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Home , Arturo Vidal, Claudio Bravo, Diego Alves, Geferson, Jorge Sampaoli, Jorge Valdivia

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2015 SPORTS aims to get back to winning ways

SANTIAGO: Brazil come into the Copa America desperate to regain some international credibil- ity a year after they failed so miserably in their home World Cup. The Brazilians were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final and the defeat con- firmed the once great selecao were no longer a team to be feared and had instead become just another sometimes good, sometimes bad foot- balling nation. They will be buoyed by recent results, how- ever, with eight wins out of eight since Dunga took over following that drubbing. Moreover, the famously aggressive -in his second stint as national manager-has an enviable track record in the tournament, winning it in 2007 with an understrength side in . This time around his side will be missing some key components with Real Madrid left back Marcelo and first-choice Luiz Gustavo withdrawing due to knocks. Goalkeeper also dropped out and Chelsea midfielder Oscar was left out of the squad to give him time to recover from injury. will be playing in the Champions League final with Barcelona and will miss the : Brazil’s (left) trains with the Brazilian national soccer team. Brazil is train- first of the warm-up games against Mexico on ing for the Copa America. —AP Sunday and the forward could also be rested for the Honduras friendly three days later. Colombia and Venezuela. His squad features important because it will help him fine-tune his But those withdrawals will not unduly worry four uncapped players, full backs and side for the World Cup qualifiers. Brazil have Dunga, particularly given that Brazil have one Fabinho and goalkeepers and won four of the last six Copas, dating back to of the easiest groups in section C with Peru, Neto, and he believes the Copa America is 1997. —Reuters Chile in better shape — coach

