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Chile is said to be the favorite to win the tournament at home for the first time . they have reached the final 4 times but could never win the trophy ... last time in 1987
Luis Suarez is absent for Uruguay as he is still serving the ban from fifa
also Marcelo had a back injury and won't be able to help his team in this year event
For Argentina and Messi/ Mascherano , this will be a perfect year to win this trophy ...
Argentina coach is the former barca coach Tata Martino
Uruguay is the current holder
Luis Suarez is absent for Uruguay as he is still serving the ban from fifa
also Marcelo had a back injury and won't be able to help his team in this year event
For Argentina and Messi/ Mascherano , this will be a perfect year to win this trophy ...
Argentina coach is the former barca coach Tata Martino
Uruguay is the current holder
Chile v Ecuador: Hosts determined to improve at Copa America
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Chile are determined to build on their World Cup showing and progress deep into the Copa America on home soil, according to captain Claudio Bravo.
Jorge Sampaoli and Co. host the 44th edition of the Copa America and open the tournament against Group A rivals Ecuador in Santiago on Thursday.
South America's showpiece event is a year on from the World Cup in Brazil, where Chile lost to the host nation on penalties in the round of 16.
Chile's exit still lingers among the playing squad and Bravo, who heads into the tournament fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, says the team can go further in their quest for a maiden Copa America title.
"The World Cup left us bitter, because some players did not arrive in the best condition," Bravo told reporters, referring to team-mate Arturo Vidal, who went into the World Cup struggling with a knee injury.
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"We want to demonstrate, as we did in Brazil 2014, that we are a very strong team. I think we can improve so that we do not lack what we lacked in Brazil, and go further.
"We are a team that works hard and knows our strengths and weaknesses, and continue to demonstrate on the pitch that we are a powerful team."
Chile - Copa America runners-up on four occasions - have played 10 matches since the World Cup, winning half of those fixtures, including last week's 1-0 international friendly result over El Salvador.
Opponents Ecuador come into the curtain-raiser a little more prepared, having played one extra game.
Ecuador contested back-to-back fixtures against Panama last week, drawing the first match before routing the Central Americans 4-0 three days later.
Coach Gustavo Quinteros is aware Ecuador - without injured winger Antonio Valencia for the tournament - are the underdogs heading into Thursday's clash.
"The advantage that Chile have is [experience] working with the same coach and the same players," he said.
"They are virtually the same team that played at the 2014 World Cup. That's that advantage they have - how to operate. They all know what they have to do and do it automatically.
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.
.
Chile are determined to build on their World Cup showing and progress deep into the Copa America on home soil, according to captain Claudio Bravo.
Jorge Sampaoli and Co. host the 44th edition of the Copa America and open the tournament against Group A rivals Ecuador in Santiago on Thursday.
South America's showpiece event is a year on from the World Cup in Brazil, where Chile lost to the host nation on penalties in the round of 16.
Chile's exit still lingers among the playing squad and Bravo, who heads into the tournament fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, says the team can go further in their quest for a maiden Copa America title.
"The World Cup left us bitter, because some players did not arrive in the best condition," Bravo told reporters, referring to team-mate Arturo Vidal, who went into the World Cup struggling with a knee injury.
.
.
.
.
"We want to demonstrate, as we did in Brazil 2014, that we are a very strong team. I think we can improve so that we do not lack what we lacked in Brazil, and go further.
"We are a team that works hard and knows our strengths and weaknesses, and continue to demonstrate on the pitch that we are a powerful team."
Chile - Copa America runners-up on four occasions - have played 10 matches since the World Cup, winning half of those fixtures, including last week's 1-0 international friendly result over El Salvador.
Opponents Ecuador come into the curtain-raiser a little more prepared, having played one extra game.
Ecuador contested back-to-back fixtures against Panama last week, drawing the first match before routing the Central Americans 4-0 three days later.
Coach Gustavo Quinteros is aware Ecuador - without injured winger Antonio Valencia for the tournament - are the underdogs heading into Thursday's clash.
"The advantage that Chile have is [experience] working with the same coach and the same players," he said.
"They are virtually the same team that played at the 2014 World Cup. That's that advantage they have - how to operate. They all know what they have to do and do it automatically.
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Player Focus: Copa America Superstars in Fine Form Ahead of Chile 2015
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Back when he was manager of Barcelona, Johan Cruyff used to have a theory about the season after a World Cup. He claimed such campaigns could throw up more surprises and unexpected results because of the effect of fatigue on the top players. “Everyone in the squad who played in the World Cup - I think there’s about 13 of them,” Cruyff said at the time, “has been injured for a short or a long time. It can’t be coincidence.”
