might not quite translate to the international stage, but this is the best squad they've had in some time, and the manager can certainly set up a side to win a big game. For them, it starts and ends with Darwin Nunez. The Liverpool striker is brilliant on his day and pretty much woeful otherwise. If he can bang out the goals - with support from Luis Suarez off the bench - then Uruguay might be able to make a run. Also a word for Colombia, who looked good in their warmups and haven't lost in seemingly decades.

JS: It’s odd to view really quality teams as dark horses, especially with the expectation that either Brazil or Argentina will win. So shout out to Uruguay and Colombia, both of whom could have what it takes to defeat La Albiceleste and the Selecao.

If we’re going for a fun dark horse, vote for Ecuador. Kendry Paez may truly be the most fun player to watch during the group stage. The Chelsea-bound youngster may just be 17, but he’s been excellent on the international stage for his country. He exchanged shirts with Lionel Messi in a 1-0 loss earlier this June, and followed it up with two Man of the Match performances in victories over Bolivia and Guatemala.

RT: We'll go with Ecuador. Over the last year-and-a-half, Argentina have been the only team to really frustrate La Tri and, lucky for Ecuador, they can avoid the world champions until the semifinal.

The road to that semifinal could be cushy if Ecuador win a somewhat-weak group. And, if you can get to that semi vs Messi, who knows what will happen? While many of the big boys beat up on each other on the other side of the bracket, there's a very real path for Ecuador there if they can win their group.

TH: Relative to pedigree, it has to be Brazil, who will be expected to win the whole thing by their fans. But they're simply not good enough to do so (more on that later.) Can you really disappoint with your worst team in years, under a brand new manager, with your best player and Ballon d'Or frontrunner unable to find the net for his country? It'll be interesting to find out.

Outside the obvious, let's go with the USMNT, on home soil. It's a summer of expectation for US soccer, and quite a pivotal stretch, too. This is hardly a rational fanbase - or accompanying media pool, for that matter - but it's not clear that Berhalter can put out a really exciting side, or piece together a complete performance.

As such, it's hard to see them making it past the last eight, which might be a bit of a letdown for the hosts - who made the semis eight years ago. Then again, it depends how much weight you give to a tournament that some players have admitted they're fairly ambivalent about.

JS: It’s Brazil, if we’re being frank. They have no proven striker, and for some odd reason, Vinicius Jr. cannot score for the national team. To add to it, their fullbacks aren’t quite reliable and on the touchline, they sport an inexperienced international manager in Dorival.

It's never an easy task to integrate so much talent into one team, but the Selecao feel like a squad that aren’t on the same page each outing. Even at his young age, Endrick may be what sparks their run this tournament. They need a proper 9 up top, and he seems to be the only one up for the task.

RT: Brazil is Brazil, but this won't be easy. There's a reason that Ronaldinho was faux-frustrated with this team: this isn't a vintage Brazil group. They're still very good, even without Neymar, but to survive this tournament, they'll need more than that famous Selecao flair.

To get through this, Brazil will need to grind. They'll have to go through some combination of the U.S., Uruguay and Colombia to reach the final, where they'd likely be huge underdogs against rival Argentina. Getting through those first three isn't a lock either, especially when breaking down this team's fragilities in midfield and defense.

This Brazil team is one that has drifted back to the pack, making them ripe for an early upset. Anything less than a trophy is a failure in Brazil, but there's no guarantee that this team even survives the quarterfinals.

TH: Endrick. That's the end of it.

JS: Part of me wants to be stereotypical and say Messi, because this could genuinely be his final international tournament. However, my heart says Darwin Nunez.

There’s something about a Marcelo Bielsa system and a big-man striker that typically leads to goals, and the Liverpool ace is well-known to bag those. With Fede Valverde beneath him, and the likes of Facundo Pellistri, Brian Rodriguez, Rodrigo Bentancur and Manuel Ugarte in support, this Uruguay team has what it takes to make a special run this tournament.

RT: The heart says Endrick, but the head says Pulisic. There will be plenty of tournaments to discuss the Brazilian starlet, but this one feels like the start of Pulisic's national team ascent.

Pulisic is fit, in form and happy, which hasn't been the case in several years. His move to AC Milan has helped him blossom into the best version of himself and the USMNT looks set to benefit this summer.

At the 2022 World Cup, his iconic moment was taken away from him by injury. The hope is that, this time around, he can prove that he truly has ascended into superstar status with a program-defining performance on home soil that tees this team up for the 2026 World Cup.

TH: Kind of want to be a contrarian hipster and say Colombia or Uruguay or something. But Argentina is just a class above, and it's difficult to see anything else happening here. They beat Brazil in World Cup qualifying less than six months ago - without playing particularly well - and have only improved since. Yes, it was only Guatemala, but they looked absolutely deadly in their final warmup game. Give that Messi guy his final major honour for his country, and we can all go home happy.

JS: I truly do think Uruguay has what it takes, but if we’re being candid and honest, the answer is Argentina.

No team is more complete than La Albiceleste at the moment, and Lionel Messi is in incredible form at the club level. The reigning World Champions have everything necessary to retain their crown at the podium this year.

It will be an exciting tournament to watch, and the way the bracket is set up, we’re likely going to see a brilliant final as a result. With Argentina on the opposite side of the bracket from all four of Brazil, the USMNT, Uruguay and Colombia, the anticipation for the knockouts is high.

RT: It feels like this tournament is divided into tiers. There are secondary contenders like the USMNT and Ecuador. There are contenders like Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia. And then there's Argentina, who are in a different stratosphere altogether.

Lionel Messi and co. are far and away the favorites and, at this point, it's legitimately hard to see a team toppling them. This team is too good and too secure in its identity at this point. While their rivals are looking to discover themselves, Argentina has been a freight train ever since Qatar, and there's no signs of stopping.

We only have so many Messi moments left on the big stage, but it doesn't feel like he's close to finished. Another Copa looks destined for his hands, helping further his grip on the GOAT title.