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Ok, so there’s no Premier League, La Liga or Champions League right now. The football season, however, is still far from finished.
From the Women’s World Cup to the Gold Cup, this summer sees a handful of tournaments taking place to ease the pain of fans around the world who can’t stop crying about the lack of club football going on. And that includes the Copa America, which will see South America’s biggest and best go head-to-head from next week to see who is the king of the continent.
The oldest international football tournament is set to be one of the most entertaining in decades this year, and it could be a competition that brings in to light players who fans around the world are yet to hear of, which is why we have come up with the Copa America Alternative XI, where only one player per nation is represented in the side.
With 12 teams competing in the competition, one nation had to miss out, and that country was Qatar. With all the formalities out of the way, here is the Copa America Alternative XI.
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Wuilker Farinez
South America has been a hotbed for goalkeeping talent since football arrived on the continent over a hundred years ago, and Wuilker Farinez could be the next great star.
The Venezuelan and Millonarios number one has been part of the national setup since the age of 19 when Farinez starred in the U-20 World Cup that saw the South American side make it all the way to the final before losing out to England 1-0. This summer the keeper will certainly be one of the young names to keep an eye on.
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Antonio Valencia
Arguably the most famous Ecuadorian player of all-time, Antonio Valencia’s shift from the wing to full-back has been more beneficial for country than it has been for club, as it has allowed a new generation of attacking talent to take up their natural positions in the XI.
Valencia’s pace and experience will be vital for an Ecuador side that will be keen on making an upset as they seek to win their first ever Copa America with the veteran defender leading them out in Brazil.
Gary Medel
Yes, that is former Cardiff City player Gary Medel, and yes, he’s still as nuts as ever. The former Bluebird has continued to hack down everyone who stands in his path, this time in the name of Besiktas, and for Chile, the 31-year-old is as important as ever.
Although Medel is more a defensive midfielder at club level, the Chilean has been a rock in the backline for the South American nation, and heading into the Copa America the former Inter Milan hard-man will be hoping to retain the continental championship and add a third to his trophy cabinet.
Fabian Balbuena
Fabian Balbuena was an interesting signing for West Ham last summer, but after an adjustment period the Paraguayan defender more than paid back the fee Manuel Pellegrini shelled out for the former Corinthians defender, and on an international level, the centre-back has started to make an impact.
The defender has only made nine appearances for Paraguay, and this year’s Copa America could be the time Balbuena establishes himself as a vital player for Los Guaranies, who head to Brazil as the tournament’s underdogs.
Luis Advincula
Peru quickly became a neutral’s favourite during last year’s World Cup, and this time around in the Copa America Luis Advincula will be hoping to see more success on the pitch than off it.
The Tigres defender, who has been on loan at Rayo Vallecano this season, is one of the more experienced players in this Peru side, but his lightning pace has also made him one of the most feared attacking full-backs on the continent.
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Philippe Coutinho
After the disappointment of Russia last year, Brazil will be eager of a return to the top with a big performance in their home country, and supporters will be praying that Coutinho is back to best.
The Barcelona star has been lacklustre since his blockbuster move to the La Liga giants, but with Neymar out of the tournament, the pressure of success has been shifted onto Coutinho’s shoulders, who many will be expecting to perform.
Lucas Torreira
After an impressive World Cup and a stellar debut season with Arsenal, Lucas Torreira has quickly established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Premier League, and he will be essential to Uruguay this summer.
The 23-year-old rottweiler of a midfielder has been ever-present for his nation since Russia, and this summer could see the Arsenal man be the difference between a first Copa America title since 2011 or another competition where Uruguay could have done better.
Alejandro Chumacero
You know the name from your FIFA career mode when you were searching in the free agents pool, but in real life, Bolivia’s hopes will be pinned on Alejandro Chumacero, who is one of the few members of the squad that plays outside of the country.
The midfielder has been a mainstay for Mexican side Puebla since 2018 and is regarded as Bolivia’s best player heading into the Copa America, and at 27-years-old, Chumacero will have no better time in his career to show the world what he’s got.
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Lionel Messi
Was there any doubt who was going to represent Argentina in this XI? Lionel Messi might be one of the greatest players to ever play the beautiful game, but on the international stage, the Barcelona superstar has had his difficult moments.
The forward has carried Argentina to World Cup and Copa America finals, and this summer could be Messi’s last big chance to claim international glory and further cement his status as arguably the best of all time.
Duvan Zapata
The Atalanta striker fired the Bergamo-based club to the Champions League for the first time in their history with a 28-goal haul season, and for Colombia, Zapata now has some big shoes to fill with Radamel Falcao’s goalscoring abilities slowly dwindling.
Shoya Nakajima
With the years of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa fading away into the history books, a new era of Japanese football could be about to emerge, and in Shoya Nakajima, Japan could have their latest hero.
The most expensive Japanese player in history following the winger’s move to Qatar’s Al-Duhail last February according to the Japan Times, Nakajima made a name for himself in Portugal after a string of impressive performances for Portimonense, and the attacker’s contributions could lead to Japan surprising a few this summer in Brazil.
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