The 2026 World Cup will officially get underway on Thursday.

Mexico City Stadium hosts the opening World Cup game between its co-hosts and South Africa that kicks off a summer tournament unlike any other in North America.

For the first time in history, 64 teams will fight it out across 104 matches in their attempt to be crowned as international football's best of the best.

World Cup opening ceremony details confirmed

The first day of this World Cup begins with the opening ceremony taking place 90 minutes before the Group A clash between Mexico and South Africa.

Kick off at 6.30pm UK time, a host of star names are headlining with Shakira and Burna Boy leading the way with a performance of the tournament's anthem Dai Dai.

Mexican-born film star Salma Hayek will also be making an appearance as a World Cup ambassador while Ryan Castro joins J Balvin on the pitch as part of the spectacle.

ITV1 will be broadcasting the entire ceremony from 6.15pm followed by uninterrupted coverage of El Tri's encounter with the Bafana Bafana, who were the 2010 hosts.

A further two opening ceremonies are set to take place in the World Cup's opening days with the United States and Canada putting on their own bespoke shows.

Canada's clash with Bosnia and Herezegovina on 12 June will be prefaced by a show from homegrown stars including Michael Buble, Alessia Cara and Alanis Morissette.

Attention will then turn to Los Angeles, where the USA face Paraguay on 13 June, when Katy Perry will perform alongside rapper Future and a host of international acts.

The choice of Mexico City Stadium as the World Cup's opening game is symbolic as it was the flagship venue when the country hosted the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.

It was the setting for both finals, won by Brazil and Argentina respectively, and will host five matches in this year's iteration including one of the Round of 16 encounters.

Outside of major tournaments, it is the home to Liga MX side Club America.

From becoming the first Muslim Mayor to the first Asian-American Mayor to the first Democratic Socialist Mayor, Zohran Mamdani has shattered quite a few glass ceilings over his three weeks in charge of New York City. And on Sunday, he became the first-ever Mayor to hold a public watch party for the Africa Cup of Nations Final.

When I first received my invitation on Friday night, I wasn't convinced. Did I really want to wake up at the crack of dawn and go all the way up from Maryland to New York?

Did I want to spend several hours standing in front of a screen, crammed in the midst of hordes of supporters, rather than sitting back and watching from the comfort of my sofa?

The AFCON 2025 finale delivered a jaw-dropping spectacle

But then I remembered July 19, 2019. I remembered walking through the Big Apple, watching as Senegalese rickshaw drivers gathered around to watch the game on their phone, and as Algerian street vendors cried in mirth seeing their team win the trophy after 29 years.

And I realized that, apart from the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, there wasn't a better place in the world to watch the AFCON Final than New York City.

Excitement was already building in the Surrogate's Courthouse when Mamdani, donning an Arsenal kit beneath his blazer, walked onto the stage.

During his brief discourse, he reminisced on two of his favorite footballing memories: Morocco's run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and Senegal's win against France at the 2002 World Cup.

"Whether you are here today cheering for Sadio Mané or Yassine Bounou and Brahim Díaz, I know that what bonds so many of us today is a love of a continent where many of us come from, and a love of the game that gives so much of us life on a day-to-day basis. As a man who is proud to have been born in Kampala, Uganda, I am rooting for Africa today.

"While I know we wish we could be in Rabat 3,600 miles away, I am excited that we can take this moment to celebrate what it can look like to bring the world's game to New York City in just five months," Mamdani added.

"Today is a chance for us to enjoy this game, to enjoy the city that we call home, and to enjoy the places that we come from."

With every crunching tackle, every sight at goal, and every counter-attacking surge, the decibels continued to rise to the point where you couldn't really hear the TV commentary: instead, it was fuzzy background noise dominated by a commotion of languages ranging from Arabic to English and Amazigh to Wolof, as well as an ear-splitting drum beat.

And then came the deafening silence when, after a 16-minute delay, Brahim Díaz finally stepped up to take the last-second penalty, only to squander his attempt with a horrific Panenka attempt.

