South America has been well-known for producing an abundance of talent when referring to the footballing positions of striker, attacking forward and playmaker.  Each individual being groomed from an tender age with the standard protocols of “score” and “if you can’t score, pass it to someone who can dive!” – bonus points for the spectacular either way no doubt.   It’s the Copa America 2011 and some things never change.

Stepping up this tournament to win the task of “ball-to-net as many times as you can in 24 days” is the host’s pint-sized national hero and two-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner who plies his trade in Barcelona,  Lionel.   Messi scored the most goals in La Liga’s 2009/2010 season and managed to put away 53 for Barca in all competitions in the last and goes into this competition in good stead and bookies’ favourite (Sportingbet 100/30) to take the title in this competition.

So, who can stop this low-centre of gravitational force, I hear you ask.  Well, ideally you’d want to choose a player from a team who will reach the furthest in the competition and past stats would show Argentina along with Uruguay have won the competition on an equal record of 15 occasions.  You may conclude this is once again in Messi’s favour though it could so easily be one of his fellow countrymen.  Enter Manc want-away Tevez and Higuain, both at 8-1 with Sportingbet.  Personally, I’d opt for Tevez over Higuain as the latter had featured seldomly for club team Real Madrid last season following a herniated lumbar disc op.  Ouch.

The city rivals of Real have their own goalscoring machine in the form of blondie, Forlan, who at the age of 32 is more forlorn than Forlan of old.  He netted ten goals in 42 appearances last season, though looking at his career goals he does have a tendency to bounce back after a poor season.  Can he do the same again in his twilight footballing years? Sportingbet says yes at 10/1.  I myself would rather choose Napoli’s Cavani at 12/1 as the player to feed off the industrious Luis Suarez (16/1).

Enter into the equation is a team that needs no introduction.  They’re the second favourites behind the hosts to lift the trophy this year and with an inclination of wanting to dominate this competition in recent years, winning four of the past five, the boys from Brazil are out to retain the cup. Now they may opt for playing the AC Milan duet of Pato and Robinho, both at 10/1, as they may be more in-tune having scored 31 in total for the Rossoneri last season, but having two forwards on the field isn’t very Brazilian now is it?  Neymar, the home-based sensation not only looks to join Pato and Robinho on field as a means to make up the numbers and follow Brazils three man upfront ethos, oh no.  He’s out for goals, if not, hat-tricks and don’t the bookies know it, so  much so that Sportingbet have made him Brazil’s top-scoring favourite at 15/2.  The 19-year-old would be out to display his skills as his looks for a one-way ticket into the glamour and glitz of European football.

I’d also recommend a few outside bets on Colombia’s Falcao 10/1 who is in good goalscoring form for current club FC Porto, Lucas Barrios at 18/1 for Paraguay. Both these teams  should end up runners-up at group stage, with the Colombians having to play a Costa Rican team, which would have played in the Gold Cup tournament days earlier.  You’d be forgiven for avoid Mexican players such as Hernandez for the same reason.  A good bet would therefore be a player from the Chilean national team and I’d choose Sanchez at 25/1 with Sportingbet.

Back 2011 Copa America Football News

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