SANTIAGO: Chile’s , inspired by Alexis Sanchez and , have a great opportunity to win the country’s first Copa America title in the tournament they are hosting. On their day the team’s dynamic, high-pressure game is capable of beating the world’s best but disappointing BUENOS AIRES: during a training session of the Argentine national results in warm-up friendlies have left doubts hanging over football team ahead of the start of the Copa America continental tournament. —AFP “La Roja”. A lack of both goals and a sense of security from the defence are weaknesses that have turned praise for their Messi dreams of ending Argentine coach Sampaoli’s tactics into criticism. Sampaoli was driven at one point to say he would gath- ’s 22-year wait er his squad in Europe to prepare for the tournament away from pressure from media and the fans, although he later changed his mind. SANTIAGO: ’s Argentina will missed penalty in a shootout was the last He said he had worked to give better balance to a team attempt to end a 22-year wait for a major kick an Argentina player took at a Copa who beat holders Spain and almost eliminated Brazil in the title by adding the Copa America to the America, handing Uruguay their quarter- first knockout stage of last year’s World Cup when a late remarkable array of trophies the little final victory in 2011. shot hit the bar before the hosts won on maestro has won with Barcelona. is Argentina’s second penalties. “We have the obligation to play well coach since lost his job “We’ve been able to work on our planned tasks, we have and fight for all championships. It has after that defeat, having succeeded brought the players who have played less to the same been a long time since Argentina last World Cup coach last physical and footballing level as those who saw more won anything so we must win the Copa year, and has brought an attacking action in the season, it’s all been positive,” Sampaoli told America,” Messi said in an interview in imprint to the team. He has a squad full reporters. the Argentine FA magazine. of talent and an enviable “problem” He added that leading players like , midfield- Argentina will be hoping after their deciding between Tevez, Sergio Aguero er and Vidal are in top physical shape where- defeat in the World Cup final in Brazil last and Gonzalo Higuain for the central strik- as they had arrived in Brazil last year with injury problems. year that they can repeat history. They er’s role. “Today, from the physical point of view, there’s a backbone travelled to Chile in 1991 having lost the But he will be waiting for Messi and to the team that is in very good shape,” he said. However, 1990 World Cup final in and won the Tevez until almost the last minute after yesterday’s Champions League final in means Copa America, which they retained two they meet on opposite sides late yester- Barcelona goalkeeper and Juventus mid- years later in Ecuador. day when Barca face Juve in the fielder Vidal will arrive late at the Chile camp where the team are preparing for Friday’s opening match against Argentina’s captain believes his team Champions League final in Berlin. Ecuador in the capital. They also meet Bolivia and Mexico can gain from the experience acquired The pair, plus Barcelona’s Javier CHILE: Chilean Jorge Valdivia (right) vies for the ball in this file photo. Chile is prepar- in Group A. —Reuters ing for the Copa America 2015. —AFP from so many setbacks, including defeats Mascherano and Juventus midfielder by Brazil in the 2004 and 2007 Copa Roberto Pereyra, will join the squad America finals. in Chile the next day, only six days “We are at a special time in our before Argentina open their Group B Colombia capable of careers, we’re coming from a World Cup campaign against 2011 runners-up in which we came very close to glory and in La Serena. Argentina serious challengers that urges us on and helps us to feel face holders Uruguay at the same strong for what’s ahead.” venue three days later before meet- SANTIAGO: If Colombia can keep up the momentum from last year’s Helping Messi will be Juventus striker ing Jamaica in Vina del Mar on June World Cup they could challenge favourites Brazil and Argentina and , back in the side after his 20. —Reuters hosts Chile for the 2015 Copa America and add to their only title won on home soil in 2001. The chance to see the Colombians in competitive action for the first time since last year’s finals, where their free-flowing football made Chaotic preparations them one of the most entertaining of the 32 participants, should be one of the highlights in Chile. add to Bolivia’s worries Coach Jose Pekerman is still in charge and has kept the core of his squad together, minus central defender Mario Yepes who has retired SANTIAGO: Bolivia have not won a Nestor Clausen took over for a 3-2 win from internationals. match at any of the last five Copa against Venezuela in November, however Pekerman will this time be able to call on striker , America tournaments and the chaotic Soria publicly apologised in Potosi for his who missed the World Cup through injury. However, his lacklustre sea- events of the last few months have only comments in December and was re- son at Manchester United means he could find himself fighting with added to the feeling that they are in line appointed. Jackson Martinez, Carlos Bacca and Teo Gutierrez for a place in the for another early exit. They have had He was due to return in March, only starting lineup. three different coaches in charge for for Bolivia to pull out of a friendly in The centre of defence remains a headache and, with Cristian Zapata, their last three matches due to adminis- Nigeria over security fears. They now who played alongside Yepes in Brazil, struggling to get into a poor AC trative problems and have yet to play a have just one game, a friendly against Milan side, Pekerman might instead opt for youngsters Eder Balanta match this year. Argentina, to prepare for the tourna- and . Another worry is in midfield where the absence of Old favorite was ment. Critics say that, in the World Cup the injured Fredy Guarin is a significant blow. Naturally, the form of attacking midfielder James Rodriguez, the inspiration behind the World fired after a 1-0 defeat against Mexico in qualifiers, Bolivia are over dependent on Cup performance, will be key to Colombia’s hopes. After a season in the September, then Mauricio Soria took the the advantage of playing home matches shadows of at Real Madrid, the 23-year-old may reigns on a caretaker basis for a 2-2 draw in at 3,600 metres above sea level. thrive back in the spotlight, which will be good news for Colombia and against Chile in October. That appears to be born out by their the tournament as a whole. —Reuters Soria was set to be appointed on a recent Copa America record. After host- permanent basis but then, as coach of ing and reaching the final in 1997, Bolivia Blooming, caused an outcry with com- have been knocked out in the group Venezuela already looking ments he made in a private conversation, stage on the five subsequent occasions but which were taped and made public, with seven defeats and eight draws in 15 beyond Copa America about the city of Potosi. games. —Reuters SANTIAGO: Venezuela are the only South American team never to have played at the World Cup and coach ’s sights are already fixed on in 2018 rather than Chile this month. “I’m Ecuador need to reunite not here to win a Copa America, I’m here to get us qualified (for the next World Cup). If not, it’s a failure,” Sanvicente said in a recent SANTIAGO: Ecuador need to reunite and Both players were left out of the post- interview. get over the recriminations which fol- World Cup friendlies under caretaker “I think it’s our turn to qualify for a World Cup,” he added, reflect- lowed their disappointing World Cup coach Sixto Vizuete but are back under ing on the near misses of the last two qualifying campaigns. “We’ve performance last year if they improve on new coach Gustavo Quinteros, a former been so close.” Until recently, Venezuela, where soccer has been tra- a shocking recent record at the Copa Bolivia international appointed on a ditionally less popular than baseball, were seen as easy meat by the America. Ecuador were the only South long-term basis in March to replace other South American teams and were often on the wrong end of American team eliminated in the group . some embarrassingly lopsided scorelines. They have made huge stage in Brazil and their early exit was fol- Ecuador have played at three of the strides in the last 10 years, however, and enjoyed their best-ever lowed by reports of bickering in the last four World Cups, having never performance at the last Copa America where they reached the camp over bonus money. Forward appeared before 2002, however the semi-finals, although signs of stagnation have now begun to set in. Antonio Valencia denied there was trou- Copa America has turned into something The defence is ageing, there does not appear to be any sign of ble, saying each player had agreed to be of a bogey tournament for them. a replacement for 35-year-old and for- paid a percentage calculated on the They have been eliminated at the first ward Salomon Rondon has fallen out of favour at Zenit St amount of time he had played during hurdle in every tournament since 1997 Petersburg. Venezuela can play some slick football but the World Cup qualifiers. and failed to win a game on their last Sanvicente realises they need to be more consistent. “We can’t be However, Jefferson Montero gave an three appearances. They have to go back satisfied with producing moments of good football. We have to interview in which he said that some of to 2001 to find their last success, a 4-0 ARGENTINA: Colombian national football team player Cristian Zapata takes sustain this with more movement and the kind of intensity I’m the squad were too focused on money. victory over Venezuela. —Reuters part in a training session in Cardales ahead of the Copa America. —AFP looking for,” he said. —Reuters