Just like that, it seemed Morocco had missed their best chance to bring home Africa's most illustrious prize after 50 years. Shortly after, Pape Gueye scored the game's only goal to secure the win for Senegal.

As the final whistle sounded, I witnessed a stunning dissonance. Over in Rabat, both sets of nationalities disgraced themselves, be that Senegalese fans throwing chairs onto the pitch, or Moroccan ball boys attempting to assault Yehvann Diouf and steal Édouard Mendy's towel, or Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw clashing at full-time, or Senegalese and Moroccan fans coming to blows in the press box.

Over on 31 Chambers Street, though, there was no such animosity. Instead, there was compassion and dignity. Moroccans congratulated and embraced their rival supporters, whilst Senegal fans helped wipe their counterparts' tears away and motivated them to keep going. There was an understanding that, while they are separated by many differences, they are unified by a common love of football and Africa.

For a fleeting moment, these fans no longer had to worry about being terrorized by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, or about not seeing their relatives after the U.S. State Department paused immigrant visa processing for 75 different countries. For four hours, all they needed to focus on was the game that they love and cherish.

"Right now, we have to be vigilant and protect our neighbors," stated event co-host Christian Polanco to FourFourTwo. "That should be the priority -- getting people to the games, growing the game, and welcoming everybody. Those concepts seem to be at odds with this current World Cup, but I'm hoping we see some pushback with everything we're seeing right now."

As I walked through the snowy Manhattan night, I became overwhelmed by a sense of déja vu. It was just 125 years ago that my maternal ancestors walked these same streets after departing poverty-stricken Southern Italy, whilst my paternal ancestors fled the Russian Empire in the wake of pogroms aimed at expelling Jewish residents from the area.

They could have gone anywhere in the world, but instead, they settled in the same exact city. They were greeted by a copper-clad, torch-bearing woman, and a message that still rings true to this day: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

A Liverpool left-back is said to be frustrating his club right now.

The Reds have started way off the pace in the Premier League, finding themselves eighth in the table and losing seven of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions.

And while Liverpool boss Arne Slot is facing criticism, several players on the payroll are, too.

Liverpool upgraded at left-back over the summer - with one star still on the books said to be frustrating his club

With Andrew Robertson the undisputed starter for much of the Jurgen Klopp era, the Merseysiders made the choice to bring in a long-term successor over the summer following the Scot's drop-off in form.

Milos Kerkez was ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left-backs in the world earlier this year, but the Hungarian, too, has struggled since his move from Bournemouth, with Robertson brought back into first-team contention.

Things don't appear any better for Kostas Tsimikas, who is said to be frustrating loan club Roma, with the Italian giants suggesting they are only keeping him on board to make up the numbers.

The summer arrival of Kerkez meant one of Tsimikas or Robertson was likely to depart, and the Greek international ultimately left in search of regular minutes, joining Roma on loan.

However, Tuttomercatoweb, via SportsWitness, are suggesting Roma are already losing patience with Tsimikas.

Tsimikas has started five games, but in their last three league games, he has played just six minutes. Gian Piero Gasperini is said to be unimpressed by the 29-year-old and has played Wesley, a right-back, in his position ahead of him in the absence of first-choice Angelino.

It is unlikely that Tsimikas' loan in Italy will become permanent at this stage, unless he an impress significantly in the coming weeks.

Tsimikas played 29 times for Liverpool across all competitions last season, including 18 times in the Premier League as they secured their 20th league title.

He left in the summer in search of more regular minutes, but has featured just eight times and can't get into the side, despite the absence of former Manchester City man Angelino, who is competing for his position.

Roma, who are joint top of Serie A, are not looking to send him back to Anfield, however, as they still want good squad depth and believe Tsimikas, makes up the numbers. Ouch.

In FourFourTwo's view, Tsimikas needs to find some form as he is unlikely to push his way back into Arne Slot's thoughts at Liverpool. Despite Kerkez's tough start to life at Anfield he is likely to remain in the squad for the foreseeable future.

Robertson's contract ends in the summer of 2026, so Tsimikas could see himself return as the deputy once again, but its unlikely he'd accept that at this point in his career.