Yet, this season, we may have seen the converse - and it could be very good for the Copa America.
Virtually all of South America’s top stars actually enjoyed a vigorous level of performance after Brazil 2014. Far from badly needing a break this summer, all of Leo Messi, Neymar, James Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez look ready to take command of Chile.
That is of course one of the elements that always elevates a tournament. While the quality of the moments, matches and general story lines are essential, they all tend to be even better when they are fired by the finest talents. It is actually difficult not to feel a little hard done by when a tournament just falls at the wrong time for the top players. The justifiable hope is that is not the case for Chile 2015.
Because of both the World Cup and simple coincidence, as Cruyff himself might put it, it does seem set up for all the stars to flourish.
Take the finest of them all. Just under a year ago, it seemed like we had seen the best of Messi, and it didn’t look quite as devastating as it used to be.
Although the World Cup displayed he was still capable of individual feats of historic quality - the goal against Iran, the run and pass for Angel Di Maria against Switzerland - it was as if the cumulative fatigue that affected his physical condition meant they could only come at intervals. It seemed like Messi constantly had to spare his body for the most opportune moments, and judiciously decide when to strike.
That has undeniably changed. Messi’s camp have investigated his physical conditioning since Brazil, and it has had an exponential effect. Now, it is not just that he is back to the 2008-12 blur of energy, or that he no longer has to wait for opportune moments. It is that he is so completely involving himself in almost every aspect of the game.
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He is now so thoroughly dominant. Most obviously, there’s the manner in which he is so productive again. The goal rate has shot up to 1.13 per game from 0.9 and his assists have gone to 0.47 from 0.36. That has come, however, while he is also playing far more passes - an average of 61.4 a game. He is no longer sparing himself at all. He is offering even more. Messi is both defining games and deciding them.
James Rodriguez is now inevitably doing more of the former due to the idiosyncratic politics of the Real Madrid line-up. He scores less (0.44 from 1.2) but assists more, and generally offers more key passes (2.7) than shots (1.8), when it has been the opposite with Colombia (2.5 key passes compared to 3.2 shots).
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There was also the way a February foot fracture disrupted his campaign. For the Copa America, though, that two-month lay-off may have come at exactly the right time.
Given how good his World Cup was, there was the possibility that James would drop off. Instead, the two-month lay-off has possibly given him the required time off to resume his more advanced international role with relish.
There has arguably been a similar dynamic with Neymar. The notorious injury he suffered in Brazil’s quarter-final with Colombia ended his World Cup prematurely and curtailed his start to the campaign, but also means he is that bit fresher..
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.jpg)
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He has also moved up a level with his club. His scoring has drastically improved since the World Cup (0.67 from 0.35 per game), while he is so much more involved in Barca’s play, with 46.7 passes per game rather than 36.6.
Ironically, the same has happened to Alexis Sanchez since leaving Barca. He has become a central figure for Arsenal with 42 passes per game as opposed to 26.9, while he also plays far more key balls. Although his scoring has slightly dropped, the wonder is whether this can make Chile a more potent force as a whol
.
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.
.jpg)
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.anchez was obviously good at the World Cup, but there was still the feeling he was someway cowed by his time at Barca, that he had been relegated to one of the supporting cast rather than becoming the dominant star he always suggested he might be. It had an effect on the World Cup, too, given he still looked more of a finisher rather than the talent driving play. Now, we’ve seen more of the latter.
The hope is that we see the best of all of these players in Chile. It could well make, and settle, the Copa America.
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.
.
Back when he was manager of Barcelona, Johan Cruyff used to have a theory about the season after a World Cup. He claimed such campaigns could throw up more surprises and unexpected results because of the effect of fatigue on the top players. “Everyone in the squad who played in the World Cup - I think there’s about 13 of them,” Cruyff said at the time, “has been injured for a short or a long time. It can’t be coincidence.”
Yet, this season, we may have seen the converse - and it could be very good for the Copa America.
Virtually all of South America’s top stars actually enjoyed a vigorous level of performance after Brazil 2014. Far from badly needing a break this summer, all of Leo Messi, Neymar, James Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez look ready to take command of Chile.
That is of course one of the elements that always elevates a tournament. While the quality of the moments, matches and general story lines are essential, they all tend to be even better when they are fired by the finest talents. It is actually difficult not to feel a little hard done by when a tournament just falls at the wrong time for the top players. The justifiable hope is that is not the case for Chile 2015.
Because of both the World Cup and simple coincidence, as Cruyff himself might put it, it does seem set up for all the stars to flourish.
