Image courtesy: The Indian Express
Copa America has been rocked by a series of surprises, but there were none on Wednesday when Brazil coach Tite unveiled his roster for the difficult event, led by superstar Neymar.
The defending South American champions will field a lineup that is largely identical to the one that defeated Ecuador and Paraguay 2-0 earlier this month, extending the Selecao’s World Cup qualifying victory streak to six games. The Brazilian team is the favourite and one of the biggest contenders to win the trophy.
PSG’s star, Neymar, who missed Brazil’s 2019 Copa America victory due to injury will lead the squad with just one change. 36-year-old Chelsea defender Thiago Silva will replace Flamengo’s Rodrigo Caio, who is returning from an injury.
Dani Alves of Sao Paulo, the captain of the 2019 squad, and Philippe Coutinho of Barcelona are two major absentees for the defending champions. Both are out due to injuries but the Brazilian squad has enough depth to fulfil their place.
Brazil’s Supreme Court is due to take a decision on Thursday whether the Copa America can go ahead, after opponents of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro moved to block it, arguing it poses a health risk. Brazil’s players were rumoured to be boycotting the event due to their country’s decision to host. Despite their opposition to staging the Copa America, they claimed in a united statement on Tuesday that they would “never say no to the Brazilian national team.”