We now know the identify of the eight South American nations that have reach the Quarter-finals. Most were expected to reach this level, however no one expected Brazil and Argentina to be sweating it until the last match for play-off qualification.
Chile and Mexico are arguably two of the most attack-minded Latin American football nations. They face each other in the second Copa America 2011 match of Group C. The Group is comprised of Chile and Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
All 24 matches of the Copa America 2011 will be broadcast live on US Television on Univision, Galavision and Telefutura in Spanish language only. There will be no English language broadcasts of the Copa America on US TV.
On the internet, you can tune into Univision Deportes for Spanish language...
Speedy, Silky, Stylish
Alexis Sanchez is Chile's wonderkid. At 22, he might not literally be a kid but indeed he represents the future of Chilean football. The Udinese forward is perhaps one of the most sought after players in the world currently.
From a very young age itself, Sanchez showed glimpses of his talents and was immediately nicknamed as El Niño Maravilla by fans- mostly due to his bombastic style of play. With Cobreloa, Sanchez was already a shining star by all means and became the youngest ever player to feature in a Copa Libertadores match at the age of 16. European interest was very much evident and Udinese came calling and the winger signed immediately.
The Next Brazilian Midfield Maestro
Brazil have often seen the usage of a brilliant playmaker in their midfield. The player would function as the connecting bridge between attack and defence in a match and in Ganso, they appear to have one for the future. Hailed as the next 'Kaka' for the Canaries, Ganso has only made one single appearance for Brazil but based on his current development rate, history definitely beckons for the Santos playmaker.
Having been snapped up as a talented youngster by Santos in 2005, it took him three years to establish himself into the senior squad. He was awarded the number 10 jersey and was impressive during Santos' campaign in Copa Sao Paolo. Slowly as time progressed, Ganso's influence became more and more evident and his eye-catching outing during the U-20 World Cup was a major breakthrough in his career.
Destiny's Child
He used to play barefoot in the dusty pitch next to his home in Ecuador. Antonio Valencia completed a total transformation by being the first Ecuadorian to win the English Premier League title as Manchester United won a record 19th title in the recently concluded season. For a man that was deemed to not be good enough for Villareal, the former Wigan man has been a pure inspiration to watch with his tireless runs down the flanks.
He left home at the age of 16 to a place that only his mum and brother knew. All for the sake of football and El Nacional became his first club. Starting originally as a central midfielder, impressive performances pushed him further up the ranks and he was eventually introduced into the Under-20 team where he starred alongside Christian "Chucho" Benitez in a more advanced role upfront. His talents were definitely being monitored by European Clubs and soon enough, Villareal came calling in.
Copa America = Baptism Of Fire?
Some call him the next Pele, while some insist that he could be better than what Pele was. However, the truth remains uncovered and shall stay so until Neymar proves himself on the international stage. Not to say that he has been suffering from the 'super-for-club, poor-for-country' disease but Neymar has only just been inserted into the Brazilian team.
That moment when the youngster scored six brilliant goals as Santos thumped Guarani 8-1 in April 2010 opened the eyes of many but despite pleas from Pele and Romario, Neymar was never included in Brazil's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His talent was already spreading all the way to Europe and not too long after that, Santos rejected a £12 million bid from West Ham United and the player made a decisive choice of staying put in Brazil. Twelve months later, the young lad is already being priced at an incredible €45m. Well, nobody can blame Santos with Neymar already proving to be an absolute revelation on all fronts.
He Who Must Not Be Exempted
Indeed he is a man capable to changing a particular game with goals and galore being a major part of his footballing philosophy. His goal tally for FC Porto speaks for the threat he will bring as the Copa America head closer. We often associate the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Villa and Didier Drogba when we speak about great strikers. But Falcao has often lived behind the shadows of these players and the man that scored goals for River Plate like nobody's business probably has done enough to raise a few million eyebrows that constantly follow the beautiful game.
Despite being goal scoring striker for his club, seven successful strikes in 28 attempts will attract widespread criticism on his inability to convert his club-form for his national team- a 'disease' that seems to be perplexing lots of players that belong to the newer generation. Nevertheless, the Copa America represents a golden chance for Falcao to establish himself internationally. All he needs is support from midfield and you can be pretty sure that the man will tuck in goals.
Admired, But Unforgiven
A single handball near the goal line in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium has cost Luis Suarez the respect he used to earn from the public. Still, the striker is believed to be admired by many, as his form and talent do not seem to have diminished since then.
Luis Suarez, currently a Liverpool player, has long entertained his spectators with amazing displays – characterized with great goalscoring abilities. Under his national team’s jersey, the 24-year-old has served as a pivotal contributor to the recent rise of Uruguay. Suarez is expected to participate in the Copa America as a regular starter for his side for the first time in his career.
Simply Dangerous
He is perhaps not the player who takes his club to finals and gives them honours, but ignoring him in the Mexican national team would definitely be a huge mistake for any side facing El Tri. Fresh from his Gold Cup triumph with Mexico subsequent to a dramatic victory over rivals USA—a match in which he scored—Guardado certainly has reasons to look ahead to a good run in Argentina.
As a CONCACAF champion and a World Cup participant, he is very well aware of the pressure that major tournaments can inflict, and handling it is obviously not a difficulty from his prospect. The former Atlas player and midfielder has so far made 72 appearances and scored 12 goals for his country.
Never to be ignored
Robinho has been in the spotlight on several occasions in the past for his actions off the field. Being known to be a figure with the ineligibility to serve as a model for rising stars, the forward made sure his name was not ruined on the field overtime.
Starting his career under the aspect of an extremely promising player, Robinho kept striving for fame and success, and somehow, his hard work paid off. The Scudetto winner, who has had spells in the Brasileiro Serie A, La Liga, as well as in the Barclays Premier League, also has good memories associated to his contributions in the Brazilian national team.
Venezuela have a clue of how Brazil are going to approach their opening match of the 2011 Copa America tournament. During an interview with the media on Sunday, Seleçao manager Mano Menezes revealed that his team will apply the 4-2-1-3 formation on June 3.
The tournament was only named as Copa America in 1975. Previously, it was known as sup Campeonato Sudamericano de Selecciones (South American Championship of National Teams). Last time, the competition was played in a home and away format but now, teams battle it out over month in two separate stages.
GROUP STAGES
The two stages are divided to the Group Stages and the Knockout stages. Let's first focus on the Group stages. In this stage, 12 teams are divided into three groups with four teams in each one of them. During the draw to assign the teams to their groups, all of the teams, including the host nation were seeded according to the FIFA World Rankings and are distributed into several pots. They are then drawn randomly from those pots and placed in those three groups mentioned above.
It's the most important football event in Latin America. And this time around, it's Argentina's turn to host and provide all those excitement and passion that the Copa America has duly done all the time. Follow us on Live Soccer TV as we provide you with a quick look and predictions of what might unfold during the group stages.
GROUP A
A group made up of Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia and Costa Rica doesn't sound too intriguing but indeed there's a lot to offer in Group A. The host nation will certainly head the lot as favorites to top the group while Bolivia do not have the talent to match the rest in the group- leaving them to battle for pride.
Great, But Not Yet Complete
A Starlet With A Promising Future