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Copa America is one of the most important football tournaments in the world. The competition, where the best of the CONMEBOL confederation lock horns, always delivers beyond expectations.
While fans around the globe often focus on the experienced stars in the tournament, there is no doubt that a lot is expected from the future of their team, the young guns.
It is always a joy watching the youngsters play for their national sides. The excitement, the anticipation, the hunger to prove themselves brings out the best in these individuals. As for the fans, they can always keep an eye out for the next superstar of their country.
Copa America 2021 proved to be a platform for a lot of youngsters to shine. On the basis of their performance in the Copa America 2021, let's take a look at the best U-23 XI of the tournament.
We are following the standard 4-3-3 formation.
Goalkeeper: Wuilker Faríñez (Venezuela)
Venezuelan goalkeeper Wuilker Faríñez had a game to remember in his side's second group stage game against a strong Colombian side in Copa America 2021.
The game ended in a goalless draw and Wuilker Faríñez deserves all the credit. Colombia bossed the game throughout the 90 minutes. They dominated the possession (65%) and had a massive 23 shot attempts to Venezuela's two.
Colombia had eight shots on target which were parried away to safety by the Venezuelan shot-stopper. He guarded the goal post incredibly and none of the saves he made were easy.
The 23-year-old also played the role of sweeper-keeper whenever the situation demanded it.
Left-Back: Renan Lodi (Brazil)
The Atletico Madrid wing-back was an integral part of Brazilian coach Tite's plans. The 23-year-old's pace and long-passing abilities were heavily utilized by the Canarinho.
Renan Lodi's best performance came against Ecuador, where he ended up with the highest work rate in the game. Lodi could be seen running up and down the left flank to aid his team in attack as well as defense.
Lodi was also able to do the same in Brazil's semifinal match against Peru in Copa America 2021. The low-scoring game saw Brazil win 1-0 and Renan Lodi had a crucial role to play in it.
After taking the lead via Lucas Paqueta's goal in the 35th minute, Renan Lodi registered the next attempt. A fine cross from Everton found the 23-year old's head, who sent it a little off target.
Center-back: Cristian Romero (Argentina)
Cristian Romero is one of the few players who has created an impact despite not playing too many games in Copa America 2021.
Playing alongside the highly experienced Nicholas Otamendi is demanding. Especially for a youngster like Cristian Romero whose previous international experience consists of just two World Cup qualifier games.
From the three games he played for Albiceleste, Romero had a passing accuracy close to 90%. His strong aerial abilities came in handy for Messi and Co. on numerous occasions in the tournament.
The 23-year-old's best performance came against Paraguay where he was successful in stopping multiple Paraguayan attacks.
Center-back: Éder Militão (Brazil)
The Copa America 2021 runners-up were capable of boasting massive squad depth. They had many options for a certain position and Tite didn't hesitate to use them as per the situation.
The Brazilian head coach kept shuffling his squad and formations and his plans often worked in Brazil's favor. Éder Militão is one such name that came to his coach's aid as and when the situation demanded him.
He started during Brazil's Copa America opener against Venezuela in the place of their skipper Thiago Silva. Militão had a decent 90 minutes and helped maintain a clean sheet. In their second game, Militão replaced the in-form Marquinhos to achieve another clean-sheet.
His only goal in Copa America came in a 1-1 draw against Ecuador.
Right-back: Nahuel Molina (Argentina)
The last defender to join our list is Argentina's Nahuel Molina. The Argentine number 26 is a versatile player and was a key element of Lionel Scaloni's tactics. He is a natural right midfielder who switched his role to a formidable right-back throughout Copa America 2021.
Argentina never conceded a goal while Nahuel Molina was on the field. He played against Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia. Argentina kept clean sheets against all the teams mentioned except Colombia. However, they did manage to score only after Molina was subbed off.
Argentina checked all the boxes during their journey to lift the cup and Molina delivered more than what was expected of him.
Midfielder: Lucas Paqueta (Brazil)
In Copa America 2021, we saw the 23-year-old Brazilian number 17 score two goals when it mattered the most. He was the man behind Brazil's only goals in their crucial quarter-final and semi-final fixtures against Chile and Peru respectively.
Lucas Paqueta was also one of the breakout stars of Copa America 2021. His work-rate and game sense worked in Brazil's favor. Paqueta also linked up well with Neymar and Richarlison.
He was deployed at the center of the park as the link between strikers and midfielders, a role which he absolutely aced. Tite's confidence in the Lyon player grew as the tournament advanced.
Midfielder: Fede Valverde (Uruguay)
Even though Uruguay had a far from decent Copa America campaign this term, Fede Valverde had his share of good performances.
The Real Madrid midfielder is lauded as one of the most hard-working footballers of the modern era. His impeccable stamina and near-perfect passing skills have helped Uruguay on numerous occasions.
Valverde started every game for Uruguay and played an equal role in the team's defense and attack. In Uruguay's draw, and eventual loss in penalties, against Colombia, he had the highest number of tackles in the competition.
For his individual display of brilliance, Valverde earns a spot in the best U-23 XI of Copa America 2021.
Midfielder: Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador)
Ecuador's run in the Copa America 2021 was impressive. They managed to squeeze into the knockout phase despite having zero wins during the group stage. Venezuela's poor form aided Gustavo Alfaro's men, who, with three draws and one loss, advanced to the knockout stage.
Coming into the competition as underdogs, Ecuador didn't have any big names to boast about. However, one player deserves a special mention. Gonzalo Plata!
The Sporting CP star scored just one goal at Copa America 2021 for Ecuador. However, he has earned a place in the best U-23 of the competition for his play-making skills.
Even though Ecuador suffered losses against Colombia and Argentina, Plata did his part. Gonzalo Plata averaged 11 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 87% at Copa America 2021.
Left Winger: Nicolás González (Argentina)
Argentina is a team that has never lacked talented attackers in the history of Copa America. In fact, the Albiceleste often build gameplans around their attacking prowess.
With the likes of Leo Messi, Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Sergio Aguero and many others, the Argentine team posed a serious threat to their opponents. Despite having expected and experienced players in the starting line-up, we saw a young name making regular appearances throughout Copa America 2021.
Nicolás Iván González is that player. The 23-year-old was a regular starter alongside his skipper Leo Messi and Lautaro Martinez to form the team's attacking spearhead. González's shot attempts often forced opposition goalkeepers to make errors during the competition.
Right Winger: Ben Brereton (Chile)
Ben Brereton's international journey has been a turnaround of events. He started his senior team career with England in 2017 and later joined Chile (thanks to his Chilean ancestry) in May of 2021 (just months before the Copa America 2021).
After marking his debut against Argentina by coming off the bench, Brereton started for his side against Bolivia and Uruguay. He scored a goal against Bolivia in his first start for the national team. Brereton also registered an assist in the following game versus Uruguay.
Striker: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
The Inter Milan striker entered the tournament as one of the big names in the team. He lived up to the reputation by all means.
Lautaro was a key figure in Argentina lifting the trophy. He scored three goals in the competition to end up as the second-highest goal-scorer in the Copa America 2021. He shared this title with Peru's Gianluca Lapadula.
The Argentine number 22's killer instinct and dangerous runs into the box terrorized the opposition's defenders quite often. This is why he is the striker in our best U-23 XI of Copa America 2021.
