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The Copa America may not be as glamorous as the Euros, nor as prestigious in terms of its stature. Yet, what makes it special and worth looking forward to is the number of stellar names in the mix.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, James Rodriguez, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are only the cream of the crop, for there are many more world beaters in the expansive Latin American soil.
But have you ever imagined how a line-up featuring the best of the current bunch would look like? Sounds like a dream prospect, doesn't it?
With the tournament almost upon us, let’s take a stab at drawing out the best possible combined XI of the Copa America ahead of the Saturday kick-off (line-up used: 4-1-2-1-2).
Note: Only players who have been selected in the 23-man squad of their respective teams in the competition have been selected.
Also see : Copa America Standings, Real Madrid Transfer News.
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Brazil)
Arguably the signing of the Premier League season, Alisson’s wonderful debut campaign on English soil ended on the sweetest note possible when he helped Liverpool to the Champions League title.
With a league-high of 21 clean sheets and only 22 goals conceded, Alisson not only proved to be the safest pair of hands in Europe, but also the most resolute.
The Brazilian keeper’s towering stature also ensured that the nets remain safe even in dead ball situations. And even though he did commit three errors directly leading to goals, he more than atoned for that by stepping up in the big games, especially in the 4-0 thumping of Barcelona in the Champions League.
If Brazil too are to clinch continental success like his club side, then they will need some of those heroics from Alisson.
Right-back: Dani Alves (Brazil)
The 36-year old fullback has become more of a utility man for PSG these days, having been deployed in various positions in the backline. But he remains a formidable prospect in the right-back role, which he made his own at his peak.
Get this: despite all the tweaks in his game, he racked up seven assists for Les Parisiens in only 23 appearances, and will now shoulder captaincy responsibilities for the Canaries.
Centre-back: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
Atletico Madrid established a reputation of being one of the meanest outfits in Europe under Diego Simeone, and skipper Diego Godin had an instrumental role to play in that.
He was the mortar to Atletico’s brick; a reckoning force that even blew the most prolific strikers out of the park. Never one to shy away from a tackle, the Uruguayan carved a niche in 10 years with the Rojiblancos and will depart as a club legend.
He commands a similar status in the national set up too, and will once again captain his team in the quest to replicate the success of 2011.
Centre-back: Marquinhos (Brazil)
PSG’s spectacular implosion towards the tail end of the campaign left a bitter taste among the fans, but Marquinhos was a real highlight throughout the course of the 10 months. Averaging 2.2 interceptions per game and also maintaining an admirable 91.9 percent passing accuracy, the 24-year old truly came of age.
His attacking capabilities were on show when he netted thrice and assisted twice, as a red card on matchday 36 was the only blot on his season.
Left-back: Alex Sandro (Brazil)
Manager Tite has a tough decision to make between Felipe Luis and Alex Sandro in the left-back position, but the Juventus star might get the nod ahead of the Atletico Madrid fullback. Despite a season that was a few notches below his best, Sandro averaged 2.6 tackles per game and had an 85% pass success rate.
Without him in 10 outings, Juventus lost thrice and drew twice, highlighting his importance to the side. Sandro’s attacking abilities can add an additional layer to Brazil’s already stellar attack.
Defensive Midfielder: Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
Uruguay’s anchorman made a strong case for himself on the international front after a successful World Cup campaign in a personal capacity. He then replicated some of his feats in the 2018-19 season for the Bianconeri, and now stands a chance to push his stock higher.
Bentancur has always been highly rated, and in his first ever Copa America appearance, lies an opportunity to truly come of age.
Attacking midfielder: James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Underutilized at Real Madrid, the 27-year old went on to resurrect his career after two highly successful stints at Bayern Munich. Mind you, he wasn’t offered a consistent role, and yet managed to rack up 15 goals and 20 assists in 55 games.
Wherever his boat shores him up next, he’s definitely going to be a valuable asset to that team. But for the moment, Los Cafeteros need him to replicate those heroics to progress far into the tournament.
Attacking midfielder: Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
PSG’s prolific attacking triumvirate of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani has eclipsed most of the squad, including Di Maria. However, his statistics of 19 goals and 17 assists in 45 appearances suggest he had a fine season too.
There’s more to his game than just that. His brilliant link-up play coupled with the ability to pick out passes in key positions make him unplayable at times. And while the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero are set to spearhead Argentina’s line-up, the former Real Madrid star will be the catalyst in eking out the results.
Number 10: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Barcelona might have been running on fumes, but the Argentine maestro was firing on all cylinders: 36 goals in LaLiga, 50 in all competitions, and Spanish Pichichi as well as the European Golden Boot in the bag. It was Lionel Messi just being Lionel Messi.
He literally peeled his side off the ground on multiple occasions and dragged them to a frankly undeserved victory. If only he was helped enough by his teammates, Messi would have finished the campaign with more than just a league title.
Copa America presents an opportunity to end a spectacular season on an altogether different high. We all know he’s been denied twice previously in the finals, but he’s at his rip-roaring best right now. And looks perfectly in shape to set the record straight.
Striker: Sergio Aguero (Argentina)
Unlike his time at Barcelona, Messi won’t have to do it all by himself in the Argentine set-up, due to the presence of Sergio Aguero. The Manchester City star too is coming off the back of a prolific campaign, having struck 32 times in all competitions en route to lifting the domestic treble.
Aguero will be the focal point of La Albiceleste’s stellar vanguard, and will hope to fire his side to glory this time around.
Striker: Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
Honestly, Atlanta’s breakout star Duvan Zapata has made a strong case to feature here after a terrific campaign in Serie A. But the Barcelona star still edges his Colombian counterpart as he’s been there and done that several times in the past.
A season touted to be ‘underwhelming’ regardless yielded 21 goals in the league, including a treble against arch rivals Real Madrid. And he’s just too important to Uruguay’s fortunes to have him dropped from the list.
Interestingly, this is set to his first proper participation in the Copa America since 2011, having missed the 2015 edition due to an international ban and the following one due to an injury. So naturally, Suarez would be raring to make a mark.
