BANK ON THE MEX FACTOR

THE Copa America, South America’s version of the European Championship, is this year staged for the first time on US soil.

It gives punters the ideal opportunity to check out the strength of Latin teams, with the World Cup just two years away, and gives America the ideal opportunity to invade South American countries while they’re not looking. It promises to be a low- scoring tournament – US presidential candidate Donald Trump has advised America’s coach that the best way to repel South Americans is to build a wall on the halfway line. Roy Hodgson has asked for more details. It’sIt s a tournament that has grippedgrip Americans so muchm that, ahead of the openingo ceremony, Diana Ross spent a week pract is i ng penalties. Roy Hodgson has asked for more details. Brazil won the World CupCu on American soil in 1994,1994 their finest moment in football until that “Little Less Conversation” airport ad, but hopes of a Copa America triumph are slim.

Without Neymar, they are without optimism. “We’ll do well to reach the final,” said Brazil legend Zico.

“We should get to the quarter-finals,” said Ronaldinho.

Argentina are favourites because all their big guns have turned up, but that did them little good in the last World Cup or, indeed, in the Falklands conflict and I would strongly suggest an interest in Mexico at 10-1.

There are so many Mexicans in America that the whole country celebrates Cinco de Mayo weekend.

It’s the time when people celebrate the Mexican army’s surprise victory over the French – the surprise being no one expected the French to turn up.

If you have to use a defeat of the French army as a reason to spend the day drinking, chances are you’re an alcoholic already. Every match will seem like a home game to Mexico – those 10-1 quotes are huge.