IS EVERYBODY READY? COPA AMERICA IS ALMOST HERE!

[jenni_blog]

Who do I think will win this year's Copa America? I think Brazil and Argentina are the favourites, and I think Brazil just may do it. Here's what I think of each team in the Copa:

These predictions are followed by a gigantic picspam of training and other photos.

A sample:

Diego Godin of Uruguay, signing a little fan's shirt. (Awwwww.....)





1. Argentina

Why I think they won't win:

In an era where most pundits and some coaches are arriving at the conclusion that it is better to form a national team out of a good mixture of 'old' and 'young' players, Argentina seems to persist in calling up the same old, same old players. It didn't work in the 2010 World Cup and I don't think it's going to work now. Not that the players are 'old'...far from it...but the same players always seem to be chosen...the last good win Argentina had was the 2008 Olympics.

Why I think they have a chance:

Messi is going to do something great for his country sometime soon...sure, he is overdue and that's why I think he might do it now..but the NT would have to play more like Barcelona does...27 passes to bore the opposition to sleep, then make some killer strikes. With other players in the mix like Fernando Gago, Ever Banega, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria, Kun Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi, I think they could very well show us something new this time, despite practically calling up the same old squad.

In a nutshell (since I tend to be rambly): Too much of the same.

2. Brazil

Why I think they won't win:

This team has not played together before. They are going to rely too much on Neymar and Alexandre Pato, who are inexperienced at this level. This is one team that is much changed from the unsuccessful World Cup team and new to playing together.

Why I think they might:

Neymar and wealth of other talent! He has won his league with Santos and also the Copa Libertadores. Not only Neymar, but his Santos teammates and key players, Ganso and Elano, are also on the team. Pato has won the league with AC Milan! Recent winners have an edge, IMO.

In a nutshell: Too many changes.

3. Colombia

Why I think they might not win:

They were 2001 Copa America winners, but since then the NT has declined. It's not that their players aren't hugely talented. There is something about the Colombians mentally, and this mental weakness could let them down again. That, and the fact they always seem to be so unlucky in tournaments. They have just lost their #1 goalkeeper, David Ospina, to a fractured nose.

Why I think they have a great shot:

Look at their list of strikers! It's so impressive that I salivate just thinking of watching any combination of these guys play. Falcao has just come off a superb season, and was the top scorer and record-setter in the Europa League this year. He led his club team to FOUR wins: the league, the Europa Cup, and two other Portuguese cups. Teofilo Gutierrez, despite coming to the team late in the season, ended up being the top scorer in Argentina. Hugo Rodallega scored the winning goal to keep his team up in the English Premier League in the last game of the season. Dayro Moreno and Jackson Martinez both helped their teams into the Copa Libertadores' final knockout rounds. Other great strikers have been left off the NT squad. The depth of Colombian strikers is amazing. Another reason is that the U-21 team just won the Toulon Tournament in France. Perhaps Colombia's luck is finally turning the corner.

In a nutshell: Can they overcome their mental deficits and play to their strengths?

4. Uruguay

Why they might not win:

There is no good reason for this team not to win, given the talent on the squad. The only thing that will beat Uruguay, I think, is a better team in the Copa, or if they just happen to lose their form at the wrong time.

Why they could win:

They're awesome! What else can I say?

In a nutshell: Will they keep their good form?

5. Mexico

Why they might not win.

Mexico has such depth it's unbelievable. First, they lost 5 key players because of doping results. Then they just recently lost 8 or 9 more because of indiscipline...these guys had invited prostitutes into their hotel rooms. The guilty players were dropped and replacements were brought in...but just going through those scandals might cause the Mexicans to lose some focus.

Why they might win:

They've just come off an impressive Gold Cup win. Some of the recruitments were from the U-21 team that just came fourth in the Toulon Tournament in France. Nobody flies higher than winners.

In a nutshell: They can probably make the last four.

The rest: Ecuador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Chile, Venezuela and Bolivia...sorry, but I don't think any of them have a chance over my top five choices.

But we will see. I've been so wrong in my predictions before, going down in spectacular flames.

XD

PICSPAM!

Argentina























And here is a link to the official Argentine team pics. You can click on the thumbnails of the individual players to see the bigger photos.

http://deportesar.terra.com.ar/futbol/copaamerica/2011/fotos/0,,OI159282-EI17924,00-Argentina+se+toma+las+fotos+oficiales+para+la+Copa+America.html

Brazil



































Colombia



























































Uruguay



























Mexico

















And the rest...

Bolivia







Costa Rica







Ecuador















Paraguay







Peru









Venezuela













EDIT: I totally forgot about Chile. Didn't find any pics. :(

Comments

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

Not bad! Good thoughts!

But I guess as almost always the final will be Brazil vs Argetina and the winner will be Brazil. I will NOT watch THAT final!!!

I hope Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia and Ecuador can play very well... Can't wait to watch them!!! Hahahahahaha I wanna watch some hotties.....

Tonight is the first match: Argentina vs Bolivia!

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I think you are RIGHT!

I am looking forward to the pics of the HOTTIES!!!

