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8/3/2019 Englishman's Guide to the Copa America
1/7
EMELIE OKEKE >
Featuring the greatest footballer in
the world, the best player from the
World Cup and the most excing
young prospect in the game, Copa
America 2011 promises not to dis-
appoint.
He's on his way to becoming the
best player in history. Given what
we already know and because he
surpasses himself day by day, he's
already the best in the world.
Sergio Basta was one of the 80,000
awestruck spectators in the Stadio
Bernabeu on 29 April who wit-
nessed Lionel Messi's mesmerising
two-goal display against Real Madrid
< CONTENTS 1 DOWNLOAD LATEST ISSUE >
ENGLISHMANS GUIDE TO THECOPA AMERICA
Illustration: GANT POWELL >
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in the Champions League semi-final
first leg. As manager of the Ar-
genna naonal team, Basta is
placed beer than most to predict
the dizzying heights that the
Barcelona forward can reach. No-
one will be hoping more than
Basta that Messi can steer La Al-
biceleste to victory in their home-
land and keep the under-fire coach
in his job in the process.
The drama surrounding the 43rd
edion of what, pound-for-pound, is
the true heavyweight champion of
internaonal compeons began
well before the final twelve talent-
laden squads had even assembled
on Argenne soil. There were man-
agerial upheavals and administrave
power-struggles in the aermath of
the World Cup a tournament that
was, on the whole, uerly under-
whelming for Lan America.
Argenna departed South Africa on
3 July, 2010, chastened by a crushing
display of German efficiency and
counter-aacking guile more suited
to the playing fields of Buenos Aires
than the training pitches of Berlin.
With a major tournament
of their own to be hosted
less than 12 months aer
being given the bums rush
from Cape Town, the pow-
ers that be in the Argen-
ne Football Associaon
broke free from their mav-
erick head coach and playing legend
of yesteryear, replacing the uninhib-
ited Diego Maradona with a less
outspoken maverick head coach and
playing legend of yesteryear.
Basta was appointed caretaker
manager aer the sacking of his
more celebrated 1986 World Cup-
winning team-mate. A despondent
Maradona was less than compli-
mentary towards his successor,
claiming that El Checho would not
even be recognised in Uruguay. To
his credit, the new man has re-
mained recent in the
face of cricism from his
esteemed peer. Bastas
reign formally began in
most encouraging fashion
in Qatar, seven months
ago, with a 1-0 friendly
victory over arch-rivals
Brazil, featuring a 90th minute goal
from Messi.
Yet, the pressure has heightened on
the former River Plate midfielder in
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Group AArgentina
Bolivia
Colombia
Costa Rica
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the wake of some less than enlight-
ening displays in the close season,
including defeats to Nigeria and
Poland (albeit with shadow sides
fielded). Despite these showings,
with their Champions League-win-
ning superstar in tow, a record 15th
connental tle is in high demand
among the notoriously fanacal Ar-
genne faithful.
The Brazilians also em-
barked on a managerial
regime change in the
wake of their quarter-
final disappointment last
summer. The phleg-
mac Dunga made way for Mano
Menezes and, with the 2014 Brazil-
ian World Cup in mind, Menezes is
ushering in a new era of young tal-
ent.
Domesc-based starlets such as
Lucas (Sao Paolo) and Ganso (San-
tos) have already been coveted by
numerous European ouits, and the
pair now have the opportunity to
showcase their ability in the famous
golden shirt of the Selecao during a
major tournament.
The crown jewel of this
new lier of gied youth
is undoubtedly Ganso's
club-mate, Neymar. This
19-year-old forward is top
quality and plays like he
knows it; employing an
abundance of tricks and
feints to complement his powerful
bursts of pace and fleet-footed fin-
ishing. He has made one appear-
ance on English soil, running the
show as Brazil easily defeated Scot-
land in a friendly at the Emirates Sta-
dium earlier this year. Seeing as
Chelsea apparently lead his long list
of suitors, London may soon be see-
ing more of the player who could
challenge Messi for player of the
tournament this summer.
