The 2016 Copa America Centenario begins Friday in what is undoubtedly the biggest soccer event to be played in the United States since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Some of the global game’s biggest stars will be on hand, hoping to lead their respective sides to the trophy. In Copa America Centenario Group B, it’s Brazil that look to be the favorites to finish tops ahead of Ecuador, Peru and Haiti.
Our second installment of previews for the 100th anniversary Copa America tournament focuses on the four teams in this group and their prospects of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Copa America Centenario Group B Preview
Brazil
Manager: Dunga
Current FIFA ranking: 7th
Best finish: Champions (1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Alisson (Internacional – Brazil), Diego Alves (Valencia – Spain), Marcelo Grohe (Gremio – Brazil)
DEFENDERS (8): Dani Alves (FC Barcelona – Spain), Rodrigo Caio (São Paulo – Brazil), Fabinho (Monaco – France), Gil (Shandong Luneng – China), Filípe Luís (Atlético Madrid – Spain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain – France), Miranda (Internazionale – Italy), Douglas (Atlético Mineiro – Brazil)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan – China), Casemiro (Real Madrid – Spain), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool – England), Elias (Corinthians – Brazil), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg – Germany), Kaka (Orlando City SC – USA), Lucas Lima (Santos – Brazil), Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain – France), Willian (Chelsea – England)
FORWARDS (3): Gabriel (Santos – Brazil), Hulk (Zenit St. Petersburg – Russia), Jonas (Benfica – Portugal)
Despite winning more World Cups (five) than any other nation, success has been harder to come by for Brazil in Copa America. Yes, they’ve won the event eight times in their history, but that trails both Argentina (14) and Uruguay (15) by a substantial amount. And they once had a 40 year drought (1949-1989) in between trophies.
This tournament’s edition of the Seleção will be perceived by many to be a tad on the short-handed side. In particular, the absence of Neymar could loom large. The 24-year-old striker is focusing on being fresh for the 2016 Olympic football tournament. It’s a competition that Brazil has never won and will be looking to do so on home soil. But a player who scored 31 goals in all competitions for FC Barcelona this past season is going to be tough to replace.
The Brazilians will need to get quality wide play out of their midfield to have a shot at making a run at the trophy. The Premier League tandem of Philippe Coutinho and Willian are two players to pay attention to in that regard. Coutinho had a standout year for Liverpool, netting 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions. That included a crucial goal in the 66th minute of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals second leg against Borussia Dortmund. It made the score 3-2 and keyed an historic 4-3 comeback win for the club.
Brazil are looking to reverse a string of extremely disappointing results in international competition. First came the disastrous 7-1 blowout loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals. They followed that up with an uninspired performance in last year’s Copa America, crashing out in the quarterfinals after losing to Paraguay in penalty kicks. It remains to be seen if this squad as assembled can erase those bad memories, but doing so could help the team’s confidence moving forward.
Ecuador
Manager: Gustavo Quinteros
Current FIFA ranking: 13th
Best finish: 4th (1959, 1993)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Máximo Banguera (Barcelona – Ecuador), Alexander Domínguez (LDU Quito – Ecuador), Esteban Dreer (Emelec – Ecuador)
DEFENDERS (7): Gabriel Achilier (Emelec – Ecuador), Robert Arboleda (Universidad Católica – Ecuador), Walter Ayoví (Monterrey – Mexico), Frickson Erazo (Atlético Mineiro – Brazil), Arturo Mina (Independiente del Valle – Ecuador), Juan Carlos Paredes (Watford – England), Cristian Ramírez (Ferencváros – Hungary)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Michael Arroyo (Club América – Mexico), Fernando Gaibor (Emelec – Ecuador), Carlos Gruezo (FC Dallas – USA), Pedro Larrea (El Nacional – Ecuador), Fidel Martínez (Pumas UNAM – Mexico), Ángel Mena (Emelec – Ecuador), Jefferson Montero (Swansea City – Wales), Christian Noboa (Rostov – Russia), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United – England)
FORWARDS (4): Jaime Ayoví (Godoy Cruz – Argentina), Miler Bolaños (Grêmio – Brazil), Juan Cazares (Atlético Mineiro – Brazil), Enner Valencia (West Ham United – England)
Ecuadorian football has been on a high note of sorts recently. They currently sit second in CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 4-1-1 record. Their qualifying campaign got off to a rousing start as well. On October 15 of last year, they stunned Argentina with a 2-0 victory in Buenos Aires. La Tricolor certainly look set to make their fourth ever World Cup.
This tournament should serve to reinforce the success Ecuador is realizing at international level. Perceived as the second strongest side in Copa America Centenario Group B behind Brazil, the pressure will be on to make the quarterfinals. This is especially true considering that Ecuador hasn’t made it out of the group stage of this event since 1997.
On the pitch, the team is led by captain Walter Ayoví. The 36-year-old made ten appearances for Mexican side Monterrey in 2016. This included 90 minutes in both legs of the Liga MX final against Pachuca where his team fell 2-1. Defensive midfielder Carlos Gruezo was signed by FC Dallas in the off-season and has played a key role in the club’s strong start to 2016.
Higher up the pitch, attacking midfielder Jefferson Montero will look to be one of the team’s chance creators in the final third. Manager Gustavo Quinteros will likely go with a two striker system. Expect to see Miler Bolaños playing off of West Ham United forward Enner Valencia.