What time is the match on your time? I have checked but cannot find it on TV, and when I looked online it said that Univision would carry it here and that Youtube was going to stream the games. I've already pre-selected it on Youtube. :) (And I noticed that Univision has some pics from the U-17 matches! But they are in some weird format...)

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

The match will be 2:45am my time this night. It's 8:45pm your time.

YouTube will stream matches???? I didn't know! Link me please.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Holy shit, that's late for you! Not bad for me!

Here is the Youtube link, but let me know if you can't see it:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=copa+america+argentina+2011&aq=2z&oq=copa+america

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

It's not too late for me!

The link works but there is NO stream info! I cannot imagine YouTube streaming football!!!

[still-glorious.livejournal.com]

i agree about argentina in parts. i think that it would have been wiser to use the wc team rather call up a bunch of other old players. somehow they can never grow in to a team. to rely too much on messi is dangerous as its not the barca formation. plus, they make the same mistake in focusing entirely on the offense yet again. (and why milito who was injured almost all season and not micho is beyond me). almost none of the offensive players are good in helping out in the back! however i think it might be enough for the copa, though if there'd be up against germany they'd loose yet again.

as for brazil i sincerely hope they'll fail big time. especially neymar as he is such a dirty player and karma should ground his little ass.

uruguay has a great team atm i think they've got a great chance if they dont loose concentration.

given that its a south american competition i guess more than one player will loose their temper eventually jajaja

chile got vidal and he is an outstanding player. dont know about the rest.

i think that not messi but pastore will shine :)

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Zanetti, Burdisso, Cambiasso and the Militos are a mystery to me. I just don't get it. It's frustrating for me after watching many superb Argentines playing in the Copa Libertadores and in the Colombian league. For instance, the best Argentine goalkeeper in the world right now, IMO, is Gaston Pezzuti, playing in Medellin with Nacional. I simply don't understand Batista's choices. There is a young defender with FC Porto, a central defender whom Maradona used as a right back in the World Cup. He is NOT a right back and took some criticism, which is not fair. He certainly helped Porto to win 4 trophies this year. And Micho is a MUCH better defender than both Milito and Burdisso put together. I just don't know...my best Argie team would be far different from this one.

[txorakeriak.livejournal.com]

You're a lot more optimistic about Messi than I am. I used to think of him as a really great player with a huge potential, but after having watched him for over 5 years now, I must say I've lost confidence in him. He's doing well for his club, undoubtedly, but he's never won a major trophy with his national team (if you don't count the Olympics). It's blatantly obvious that unless Argentina doesn't give Argentine citizenship to the entire squad of Barcelona and put those players around Messi on the pitch, the World Footballer of the Year will never do any magic with his national team. It seems like some sort of unwritten law that it's forbidden to criticise Messi, and I already get bitched at for merely hinting at things, but I don't care. Look at the players who became World Footballers before him. Even CR7 was some sort of improvement to his NT (even though I don't agree with him being elected either). True World Footballers, for me, are players like Zidane, who have been brilliant for both their clubs and their national teams. And honestly, that comment of Grondona's about how Messi never plays badly but the other players around him do? Shameful. For that comment alone I want Argentina to drop out of the competition. Maybe that way people will finally realise that a team consists of 11 players, and that it would be more prudent to create a team without Messi than building up a second FC Barcelona around him and hope it works out. I'm sorry for the other players in the Argentina squad, they don't deserve to be discarded or ridiculed just because the "prodigy" is unable to reach his potential when wearing his country's colours.

Rant over.

Sorry.

Great pics! I especially like the ones of Uruguay. Too bad Fucile didn't recover in time for the Copa! I want them to win (preferably after beating Brazil in the final, hehehe - I really don't like Brazil.) VAMOS ORIENTALES! :D

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's what I wrote about Messi while I was trying to be nice! But sometimes I get so mad thinking about all the hype surrounding him and everyone fawning all over the 'world's greatest player'! For me he is not truly Argentine. He has never played there for a club. He is Spanish through and through, and should take out Spanish citizenship! (That would save all the Barca boys from becoming Argentine...LOL). Barca made him, and I am convinced he can never play any other way but theirs. Sure, he is a great dribbler and is a great finisher. But he's not the only one!

CR7 has not been successful for his NT either. What has he won them? Nothing! But I think the reason for this is that all successful NTs play as a TEAM, with NO STARS. The STAR system never works with any National Team, not since the old days, when most players were less skilled, especially defenders, so the superstars (hello, Maradona) could work their magic. It's different now, and when you see teams like Venezuela doing so well, it's because each player on the team is equal and their main focus is in playing together, not constantly trying to feed the ball to the STAR. All the NTs have great defenses now, and the only way to win is by everyone giving equal effort and trying to produce some 'team magic'.

You're so right about Argentina's other players. Those are some really good players, and they should not have to go through this shit. Nobody is going to want to play for the NT anymore. I feel really bad for this group of guys. :(

Don't apologize! I love reading your 'rants'. LOL. *HUGS*

Thanks...I thought there were some really good pics coming out lately.

Brazil is horrible...but the players are so new to playing together. It'll be interesting to see if they go out early...

Awww...Fucile! I miss him!!! :(

Thanks for the awesome comment! :)♥