As seeded naons, Brazil and Ar-
genna have been kept apart in the
draw for the group stage and appear
to emerge as prime beneficiaries of
favourable pairings for the prelimi-
naries. The Selecao will begin the
defence of their trophy against
Venezuela, followed by dark-horses
Paraguay - arent they always? - and
Antonio Valencia-driven Ecuador.
The curtain-raiser for hosts Ar-
genna also kicks off the compe-
on: a date with Bolivia. They then
face Columbia and Costa Rica, the
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Group BBrazil
Ecuador
Paraguay
Venezuela
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laer having been draed in as late
replacements for earthquake and
tsunami-stricken Japan.
The Japanese had been invited to
compete as a guest naon but were
forced to pull out in the devastang
wake of the natural and nuclear dis-
aster in their homeland, which led
to the subsequently delayed J-
Leagues understandable reluctance
to release its players. In their ab-
sence, there had been speculaon
that the United States or possibly
Spain (!) would step in. In the end,
however, neither was willing to com-
mit aer their players had endured
a shortened summer in 2010,
through duty in South Africa. The
Americans also were commied to
the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which
they just lost to Mexico, last week-
end, and are in the midst of the MLS
club campaign. Costa Rica were in-
volved in the God Cup, as well, but,
having lost out to Uruguay for a spot
in South Africa, felt fresh enough to
do double duty.
An unintended by-product of
Japans natural disaster is a roune
passage to the knockout stages for
Argenna, much to the chagrin of
their rivals. Messi and co.
were the only ouit from
Group A to qualify for
South Africa 2010, and the
gap in class should be
telling.
Mexico, who apparently
cant get enough football,
are the second invitee. They happily
avoided Brazil and Argenna but
landed in what will undoubtedly be
dubbed the Group of Death: Group
C.
There resides Atleco Madrid's
striker supreme Diego Forlan, who
was named the best player of the
World Cup. He will again be the
lynchpin for the incisive aacking
play which made Uruguay such a joy
to watch last summer, with the ob-
vious excepon of their
opener against France.
Forlan looks set to reprise
the playmaker role that he
clearly relishes for the na-
onal team, behind Edin-
son Cavani and Luis
Suarez.
Looking through the provisional
Uruguay squad, the key element
< CONTENTS 4 DOWNLOAD LATEST ISSUE >
ENGLISHMANS GUIDE TO THE COPA AMERICA EMELIE OKEKE >
Group CChile
Mexico
Peru
Uruguay
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which emanates from their roster is
stability. The majority of their squad
are at the peak of their careers and
have accrued a large number ofcaps. Unlike Brazil, Argenna and
Group C rivals Chile, the Celeste re-
tained their manager aer an im-
pressive World Cup where they
outperformed all other Lan Amer-
ican entrants. That may be a crucial
detail in this tournament.
Oscar Tabarez has now been in
charge for five years, overseeing a
remarkable improvement in results
which resulted in an elevaon to a
record high of sixth in the FIFA
World Rankings. They have since
dropped one place, falling in behind
England. It would, of course, sll be
a shock if Uruguay won the Copa
America, or even made the final, but
there is an abounding feeling in
Montevideo that, if a tournament
triumph is to befall this famous foot-
ball naon during this generaon,then it will happen this summer.
Chile may have parted ways with
their Argenne head coach, Marcelo
Bielsa, but they have deservedly
earned their reputaon as an enter-
taining, refreshingly forward-
minded team, buoyed by the
youthful exuberance of alumni from
their recently successful Under-20
and Under-17 sides. Big things were
expected of La Roja at the World
Cup but, despite flashes of enter-
prise, an unkind draw contributed to
early meengs with Spain and Brazil,
leading to a second round exit.
Another Argenne from the class of
86 now manages the team; Claudio
Borghi took the reins in February.
He is being paid a salary of $1.5mil-
lion and will be expected to at leastlead his adopted naon to knockout
football in his motherland.