Take the finest of them all. Just under a year ago, it seemed like we had seen the best of Messi, and it didn’t look quite as devastating as it used to be.
Although the World Cup displayed he was still capable of individual feats of historic quality - the goal against Iran, the run and pass for Angel Di Maria against Switzerland - it was as if the cumulative fatigue that affected his physical condition meant they could only come at intervals. It seemed like Messi constantly had to spare his body for the most opportune moments, and judiciously decide when to strike.
That has undeniably changed. Messi’s camp have investigated his physical conditioning since Brazil, and it has had an exponential effect. Now, it is not just that he is back to the 2008-12 blur of energy, or that he no longer has to wait for opportune moments. It is that he is so completely involving himself in almost every aspect of the game.
.
.
.
.
.
He is now so thoroughly dominant. Most obviously, there’s the manner in which he is so productive again. The goal rate has shot up to 1.13 per game from 0.9 and his assists have gone to 0.47 from 0.36. That has come, however, while he is also playing far more passes - an average of 61.4 a game. He is no longer sparing himself at all. He is offering even more. Messi is both defining games and deciding them.
James Rodriguez is now inevitably doing more of the former due to the idiosyncratic politics of the Real Madrid line-up. He scores less (0.44 from 1.2) but assists more, and generally offers more key passes (2.7) than shots (1.8), when it has been the opposite with Colombia (2.5 key passes compared to 3.2 shots).
.
.
.
.
.
There was also the way a February foot fracture disrupted his campaign. For the Copa America, though, that two-month lay-off may have come at exactly the right time.
Given how good his World Cup was, there was the possibility that James would drop off. Instead, the two-month lay-off has possibly given him the required time off to resume his more advanced international role with relish.
There has arguably been a similar dynamic with Neymar. The notorious injury he suffered in Brazil’s quarter-final with Colombia ended his World Cup prematurely and curtailed his start to the campaign, but also means he is that bit fresher..
.
.
.
.
.
He has also moved up a level with his club. His scoring has drastically improved since the World Cup (0.67 from 0.35 per game), while he is so much more involved in Barca’s play, with 46.7 passes per game rather than 36.6.
Ironically, the same has happened to Alexis Sanchez since leaving Barca. He has become a central figure for Arsenal with 42 passes per game as opposed to 26.9, while he also plays far more key balls. Although his scoring has slightly dropped, the wonder is whether this can make Chile a more potent force as a whol
.
.
.
.
.
.anchez was obviously good at the World Cup, but there was still the feeling he was someway cowed by his time at Barca, that he had been relegated to one of the supporting cast rather than becoming the dominant star he always suggested he might be. It had an effect on the World Cup, too, given he still looked more of a finisher rather than the talent driving play. Now, we’ve seen more of the latter.
The hope is that we see the best of all of these players in Chile. It could well make, and settle, the Copa America.
^^Seems like teams like Argentina usually get some wins they otherwise don't deserve, see Argentina/Iran in the WC. Oh well the football powers have a bit more clout but I would not say Argentina is a lock by any means of the imagination. I know they are the odds on favorites but don't sleep on Brazil or even USA(who have similar odds)I'm sure USA will get a spike in their odds after wins @ Holland and Germany. I watched the Mexico Bolivia game, what a snoozer that was and it is important to note how far Mexico slipped on the world stage. 10-20 years ago, it was unthinkable for Mexico to lose to lowly Bolivia but it was as if they were content with the tie. I think the problem with Mexico is they are trying to be too cute and too much like Brazil. Before, they would put their heads down, work hard, wear you out and score in the 89th-90th min and win 1-0. Those days are over and there is no clear cut favorite in North and South America because you have new teams who are rising to glory like USA and Costa Rica. It's no longer just Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Uruguay plus Mex on the Concacaf side. Now teams like Chile and Costa Rica are flexing their muscles. Oh and speaking of them, the hosts(Chile) gets a date with Mex. If Chile wins, Mexico will be on life support.
^^Wow so Paraguay came back after being down 2-0? Looks like I missed the good game. Dam. Oh well nice comeback by Paraguay. This is the advantage South American teams have they know Argentina and Brazil so they are not afraid of them and they also know their style and players very well. If an Asian or African team goes up against them, that is different. They have no idea who they are and they are most likely going to get intimidated by the jersey, well unless your name is Iran and you hold your own against the big boys in the WC. We might come in on the losing end against teams like Germany and Argentina but at least it is a 1-0 or 2-0. If another team plays those teams, they get murdered, see Saudi Arabia v Germany. That is why I am not all too surprised Paraguay tied, plus they are not terrible, they are downright decent.
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