Tsimikas is valued at €18 million by Transfermarkt. Liverpool are next in action against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

It’s time to change the game.

The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game? The team has the worst track record for penalties in the world, and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.

The smash-hit National Theatre production of Dear England is now playing at the Prince Edward Theatre for a strictly limited season until 13 January. Joseph Fiennes gives an 'astonishing performance' (The Times) as England manager Gareth Southgate in James Graham's gripping 'new stage epic' (Telegraph) about both nation and game, directed by Rupert Goold, with set design by Es Devlin. 

Prize includes: A pair of tickets to a Monday - Thursday evening or Thursday matinee performance and overnight hotel accommodation at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel – subject to availability.

(Excluding 1st -10th December and 27th December – 1st January. Tickets subject to availability, further blackout dates may apply, and casting subject to change.) 

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the question below:

Southampton vs Leicester, Friday, April 30 2021. Kick-off 8pm BST

Thanks for joining FourFourTwo for full live coverage of Southampton vs Leicester in the Premier League tonight.

Leicester are currently in a prime position to secure Champions League football next season. The Foxes are in third place, seven points clear of West Ham in fifth.

But with five games to go, any slip up could pull them back into danger of missing out, with Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton – who have a game in hand – all currently within 10 points of them.

Southampton have had a disappointing season, and although last year's 11th-placed finish with 52 points isn't yet mathematically impossible, it is unlikely.

The Saints aren't yet even clear of relegation – though with nine points between them and 18th-placed Fulham, that too looks unlikely.

What Southampton will really want to avoid today is a repeat of the 9-0 drubbing Leicester handed to them at St. Mary's in 2019 – a record-equalling defeat that they improbably conspired to fall to against Manchester United earlier this season, too.

Given that the Leicester scoreline was at home, however, we rank it top of our list of worst Premier League defeats.

Team overview

By Paul Tenorio | @PaulTenorio | 

You would not have been unjustified pegging Los Cafeteros as one of the breakout teams of the World Cup two years ago. Colombia breezed through group play, besting Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan, before downing Uruguay in the Round of 16. The South American side fell to host Brazil, 2-1, in the quarterfinals, but it had made an impression with its style and the breakout performance of young James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot.

The question is how Colombia would build upon those performances. Since that tournament ended, the response has been unclear.

Colombia advanced to the knockout stage at the Copa America in 2015 only to see its run ended on penalties by Argentina. There have been some discouraging moments, too. Colombia lost twice in its first three World Cup qualifiers, including a 3-0 defeat to Uruguay, and scored just three goals in those games.

Consecutive wins over Bolivia and Ecuador pulled Los Cafeteros back into fifth in CONMEBOL qualifying, one point ahead of Brazil, and this Centenario is a chance for Colombia to move into the conversation of the top teams in the Americas.

Key player

Carlos Bacca. Sure, James is the name we all know. After all, he headed to Real Madrid on a reported $90 million transfer after winning Golden Boot honors at the 2014 World Cup. But while James has struggled at Real Madrid, the 29-year-old Bacca has thrived in Europe.

It’s been a steady ascension for the Colombian over the past four seasons. He scored 28 goals in Belgium for Club Brugge in 2012-13, then moved to Spain where he netted 49 times in two seasons for Sevilla. That scoring rate earned him a move to Milan for a reported $34 million fee, and he’s continued to find the back of the net with regularity in Serie A. Bacca scored 16 goals in league play this season, form that caught the interest of Liverpool, and he’s scored three times in World Cup qualifying for Colombia already this year.

If there is a player who can turn the tournament for Colombia, it’s this goal-scorer, who will sit up top with James playing behind him in a 4-2-3-1. If he continues his torrid scoring pace, Colombia will be a true threat to make a run at the Centenario crown.

Manager spotlight

José Pékerman has guided Colombia since 2012, and his influence has been quite positive over the last four years. The Argentine, who led his native country to the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, has seemingly reinvigorated a Colombian program that, before 2014, failed to qualify for the World Cup in its previous three tries.  