Peru
Manager: Ricardo Gareca
Current FIFA ranking: 48th
Best finish: Champions (1939, 1975)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Carlos Cáceda (Universitario – Peru), Pedro Gallese (Juan Aurich – Peru), Diego Penny (Sporting Cristal – Peru)
DEFENDERS (8): Luis Abram (Sporting Cristal – Peru), Jair Céspedes (Sporting Cristal – Peru), Aldo Corzo (Deportivo Municipal – Peru), Christian Ramos (Juan Aurich – Peru), Renzo Revoredo (Sporting Cristal – Peru), Alberto Rodríguez (Sporting Cristal – Peru), Renato Tapia (Feyenoord – Netherlands), Miguel Trauco (Universitario – Peru)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Armando Alfagme (Deportivo Municipal – Peru), Adán Balbín (Universitario – Peru), Cristian Benavente (Charleroi – Belgium), Luiz da Silva (PSV Eindhoven – Netherlands), Alejandro Hohberg (Universidad César Vallejo – Peru), Andy Polo (Universitario – Peru), Óscar Vilchez (Alianza Lima – Peru), Yoshimar Yotún (Malmö – Sweden)
FORWARDS (4): Christian Cueva (Toluca – Mexico), Edison Flores (Universitario – Peru), Paolo Guerrero (Flamengo – Brazil), Raúl Ruidíaz (Universitario – Peru)
Peruvian football’s golden age took place in the 1970s and into the early 1980s. It was then that they qualified for three FIFA World Cups (1970, 1978, 1982) and won Copa America in 1975. They also made the semifinals in 1979 and 1983. Their two dynamic forwards Teófilo Cubillas and Hugo Sotil were hugely important stalwarts of that era.
Despite not having qualified for a World Cup in over three decades, the Copa America has been fairly kind to Peru. Since 1993, they’ve only failed to make it out of the group stage just once. And the previous two editions of the event have seen Peru finish third both times. So despite being one of South America‘s lesser heralded teams, La Blanquirroja does have a tendency to surprise to the upside more often than not.
Manager Ricardo Gareca brings a squad heavy on domestically based talent. Of the 23 players on the final roster, 17 ply their trade for Peruvian clubs. Two exceptions are defender Renato Tapia and midfielder Luiz da Silva. Both currently play in the Netherlands for famed Dutch clubs Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven respectively.
Haiti
Manager: Patrice Neveu
Current FIFA ranking: 74th
Best finish: none (first appearance)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Steward Ceus (Minnesota United FC – USA), Luis Valendi Odelus (Aigle Noir – Haiti), Johny Placide (Stade Reims – France)
DEFENDERS (8): Jean Sony Alcénat (Voluntari – Romania), Judelin Aveska (Atlético Uruguay – Argentina), Alex Christian (Vila Real – Portugal), Romain Genevois (Nice – France), Reginal Goreux (Standard Liège – Belgium), Kim Jaggy (Aarau – Switzerland), Mechack Jerome (Jacksonville Armada – USA), Stéphane Lambese (Paris Saint-Germain – France)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Jean Marc Alexandre (Fort Lauderdale Strikers – USA), Max Hilaire (Cholet – France), Kevin Lafrance (Chrobry Głogów – Poland), James Marcelin (Carolina RailHawks – USA), Pascal Millien (Jacksonville Armada – USA), Soni Mustivar (Sporting Kansas City – USA), Sony Norde (Mohun Bagan – India)
FORWARDS (5): Kervens Belfort (1461 Trabzon – Turkey), Wilde-Donald Guerrier (Wisła Kraków – Poland), Jeff Louis (Caen – France), Jean-Eudes Maurice (Hà Nội T&T – Vietnam), Duckens Nazon (Laval – France)
This will be Haiti‘s first Copa America and they’ll be hard-pressed to replicate the success they enjoyed at last year’s Gold Cup. It was then that Les Grenadiers finished second to the United States in Group A. And they narrowly lost to eventual finalists Jamaica in the quarterfinals.
Patrice Neveu‘s squad is a motley band of players who currently play their club football in places as wide-ranging as the Turkish second division as well as leagues in Vietnam and India. Five players are American-based, including four who play in the second-tier North American Soccer League. 22-year-old striker Duckens Nazon is a promising talent who already has four goals in 13 appearances for his country.
Goalkeeper and team captain Johny Placide will undoubtedly be a busy man in net during the group stage. This should certainly be the case against Brazil in Orlando. His play was vital in Haiti conceding the third fewest goals during the 2015 Gold Cup. And a repeat performance is necessary if his side wants to have any chance at upending either Ecuador or Peru for what will likely be second place in the group.
Copa America Centenario Group B Schedule (all times Eastern)
Haiti vs. Peru, June 4th, 7:30 PM; CenturyLink Field – Seattle, WA
Brazil vs. Ecuador, June 4th, 10 PM; Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Brazil vs. Haiti, June 8th, 7:30 PM; Camping World Stadium – Orlando, FL
Ecuador vs. Peru, June 8th, 10 PM; University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
Ecuador vs. Haiti, June 12th, 6:30 PM; MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
Brazil vs. Peru, June 12th, 8:30 PM; Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA
