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Hosts Brazil go into Copa America 2019 as the tournament favorites despite losing talisman Neymar to an ankle injury right before the South American continental showpiece. Having been disappointingly eliminated 2-1 by Belium in the Quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the Selecao under Tite have another shot at winning a major international tournament, something which they have failed to do since the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Brazil have had a dismal time in the Copa America since they last won the title 2007, when a Ronaldo and Ronaldinho inspired side dismantled Argentina 3-0 in the finals. The Selecao were eliminated by Paraguay via a penalty shootout in both the 2011 and 2015 editions, both times in the Quarterfinals. The 5-time World Champions embarassingly failed to even clear the group stages in the 2016 Copa America Centenario, finishing third in Group B below Peru and Ecuador.
Brazil go into the 2019 Copa America as the highest FIFA Ranked side in the tournament, standing in 3rd place as per the latest rankings. With the tournament being played at home, Brazil would also want to exorcise the ghosts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, when the Selecao had succumbed to their worst ever defeat - a 7-1 hiding agains eventual champions Germany at the Mineirao.
Also see : Copa America Standings, Arsenal Transfer News.
Despite being the most decorated international side in world football with an unparalelled 5 World Cup titles, Brazil are third in the list of most title wins when it comes to the Copa America. They are behind Uruguay (15 titles) and Argentina (14 titles) with only 8 title wins.
Tite and his men will take heart from the fact that Selecao had used home court advantage in their favour to win the last tournament held in Brazil, winning their first ever Olympic Gold Medal in Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In this article, we examine 5 reasons why Brazil will emerge as the champions in this edition of South America's biggest tournament.
#5 Tite's stellar managerial record
Tite is quite simply, the most respected coach in Brazilian football. Such is the respect that the 58-year-old manager commands in Brazil that not even the notoriously vicious Brazilian media called for him to be sacked despite the Selecao's ouster at the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Tite took over as Brazil coach in June 2016, after Brazil's embarassing group stage exit in the Copa America Centenario. Inheriting a disjointed team from his defensive-minded predecessor Dunga, Tite turned around the demoralised outfit in a short span of time, winning his first 9 matches on the trot before suffering his first loss in his 10th game in charge.
Brazil went on to become the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, with Tite becoming the first manager ever to beat every single opponent at least once, in the CONMEBOL qualifiers.
Brazil have played 36 matches under the former Corinthians boss, winning 29, drawing 5 and losing just two games - a friendly against Argentina with a second-string side and the 2-1 Quarterfinal loss to Belgium in the 2018 World Cup.
With 78 goals scored, the Selecao frontline has recorded a goal per game ratio of 2.17 while the defense has conceded only 10 goals, maintaining a ridiculoiusly low 0.27 goals conceded per game.
Brazil were arguably the best South American team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, getting narrowly eliminated by a scoreline of 2-1 in the quarterfinals. This was as opposed to the only other South American team to make the final 8 - Uruguay, who went down 2-0 to eventual champions France.
Having won the Brasilerao twice, the 2012 Copa Libertadores as well as the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup title (beating then UCL Champions Chelsea in the finals), Tite is the most decorated manager in the tournament and his experiece is one of the key reasons why Brazil are overwhelming favorites.
#4 In-form players who were spectacular in the Champions League
A sizeable contingent from the 23 players selected by Tite for the Copa America have had fantastic European seasons in 2018-19, with many of them lighting up the Champions League with their scintillating performances. Liverpool Goalkeeper Alisson won the Premier League Golden Glove as well as Goalkeeper of the Season in the Champions League, playing a pivotal role as Liverpool won their 6th Champions League title.
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino scored 16 goals and recorded 7 assists in a splendid season with the Reds. Ajax's 22-year-old electric winger David Neres caught the eye with his dazzling displays in the UCL, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists as the Dutch side had a magical run to the semi-finals. In fact, such is the embarassment of riches at Tite's disposal that he had to leave out Tottehnam's Lucas Moura and Liverpool's Fabinho, both of whom had standout seasons both in their domestic leagues as well as in the Champions League.
#3-Most settled & in-form side going into the tournament
Tite's Brazil have a distinct advantage over the other competing teams in the Copa, in that they have a settled side that have been playing together in the same system with great success for three years now.
An analysis of the last 10 games played by the top ranked teams coming into the Copa America reveals the true picture of why Brazil are the most in-form side going into the tournament.
While Brazil are unbeaten in the last 10 games, winning 9 of them. Argentina, Uruguay and Chile have all been in erratic form. Brazil underlined their electric recent form with a sensational 7-0 win over Honduras in their last preparatory friendly before the tournament.
Form Analysis (Last 10 Games) as per Soccerway.com
- Brazil-WWWWWWDWWW (9 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)
- Argentina-LWDWLWWLWW (6 wins,1 draw, 3 losses)
- Uruguay-WLWLLLLWWW (5 wins, 0 draws, 5 losses)
- Chile-WDDLWLWLDW (4 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses)
#2 Rock solid defence with the best wing-backs in the business
In centre-backs, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marquinhos and new Real Madrid acquisition Eder Militao, Brazil have the ideal mix of experience and youthful vigor. While 34-year-old Inter Milan man Miranda and PSG captain Thiago Silva lead from the front with their experience, 25-year-old PSG defender Marquinhos and 21-year-old ex-Porto starlet Eder Militao are their energetic, physical and pacy counterparts who also dominate the box with their superiority in the air.
In Brazil captain Dani Alves, Juventus' Alex Sandro and Atletico Madrid's Felipe Luis, Brazil has three of the best wingbacks in world football right now. Moreover, Tite's PSG contingent of Dani Alves, Marquinhos and Thiago Silva have developed an almost telepathic understanding having played together for two seasons now at club level as well.
All this has contributed to Brazil maintaining a stingy defensive record, having conceded just 10 goals in 36 games under Tite. The defense is ably supported by the master tactician's 4-3-2-1 system that employs two sheet anchor defensive midfielders in the form of Barcelona's Arthur and Real Madrid's Casemiro.
#1 Prodigious young talent on the bench
In Gremio's 23-year-old prodigious winger Everton Soares, Brazil have the most in-form player from this season's Brasilerao, with the pacy youngster having scored 3 goals in the opening 5 games. He impressed Tite so much that the rumoured AC Milan target was picked ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Champions league hero Lucas Moura, Shaktar Donetsk's mercurial forward Taison and Juventus speedster Douglas Costa to make the final 23.
With Ajax's 22-year-old forward David Neres and AC Milan's 21-year-old attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta also available on the bench, Brazil approach this year's Copa America with a host of young talents with a point to prove - fearless in their game and never ones to bow down from challenges.
With Gabriel Jesus likely to be Tite's starting Number 9 and Richarlison an undisputed starter, Liverpool'sRoberto Firmino is likely to drop to the bench, providing Brazil with a potent impact sub option. Jesus is the top scorer in Tite's 36 games in charge of the national side, having bagged 16 goals in 29 caps.
