Copa America – The Showdown in Brazil

Brazil will play host to another great tournament in the space of 5 years. They embarrassed themselves in front of the home crowd during the World Cup in 2014. This time Brazil enter the Copa America as favorites to win it. This will be the 46th edition of the tournament which is always organised by South America’s football ruling body CONMEBOL. Brazil haven’t won a major trophy since the 2013 Confederations Cup. That’s why they will do their best to overtake defending champions Chile and win the Copa America trophy.

Every time Copa America is organised the 10 CONMEBOL nations take part. Additionally, two more teams are invited to fill the last 2 spots. The tournament has been played with 12 teams since 1993. This time around, Qatar and Japan will be the guest countries. It’s going to be the first Copa America since 1993 in which Mexico won’t take part as a guest country. Here are the 12 nations who will play in this tournament.

Draw & Groups

The draw took place on the 24 January 2019 and the teams were separated in three groups. CONMEBOL decided that teams will be judged and divided into 4 pots before the draw. That was handled based on their FIFA rankings at the moment of the draw.

So, in accordance to the above listed pots, the draw was made. In the 1st group, it’s going to be Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Peru. The 2nd group will feature Argentina, Columbia, Paraguay, and Qatar. Last but not least, Group C holds Uruguay, Ecuador, Japan, and Chile. The rankings changed after that, especially after Qatar beat Japan in the Asian Cup. At the moment both Bolivia and Ecuador have a worse rank than Qatar. Keep reading to learn more information about this tournament.

Group A

	Team	Qualiftication
1 2	Brazil Bolivia	Advance to Knockout Stage
3	Venezuela	Possible knockout stage based on ranking
4	Peru

This group is filled with strong teams and they will all try to get as far as possible in the tournament. Brazil are clear favorites for the 1st spot on the table The rest of them will really have to battle it out for the 2nd position. Bolivia is the weakest squad in this group but they are known to play great, defensively.

Brazil

Brazil are considered strong favorites to lift the Copa America trophy. The Selecao haven’t won a major trophy since 2013 so they will be looking to seize the opportunity. They suffered their greatest defeat of 7-1 against Germany in the 2014 World Cup. That was a humiliating event for the whole nation. That’s exactly why Brazil will aim to leave a better impression this time around.

Even though they have a star-packed squad, things started in the worse possible way. Team talisman, Nejmar Jr. suffered a major injury. He ruptured his ankle ligaments in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Qatar. The injury will sideline him for a long time which is a serious blow to the Brazilian Squad. Nevertheless, this means someone else is going to have to shine in his place.

However, even without Nejmar, the Selecao have a packed team. All their footballers play for the World’s strongest teams. They have everything that’s needed to win this tournament.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Alisson, Ederson, Cassio.
Defenders	Dani Alves, Fagner, Alex Sandro, Filipe Luis, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marquinhos, Eder Militao.
Midfielders	Casemiro, Fernandinho, Arthur, Allan, Lucas Paqueta, PhilippeCoutinho, Willian.
Forwards	Everton, David Neres, Richarlison, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus.

Bolivia

Bolivia haven’t won the Copa since 1963. Since then, the best they have done is getting to the quarter finals. Their recent international record doesn’t bode well for this year’s tournament. They are considered the outsiders of the tournament. Even according to the FIFA rankings, they hold the last place. Regardless of that, Bolivia will try to get as far as possible and make their countrymen proud.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Carlos Lampe, Ruben Cordano, Javier Rojas.
Defenders	Marvin Bejarano, Diego Bejarano, Luis Haquin, Adrian Jusino, Mario Cuellar, Saul Torres, Roberto Fernandez, Jose Mario Carrasco.
Midfielders	Alejandro Chumacero, Raul Castro, Erwin Saavedra, Leonel Justiniano, Samuel Galindo, Fernando Saucedo, Diego Wayar, Paul Arano.
Forwards	Marcelo Martins, Gilbert Alvarez, Rodrigo Ramallo, Leonardo Vaca.

Venezuela

This is a squad that’s always hard to crack. They have experienced players who have spent years playing for their national team. Thomas Rincon, the Torino midfielder is the one leading the charge for Venezuela. He is among the players with the most caps for the national squad. However, Solomon Rondon is definitely the main name in the team. He didn’t have a great season in Newcastle but he is ready to fight for his country.

One thing that we have to mention is the political situation in Venezuela. Even though politics has no place in sport, this will definitely impact the way the squad plays. On the other hand, La Vino Tinto might give their best performance in order to bring some joy to a troubled country.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Wuilker Farinez, Rafael Romo, Joel Graterol.
Defenders	Roberto Rosales, Mikel Villanueva, Rolf Feltscher, John Chancellor, Yordan Osorio, Ronald Hernandez, Luis Mago.
Midfielders	Tomas Rincon, Luis Manuel Seijas, Arquimedes Figuera, Jhon Murillo, Darwin Machis, Junior Moreno, Adalberto Penaranda, Yangel Herrera, Luis Gonzalez, Jefferson Savarino.
Forwards	Salomon Rondon, Josef Martinez, Fernando Aristeguieta.

Peru

Peru have a strong but very inexperienced squad when it comes to national play. Only 5 players are in double digits with their national caps. However, that didn’t stop Peru from qualifying for the World Cup 2018. Even though they didn’t manage to go past the group stages, Los Incas left a great impression.

This Copa America will be the perfect ground for Peru to show their improvement. They will use any chance they get to go as far as possible in this tournament.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Pedro Gallese, Carlos Caceda, Patricio Alvarez.
Defenders	Luis Advincula, Carlos Zambrano, Miguel Trauco, Aldo Corzo, Alexander Callens, Miguel Araujo, Anderson Santamaria, Luis Abram.
Midfielders	Yoshimar Yotun, Christian Cueva, Edison Flores, Renato Tapia, Christofer Gonzales, Jesus Pretell, Paolo Hurtado.
Forwards	Jefferson Farfan, Paolo Guerrero, Andre Carillo, Raul Ruidiaz, Andy Polo.

Group B

	Team	Qualiftication
1 2	Argentina Colombia	Advance to Knockout Stage
3	Paraguay	Possible knockout stage based on ranking
4	Qatar

Except guest country Qatar, the other three teams are all expected to go past the group stage. Argentina is always considered a favorite; however, they will be arriving at the Copa America with a drastically different squad compared to the World Cup 2018. Colombia and Paraguay have both shown they have the quality to beat any side. This means this group will be open until the last match.

Argentina

Regardless of the problems in the squad, as long as Lionel Messi plays, Argentina will be considered a favorite in any match. Their disappointing showing in the World Cup 2018 led to major changes to the team. However, La Albiceleste came insanely close in the last two Copa America tournaments. They lost on penalties twice which was heartbreaking.

This time around, Argentina is coming with a mixed squad. Experience + youth which usually proves to be a perfect combination. Unlike previous tournaments where they were considered clear favorites, this time it’s different. They are rebuilding the squad but might end up surprising everyone at the end. Every team plays better when the pressure of being a favorite is removed.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada.
Defenders	Nicolas Otamendi, Ramiro Funes Mori, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico, German Pezzella, Renzo Saravia, Juan Foyth.
Midfielders	Angel Di Maria, Roberto Pereyra, Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Guido Rodriguez, Ivan Marcone.
Forwards	Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Matias Suarez.

Colombia

Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez are the names that come in mind when we mention Colombia. However, if we look deeper, their squad is much more than just those two. They have David Ospina who is an excellent goalkeeper. Additionally, there is Everton’s defender Yerri Mina who proved how good he is during the World Cup 2018. They even have a prolific attacker like Duvan Zapata who had a fantastic season in Italy.

With all this in mind, Los Cafeteros seem much stronger than initially thought. They will definitely be the team to beat during this tournament. Even though no one thinks of them as favorites, Columbia can go all the way to the end.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	David Ospina, Camilo Vargas, Alvaro Montero.
Defenders	Cristian Zapata, Santiago Arias, Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, William Tesillo, Cristian Borja, Stefan Medina, Jhon Lucumi.
Midfielders	Juan Cuadrado, James Rodriguez, Edwin Cardona, Wilmar Barrios, Mateus Uribe, Jefferson Lerma, Gustavo Cuellar.
Forwards	Radamel Falcao, Luis Muriel, Roger Martinez, Duvan Zapata, LuisDiaz.

Paraguay

Paraguay had their best ever performance in this competition when they finished runners-up to Uruguay in 2011. They will be hoping 2019 is kinder to them than 2018 when they failed to win any of their games. The best result they got was a 1-1 draw against South Africa. The squad is filled with inexperienced players and only a handful are in double figures.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Antony Silva, Roberto Junior Fernandez, Alfredo Aguilar.
Defenders	Gustavo Gomez, Ivan Piris, Bruno Valdez, Junior Alonso, Fabian Balbuena, Juan Escobar, Santiago Arzamendia, Ivan Torres.
Midfielders	Oscar Romero, Richard Ortiz, Rodrigo Rojas, Miguel Almiron, Celso Ortiz, Matias Rojas.
Forwards	Oscar Cardozo, Hernan Perez, Derlis Gonzalez, Federico Santander, Cecilio Dominguez, Juan Iturbe.

Qatar

As a guest country, nothing is expected from Qatar. They are grateful to have been invited and would like to show their qualities to the world. Qatar football has been improving drastically. They are going up on the FIFA rankings with every played match. However, ever since they were awarded the hosting rights to the World Cup 2022, their progress increased even further. Their success in the Asian Cup will motivate them to bring their A game to the Copa America.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Saad Al Sheeb, Youssef Hassan, Mohammed Al Bakri.
Defenders	Tareq Salman, Abdulkarim Hassam, Hamed Ismael, , Tameem Al-Muhaza, Assim Madebo, Salem Alhajri, Ahmed Fathy, Pedro Correira, Al Mahdi Ali, Bassam Husham.
Midfielders	Boualem Khoukhi, Karim Boudiaf, Ali Afif, Abdulaziz Hatim, Abdullah Abdul Salam.
Forwards	Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Al Aaeldin, AhmedMoein, Abdulaziz Al Ansari.

Group C

	Team	Qualiftication
1 2	Uruguay Ecuador	Advance to Knockout Stage
3	Japan	Possible knockout stage based on ranking
4	Chile

Last but not least, we have a group where we can’t pick a clear favorite. A lot will be expected from Chile who managed to win the last two editions of the tournament. Japan who were considered favorites in the Asian Cup will be seeking revenge against Qatar. It was a shocking defeat and they will want to prove they are better. Uruguay, on the other hand, want to win this tournament. However, nothing less than perfect performances will be expected from them.

Uruguay

Everyone should be scared of a team that has three super-stars in attack. Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, and Cristhian Stuani can make any side nervous. On top of that, La Celeste have the master of defense Godin, protecting their back line. If we look at the FIFA ratings, Uruguay are the second strongest team of this tournament. They are rated better than Argentina and only behind Brazil.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Fernando Muslera, Martin Silva, Martin Campana.
Defenders	Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez, Sebastian Coates, Martin Caceres, Marcelo Sarrachi.
Midfielders	Giovanni Gonzalez, Diego Laxalt, Lucas Torreira, Matias Vecino, Rodrigo Bentancur, Nahitan Nandez, Federico Valverde, Nicolas Lodeiro, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Gaston Pereiro.
Forwards	Edinson Cavani, Cristhian Stuani, Maximiliano Gomez, Jonathan Rodriguez, Luis Suarez.

Ecuador

Ecuador won’t be worried about any team in this group or the Copa itself. Current coach Hernan Gomez is the only coach to have led three different countries to World Cup qualification. He will lean heavily on Ecuador’s Under 20 squad. They won the recent South American Under 20 Championship.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Alexander Dominguez, Pedro Ortiz, Maximo Banguera.
Defenders	Arturo Mina, Roberto Arboleda, Pedro Pablo Velasco, Cristian Ramirez, Xavier Arreaga, Jose Quintero, Beder Caicedo, Gabriel Achilier.
Midfielders	Romario Ibarra, Renato Ibarra, Carlos Gruezo, Jefferson Intriago, Antonio Valencia, Ayrton Preciado, Jefferson Orejuela, Andres Chicaiza, Jhegson Mendez.
Forwards	Carlos Garces, Angel Mena, Enner Valencia.

Japan

Japan are the 2nd guest country in this edition of the Copa America. Not a lot is expected from guest sides but Japan have a bone to pick. Qatar managed a surprise victory over them in the Asian Cup. The Samurai Blue will be looking to return the favor.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Eiji Kawashima, Ryosuke Kojima, Keisuke Osako.
Defenders	Naomichi Ueda, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Tomoki Iwata, Ko Itakura, Daiki Sugioka, Teruki Hara, Daiki Suga, Yugo Tatsuta.
Midfielders	Yuta Nakayama, Gaku Shibasaki, Shoya Nakajima, Takefusa Kubo,Tatsuya Ito, Koji Miyoshi, Kota Watanabe, Hiroki Abe, Taishi Matsumoto.
Forwards	Shinji Okazaki, Daizen Maeda, Ayase Ueda.

Chile

At the end we have the holding champions of Copa America. They won the last two editions and have a chance to secure a hat-trick of titles in this tournament. This time around Chile have a much weaker squad and some weary legs. Alexis Sanchez was not at his usual self and had an abysmal season with Manchester United.

Nevertheless, La Roja will try to win yet another Copa America. However, they will have to do it the hard way. The draw definitely didn’t work in their favor as they got the hardest group. FIFA rankings suggest that Chile fell down the pecking order. They are now 13th which is a worse rank than Colombia. However, Chile will enter this tournament ready to show why they were the ones winning the last two editions.

Squad List

Goalkeepers	Gabriel Arias, Brayan Cortes, Yerko Urra.
Defenders	Gary Medel, Gonzalo Jara, Mauricio Isla, Jean Beausejour, Paulo Diaz, Guillermo Maripan, Igor Lichnovsky, Oscar Opazo.
Midfielders	Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz, Pedro Pablo Hernandez, Erick Pulgar, Diego Valdes, Esteban Pavez.
Forwards	Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas, Jose Pedro Fuenzalida, Nicolas Castillo, Junior Fernandes, Angelo Sagal.

The Final Countdown

Now that you know everything about this edition of the Copa America, it’s time to wait. The tournament will start on the 15th of June and the hosts will open the proceedings. The first match is Brazil against minnows Bolivia. The Selecao will be looking to prove their favorite status from the beginning. Bolivia, on the other hand, will try to spoil their fun. For more information visit Copa America official website.

However, Brazil have a much stronger squad and this is the match they have to win. We believe they will go forward from the initial whistle and score several goals past Bolivia. That’s why we are backing an Asian handicap outcome. -2.5 AH @ 1.91 odds offers great value. This bet means, Brazil will have to win with a goal difference of three or more.

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