Colombia hired Pékerman as its third coach during the 2014 qualifying cycle, and he immediately made an impact, leading Los Cafeteros to a second-place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying. Pékerman’s willingness to experiment with lineups and formations hasn’t always won him support within the country, but it’s gotten results. That continued at the World Cup, where the breakout performance of James nearly pushed the team into the semifinals.  Colombia scored 11 goals in its first four games before its quarterfinal loss to Brazil.

Pékerman’s willingness to shake things up is evident in his preliminary Copa roster, with Falcao, Teófilo Gutiérrez and Jackson Martínez all left out. Each come with red flags because of recent form, but Pékerman lived up to his reputation by showing no hesitancy in leaving them out in favor of somebody like 22-year-old Orlando City midfielder Cristian Higuita, who has yet to make his debut for Colombia on the senior level.

Success looks like…

A chance at winning the whole thing. And yes, this Colombia team is certainly capable of making that kind of run.

An easy slalom through the group stage, including a tournament-opening win over the host U.S., would put Colombia in prime position for a run deep. If James regains his form and leads Los Cafeteros to a dominant win over the Group B runners-up in the quarterfinals, Columbia would set up a rematch with Argentina in the semifinals. Imagine that scenario: Colombians worldwide celebrating as their country pulls off an upset over the team that knocked them out of the tournament one year ago, once again dashing Lionel Messi’s chance at international glory.

An appearance in the final is cause for celebration enough. Win or lose, Colombia would have to be pleased with the opportunity to claim a major tournament crown for the first time since winning the Copa America in 2001.

Failure looks like…

The question certainly has been asked already this year: What’s happened to James? The calls would only amplify if the 24-year-old continued his struggles in Copa America. With no Radamel Falcao on the roster, Carlos Bacca will likely become the focal point of the team, but if he is swallowed up by teams focused on stopping the Milan star, a worst-case scenario could unfold.

If the Colombia team that’s struggled to find goals early in 2018 World Cup qualifying reappears in the Centenario, it could be bested by the U.S. to open Group A play. The confidence-shaking loss to the Americans would be enough to factor into the next game, but Los Cafeteros couldn’t afford a letdown against Paraguay in the Rose Bowl. The result might be yet another loss, which would mean Colombia could be eliminated from the tournament before even reaching its third game. If that’s the case, a meaningless match-up against a Costa Rica team that is playing for its tournament life isn’t ideal, either.

Yes, a team that is capable of winning this whole tournament is staring down a nightmare scenario of heading home without a single win, or even a single point. For a team with the highest of expectations, it would be a crisis that could have a carry-over effect into World Cup qualifying this fall.  

Team overview

By Paul Tenorio | @PaulTenorio | 

It has been a rough go for Venezuela, of late. La Vinotinto currently sits in last place in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying with five losses and just one draw, against Peru. Maybe saying “of late” isn’t entirely accurate. Venezuela’s current state doesn’t depart too much from its national team’s history. The country has never qualified for a World Cup, the lone CONMEBOL team with such a distinction. Its best finish in a Copa America was fourth place in 2011.

The Centenario, therefore, represents an opportunity to make history for the Venezuelans. They will look to advance in the tournament a year after finishing at the bottom of their group. Last year’s tournament did have a bright spot, a surprising 1-0 upset of Colombia in the first game, only to go out with a pair of one-goal losses to Peru and Brazil.

That win over Colombia was one of just two wins for Venezuela in the last year. The only other victory: 1-0 in a friendly over a less-than-full-strength Costa Rica side in February. Otherwise, Venezuela has managed just two draws, with Paraguay and Peru, and eight losses. The biggest issue has come in front of net: La Vinotinto has scored more than one goal in a game just twice in that 12-game stretch.

Key player

Salomón Rondón – The West Brom striker is the leader of what he recently called the “golden generation” of soccer in Venezuela – a growing group of players overseas. Rondón transferred to West Brom this year from Zenit St. Petersburg and made a solid impression in Tony Pulis’ side, scoring eight goals in 33 English Premier League appearances. This came after netting 28 times in two seasons with Zenit. The 26-year-old striker has solid size and athleticism, and he’s a good fit in the different systems run by Venezuela, usually either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

The question is where he’ll line up in the Centenario. He’s been used up top and in the midfield in recent games, and depending on the formation the team runs he could move around to places where his goal-scoring is less effective.