Fans of the richer European clubs
will be especially interested in the
displays of winger-cum-striker Alexis
Sanchez. The Udinese player has
been linked predominantly with
Barcelona and Manchester City, with
the Friuli side reportedly holding out
for a 50 million windfall.
Peru are the side most likely to miss
out on the knockout stages from
Group C, yet any team led by the
seasoned striking talent of Claudio
Pizzaro and backed up by the pace
of Jefferson Farfan cannot be dis-
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counted. Farfan bullied Inter Milan
in the Champions League this sea-
son and Brazilian defender Maicon
will not have fond memories. TheSchalke forward is most definitely on
the 'Bale List'.
Finally, we return to Mexico. El Tri
will be backed to religious extremes
by their ever-fervent support, but
theyve suffered momentous set-
backs in their preparaon. Five
members of their Gold Cup squad
were suspended indefinitely aer
tesng posive for a banned sub-
stance in a roune doping test dur-
ing this summer's CONCACAF. This
will not directly affect the composi-
on of their Copa America squad
though, as they are sending a
shadow roster to Argenna, com-
prised enrely of home-based play-
ers with the excepons of Spurs
forward Giovani Dos Santos and his
younger brother,
Jonathan, who plieshis trade for
Barcelona B. Sll,
morale among offi-
cials and supporters
is at a low ebb and if
the uncertainty
trickles down to the
largely inexperi-
enced group of
players perform-
ances will suffer.
Realiscally theyll
be hoping to scrape through as one
of the two best third-placed teams.
So, those are the twelve parci-
pants. Before I do a Lawro and un-
veil my expert predicons, it is
worth nong that some of the finest
clubs in Europe will be losing the
cream of their Lan
American talent dur-ing what is a key pe-
riod of pre-season
preparaon, the ma-
jority of July. The
Madrid clubs, as well
as Udinese and AC
Milan, will have no-
table absentees, but
it appears that
Milan's neighbours
Internazionale will
suffer the most, with
Javier Zane, Diego Milito, Lucio,
Maicon and Julio Cesar having all re-
ported to their respecve naons.
As well as these Nerazzuri players ef-
fecvely missing pre-season train-
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ENGLISHMANS GUIDE TO THE COPA AMERICA EMELIE OKEKE >
Bravo
Zapata
Da Silva
Cacares
Zane
Vargas
Ganso
BanegaFalcao
Suazo
Barrios
Chile
Colombia
Paraguay
Uruguay
Argenna
Peru
Brazil
ArgennaColombia
Chile
Paraguay
PLAYERS TO WATCHGK
DEF
DEF
DEF
DEF
MID
MID
MIDFOR
FOR
FOR
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ing, factor in a recent World Cup and
a long season of Champions League
glory just before that, and its fair to
say they will be returning to Inter forthe start of the new campaign off
the back of two years of non-stop
compeve football. With a new
manager in Gianpero Gasperini at
the helm, it will be no surprise if the
start of the Serie A season throws up
a few surprise results.
For Bara fans, prayers will be di-
rected towards Messis unscathed
return to his club come August. For
Argenna's faithful, prayers will be
directed towards the world's num-
ber one footballer returning the
Copa America trophy to Buenos
Aires for the first me in almost two
decades.
< CONTENTS 7 DOWNLOAD LATEST ISSUE >
ENGLISHMANS GUIDE TO THE COPA AMERICA EMELIE OKEKE >
This is an extract from Issue One of Man and Ball
magazine: Let Sleeping Gods Lie.
This issue introduces Nigel and features stories
on German football since reunification, African
Arsenal fans, an unsung Dutch legend, and
seven other intriguing articles.
It can be downloaded in its entiretyHERE >
Emelie OkekeRAMBLING WITH GAMBLING >
@Emelie_Okeke >
Writes readable football essays, which is a
commendable feat in itself. Willl surely go on
to grace better publications and maybe even
a real life newspaper one day.
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