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Copa America 2019 is well underway and we are only a day away from finalizing the eight nations that will play in the quarter-finals. Qatar and Japan are the two invited teams this time around and the rest of the COMNEBOL teams make up the list of participating teams. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and Chile are some of the favorites to win the tournament in its every iteration and this edition is no different.
Brazil have won the tournament 8 times in total and they are also the host nation. They have an absolutely amazing squad, which has the perfect blend of both young and old players. They have experienced players such as the 36-year-old Dani Alves, as well as some raw talent such as Gremio's Everton. In all, they have a coherent squad which is capable of easily winning the tournament.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Gold Cup Standings, Copa America Standings.
If we compare Brazil's squad to the squads of the other favorite teams, then we can see that the difference in quality is between night and day. Argentina has Lionel Messi, but even with him, they have failed to impress on the international stage. Also, judging by their recent results, it seems like their slump will continue in this tournament as well.
Holders Chile, as well as Uruguay and Colombia, have fairly impressive squads, but none come even close to the quality and the depth that Brazil possess. Also, their respective front lines are aging ones, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Luis Suarez, Edison Cavani, and Ramadel Falcao all either 30 or above.
Brazil's front line is led by Roberto Firmino, who has just won the Champions League with Liverpool. The likes of Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho, and Everton are also in the first team and have had fantastic starts to the tournament. This is especially true for Coutinho and Everton who have both responded brilliantly and also scored 2 goals each. No Neymar? No problem.
Although Brazil might have frustratingly drawn a game against Venezuela, their 5-0 win over Peru was one of the best performances we have seen from this crop of players. This also means that Brazil have scored 8 goals in the group stages, which is the highest in the tournament so far. Their defense has also been amazing as Brazil is the only team besides Colombia which has not conceded even a single goal yet.
We must also not forget that Brazil is the host nation. The last time Brazil hosted a football tournament was the 2014 World Cup, and who doesn't remember the night they got absolutely humiliated in front of their own crowd after Germany thrashed them 7-1 in the semi-finals? Redemption would be the theme of Brazil's Copa America journey, and they will be sure to redeem themselves.