Along with Rondón, Venezuela will rely on midfielder Tomás Rincón, who plays for Genoa in Italy; midfielder Juan Pablo Añor, a 22-year-old who has emerged this season with Málaga and started the last two World Cup qualifiers; and right back Roberto Rosales, Añor’s teammate at Málaga. One intriguing option is 28-year-old forward Christian Santos, who has netted 41 times in the last two years for NEC Nijmegen in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Manager spotlight

Rafael Dudamel took over the Venezuelan national team in April, stepping into the role vacated by Noel “Chita” Sanvicente, who lost support of both the fans and players after the poor run of form over the last year. Venezuela’s involvement in the FIFA scandal also caused players to speak up over their hope for change in both the staff and the board of Venezuela’s soccer organization. Sanvicente resigned by “mutual agreement” following his team’s 4-1 loss to Chile in a World Cup qualifier on March 29.

Dudamel is a former national team goalkeeper and the coach of the Venezuelan under-20 national team. He spent his first few weeks as the new coach on a world tour meeting with the players in his squad to talk about the present and future of Venezuelan soccer. Whether that will aid a turnaround is yet to be seen. Dudamel’s first games in charge of the national team will come just a few weeks before kickoff in the Centenario in a trio of friendlies against Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Success looks like…

Advancing out of group play.

If that seems like too little to ask, it’s not. This Venezuela team has struggled mightily in the last year, and hasn’t had a bright stretch of games since winning four of five early in 2015, including two against Honduras. La Vinotinto will be looking to show they can compete in a strong group that includes Mexico, a team with aspirations of winning the whole tournament, and Uruguay, which currently sits atop CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying with a 4-1-1 record.

Both of those games will be tough asks of Venezuela. Uruguay, most notably, has given up just four goals in its six qualifiers, making for a difficult match-up for Venezuela. Mexico’s attacking prowess will create issues against a Venezuela team that conceded 16 goals in six games from October through March. Venezuela must fix its defensive issues going into the Centenario tournament, and if they can pull off an upset over one of the two favorites to get out of the group, it would be a sign of growth ahead of World Cup qualifying resuming in September.  A run similar to the 2011 Copa America – where they fell to Paraguay in penalties in the semifinal – would be a bonus.

Failure looks like…

Another bottom-of-the-group finish at the Copa America.

La Vinotinto were considered one of the more favorable draws out of South America, but to finish below both CONCACAF teams in their group and at the bottom of the standings for the second time in two years at a Copa tournament would amount to a bust.

For that reason, the first group game of the tournament against Jamaica, which just last year advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, could be the most important result of the tournament for Venezuela. For one, it will set up the team’s confidence going into its two tougher games. Assuming the two expected powers in the group advance, however, that game against Jamaica could settle who finishes in the basement.

Venezuela has seen little go right since its 2011 Copa run. They finished just outside of the fifth and final spot in 2014 World Cup qualifying, leaving them out of the tournament. It happened in devastating fashion. Venezuela had a bright start in qualifying, but got five out of a possible 15 points in its final five games to see Uruguay move past them. Venezuela won just five of its next 21 games in the two years-plus since. Another poor Copa showing would only add to the misery.

Team Overview

By Rupert Fryer | @Rupert_Fryer | 

The Copa America is in the United States to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, and nobody has penned more chapters in the history of soccer’s oldest continental competition than Uruguay.

Having played a major role in the formation of CONMEBOL, Uruguay won the first two editions of the Copa and six of the first 10 tournaments.

The two-time world champion is soccer’s great overachiever. Uruguay now boasts 15 Copa America titles, making it the winningest country in the history of the tournament despite a population dwarfed by its neighbors.

Tradition is often cited as the only plausible explanation for such a remarkable run of over-achievement, with every generation desperate to live up its illustrious predecessors. And then there’s its tenacious never-say-die approach, its garra charrúa (the Charruan claw), a term derived from Uruguay’s indigenous population which fought the Spanish conquistadores.

