Brazilians taking the difficult route
NO NEYMAR: BARCELONA STAR MISSING FOR QUARTERFINALS Dunga’s men face the prospect of meeting Argentina in semifinals.
Santiago
If Brazil are to win their fi fth Copa America in seven editions, they are going to have to do it the hard way. The South Americans decided on Monday not to appeal a fourgame ban handed to star striker and captain Neymar for violent conduct, meaning they will have to do without him for the knockout stages.
What’s more, they are in a loaded draw that conspiracy theorists might be tempted to suggest had been fi xed to help hosts Chile reach the final.
Argentina, Colombia and Brazil, the teams ranked third to fi fth in the Fifa world rankings, are all in the same side of the draw, while on the other side the likes of 61st-ranked Peru are up against 89th-placed Bolivia.
And it is Argentina and Colombia who have been hardest hit, as the two highest-ranked sides face each other in the last-eight.
Whovever wins will expect to find Brazil in the semis as the are up against Paraguay.
Paraguay may have reached the final four years ago, but they have been in freefall since, dropping to 85th in the world.
Brazil are eager to exact revenge, having lost to Paraguay on penalties at this very stage four years ago.
Paraguay are liable to provide stubborn resistance, having already held both Argentina and Uruguay to draws, while also beating Jamaica.
The quarterfinals begin today with hosts Chile tackling Uruguay, whose form has been a bit patchy here.
Chile face perhaps their best ever chance to win this tournament – not only playing at home but also blessed with a golden generation that beat Spain at the World Cup last year.
They certainly won’t be overawed by a side missing star striker Luis Saurez, still serving a ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
Edinson Cavani has yet to get off the mark for the shot-shy Uruguayans who mustered just two goals in three pool games.
Tomorrow, the two outsiders Bolivia and Peru, both former winners of the competition, meet in Temuco while on Friday, Vina del Mar will be the setting for the heavyweight Argentina-Colombia clash.
With an attacking arsenal boasting Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, Javier Pastore, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina will surely be expecting to end their 22year wait to lift the trophy. –