Football Photos

Copa America: Friends Yesterday, Enemies Today!

June 10, 2015 16:04

Argentina are favourites to end a 22-year trophy drought when the Copa America kicks off here Thursday as a resurgent Brazil chase redemption following their ill-fated campaign at last year's World Cup.

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Argentina are favourites to end a 22-year trophy drought when the Copa America kicks off here Thursday as a resurgent Brazil chase redemption following their ill-fated campaign at last year's World Cup. (All images from AFP)
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The 12-team tournament is a convention of football's deadliest attacking talents, with a galaxy of Europe-based stars including Lionel Messi, Neymar, James Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez and Edinson Cavani set to shine.
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Argentina captain Messi and Brazilian counterpart Neymar head to Chile less than a week after inspiring Barcelona to their Champions League triumph in Berlin on Saturday. Both No.10s are carrying the weight of expectation on their shoulders, with Messi determined to finally taste glory at a major international tournament with Argentina and Neymar aiming to erase the memory of last year's World Cup.
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While Messi has been the key figure in Barcelona's emergence as the dominant force in club football over the past decade, he has yet to taste victory in an Argentina shirt, a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics aside.
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Brazil and Neymar meanwhile begin their campaign against Peru in Group C on Sunday.
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Brazil's biggest challenge of the first round comes three days later when they face Colombia on June 17, a rematch of the two sides' bruising World Cup quarter-final last year.
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Fast forward a year however and Brazil, under the guidance of former coach and 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga, are back on track. Dunga's men have reeled off nine straight victories since the World Cup and will feel confident of reaching the Copa final in Santiago on July 4.
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Dunga, who coached Brazil to their last Copa America win in 2007, believes the form of striker Neymar has been key to the revival.
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Hosts Chile, ranked 19th in FIFA's rankings, will start as third favorites even though they've never won the tournament. Their hopes lie largely on the shoulders of Juventus' Arturo Vidal and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, two players who come into the tournament with a solid season of European Football behind them.
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James Rodriguez, Golden Boot winner at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and for many the player of that tournament, will once again be the one to watch especially if the Colombians start to celebrate goals just like they did 12 months ago in Brazil.

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