Page 2 - South American Football

Brazil keeps search for striker against Peru at Copa America

Brazil coach Tie has hinted he'll continue searching for his ideal strike force in Thursday's Copa America game against Peru. Tite tested Everton Ribeiro, Everton and Gabriel Barbosa up front at practice on Tuesday instead of Lucas Paquet, Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus, who started in Brazil's 3-0 win over Venezuela in the tournament opener on Sunday. Roberto Firmino, who was on the bench against Venezuela, didn't participate in the practice game in the time while the Brazilian soccer confederation broadcast training to the media. The coach also tried a change in defense with Thiago Silva replacing Marquinhos as Eder Militao's partner and a defensive midfield duo with Fabinho joining Fred in place of Casemiro. Tite has said the 20 days of Copa America will be used to test some things, with an eye the World Cup in Qatar next year. He and his players publicly said they were against the Copa America taking place in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic but would always answer the call f

Brazil counts 52 coronavirus cases connected to Copa America

Brazil's health ministry raised the number of COVID-19 cases related to the Copa America to 52, including 33 players or staffers. The ministry said Tuesday that the increase, from 41 total cases earlier, includes 19 workers hired for the tournament. Some of the workers are located in Brasilia, where Brazil opened the tournament on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Venezuela, and others in Rio de Janeiro, which hosted Monday's 1-1 draw between Argentina and Chile. The Venezuela squad was depleted after nearly a dozen cases of COVID-19 involving players or staff. Bolivia was missing three players. Bolivian media reported striker Marcelo Martins was one of the players who tested positive. Martins criticized the South American soccer body for the outbreak. Thank you for this, CONMEBOL. It is completely your fault, Martins said on Instagram. If someone dies what will you do? What matters to you is money. The lives of players are not worth anything. Staffers of Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia als

Diego Maradona gets a tribute at Argentina's Copa America match

Diego Maradona's life was honored in a tribute featuring lights and projections onto the pitch before Argentina's Copa America opener against Chile.

Lionel Messi's Argentina draws 1-1 with Chile at Copa America

Lionel Messi scored a stunning free kick, repeatedly dribbled through the Chilean defense and created opportunities regularly for his Argentina teammates.

Brazil: 41 Covid-19 cases connected to Copa America event

Brazil's health ministry has documented 41 cases of COVID-19 related to the Copa America, including 31 players or staffers and 10 workers who were hired for the event. The ministry said in a statement that all workers who tested positive were in Brasilia, where Brazil kicked off the tournament on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Venezuela. The visiting Venezuela squad was depleted after nearly a dozen cases of COVID-19 involving players or staff. Brazil stepped in late as emergency host of the 10-team continental championship despite the country having the second-highest number of recorded deaths from the coronavirus in the world, almost 490,000. President Jair Bolsonaro offered to hold the tournament in Brazil only two weeks ago after Argentina and Colombia were dropped as co-hosts. He is a critic of social distancing policies and argues the economic impact of shutdown measures kills more than the virus. Brazil's health ministry said 2,927 COVID-19 tests related to Copa America have bee

Copa America: Messi eyes Copa America for "biggest dream" with Argentina

Lionel Messi has won it all with Barcelona in a decorated career. Winning a title with Argentina remains one of his biggest ambitions. The 33-year-old Messi might have one of his final chances at the Copa America. Argentina's campaign will begin on Monday against Chile at the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Copa America opened Sunday in emergency mode in Brazil, where the tournament was shifted after Colombia and Argentina were dropped as co-hosts. "I am always available to my national team. My biggest dream is to win a title with this shirt," Messi told a news conference in Rio. "I was very close m "any times. It didn't happen, but I will keep trying. I will always fight for this dream." Messi said most of the group had played together for a while and "the way this Argentina plays is very clear." "That's why it is is time that we win this Copa," he said. "We know it will be a special one, different because of all that the world is going through." The Argentina captain

Copa America: Colombia, Brazil off to winning start in tournament

Colombia and hosts Brazil kicked off their Copa America campaign with a win in Group B.While Brazil thrashed Venezuela 3-0, Colombia defeated Ecuador 1-0 in a tight encounter.Marquinhos, Gabriel Barbosa, and a Neymar penalty helped Brazil take all three points against a spirited Venezuelan side.On the other hand, both Colombia and Ecuador came out looking to impose themselves on the game but neither was able to take control or play with their usual style. The first half was filled with plenty of even sparring but very few clear chances or openings.Edwin Cardona scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute. In the second half, Colombia allowed Ecuador to take control of possession and looked to defend their advantage.Colombia will now lock horns with Venezuela while Brazil will face Peru on Thursday.

Copa America: Neymar on target as Brazil blank Venezuela 3-0

Neymar scored a goal and provided an assist as Brazil cruised to a 3-0 win over Venezuela in their Copa America opener here.

Committed Brazil a favorite to defend Copa America title

Brazil's international players were reluctant to play in the Copa America on home soil. Now that they're committed, they're favored to win it. Argentina still looms as a threat to Brazil's title defense, but now as a visiting team. Argentina and Colombia were dropped as tournament co-hosts before Brazil contentiously stepped in late to stage the continental championship. Being away from home takes some pressure off Lionel Messi and his Argentina team. The Copa America will kick off Sunday with defending champion Brazil against Venezuela at the Man Garrincha stadium in Brasilia. The final will be on July 10 at the Maracan stadium in Rio de Janeiro, one of the COVID-19 epicenters in Brazil, where more than 480,000 have died from the coronavirus. No spectators will be allowed to attend any Copa America matches because of restrictions in place for the pandemic, which has already delayed the tournament by a year. Brazil players ended speculation about a potential boycott by issuing a

Chile's Alexis Sánchez out of Copa America group stage with injury

Striker Alexis Sánchez will not travel to Brazil with the rest of the Chile squad and will miss at least the group stage of Copa America due to a calf injury.

Copa America 2021 full schedule, match time, squads, live telecast in India

Copa America 2021 will kick start on June 14 from 2:30 am IST. Sony Sports Network will live telecast Copa America in India. Check Copa America groups, squads, match timing and live streaming in India

Copa America has no host: Argentina ruled out due to coronavirus

Copa America is without a host country only two weeks before kickoff after South American soccer body CONMEBOL ruled out Argentina amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country

Brazil soccer championship to kick off in August despite Covid-19 pandemic

The top-flight competition was initially scheduled to begin in May but was postponed because of the outbreak of Covid-19

South American football confederation sets protocols for restart

CONMEBOL did not set a date for a return to the Copa Libertadores - South America's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League - or the second-tier Copa Sudamericana

Rio restarts soccer league next to a field hospital for coronavirus

However, the Brazilian football great Ronaldo has criticised the return of football in his homeland as the country grapples with the biggest coronavirus outbreak in Latin America

Flooding and violence: Dream soccer match becomes South America's nightmare

Violence in Argentine football is nothing new, but it does appear to be escalating