“My understanding of it,” coach Oscar Tabarez told La Celeste Blog in 2011, “[is that] it pertains to a player not giving up, regardless of the opponent, by displaying a certain type of rebelliousness which has occurred many times in our football.”

Many of the current side of have been showing that rebelliousness to great effect, dating back to the team’s semifinal finish at World Cup 2010, though an aging side has been complemented by the likes of Jose Gimenez.

Key player

Luis Suarez certainly has the garra. The Barcelona star returns to a major international competition for the first time since earning a nine-match international ban for his now infamous bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

Uruguay’s all-time top scorer was a huge loss at last year’s Copa, but Uruguay will hope his unplanned off-season break in 2015 will benefit a player who had competed at a major international tournament every year since 2010.

"Luis arrives having conquered many things," Tabarez said in a press conference in following Suarez’ March return, once again evoking the narrative of Uruguay's combative history.

"And being in a club like Barcelona, a club that has made something of an institution out of a way of playing football, he has become a part of things.

"I know that a lot of people said, 'How can he go to Barcelona? He's a Real Madrid kind of player. He can't play that way.'

"Perhaps they were right about their comments, but Luis showed once again that he overcomes challenges.

"Obviously I think that the numbers show what he's done. He's conquered challenges."

Suarez had to wait a long time for another challenge with his national team and will be key to Uruguay’s chances in the United States.

Manager Spotlight

2016 sees Oscar Tabarez celebrate 10 years back in charge of Uruguay. He’s overseen quite a transformation in his second spell on the bench.

“When I took over in 2006, we found it very tough to even find opposition,” he told Telegraph in 2014. “We were hardly competing internationally; we had not qualified for the World Cup."

Uruguay had in fact been to just one World Cup since Tabarez left the post in 1990. Not only did it qualify for the 2010 World Cup, it made it to the final four. Uruguay then cemented its status as South America’s best by claiming the Copa America in 2011; in Argentina’s backyard, nonetheless.

A trained school teacher, ‘el maestro’ led a complete overhaul of Uruguay’s youth system, implementing a holistic approach to mirror not only the style of the senior side but the garra-led mentality, convincing its players at every age group that they can prevail through sheer bloodymindedness, if nothing else.

A disastrous 2012 Olympic campaign suggested his work was yet to come to fruition, but a new generation is now trickling through. A Copa Liberadores winner in 1987 with Penarol and a league champion with Argentina’s Boca Juniors in 1992, Tabarez’s work in the previous decade has twice seen him named South American Coach of the Year.

Success Looks Like...

A 16th Copa America victory, pulling Uruguay two clear of Argentina. While this year’s hastily-organized competition has been seen as something of an unwanted distraction by some on the continent, nobody would appreciate claiming the centenary version of the Copa as much as its most-storied team.

Uruguay arrives in good form. Three victories in four Suarez-less qualifiers also suggests it does not suffer an over-reliance on its talisman, like Brazil does with Neymar. Rather, Suarez will greatly enhance a side that provides a dogged, structured defensive unit from which he can spring on the counterattack.

Atletico Madrid duo Gimenez and Diego Godin form the heart of a side that is similar in style to Diego Simeone’s overachievers in the Spanish capital, with the former’s timely emergence dismissing suggestions Uruguay would struggle to replace the legendary Diego Lugano.

But nobody typifies Uruguay’s indefatigable resilience quite like midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios. One of soccer's great nomads, his tireless industry has been vital to the defensive solidity of a side that will look to do much of its damage via the fine set-piece delivery of 2015’s South American Player of the Year, Carlos Sanchez.

Suarez returned from his long suspension in the last round of qualifiers, netting the equalizer in his side’s 2-2 draw in Brazil and laying on the winner for industrious strike partner Edinson Cavani against Peru.

He may have to fashion many of his own bullets, but if el pistolero can find his shooting boots then Uruguay are more than capable of bringing home another Copa title.

Failure Looks Like...

Failing to escape Group C would be unthinkable. Uruguay saw off Jamaica at last year’s Copa and will be confident of doing so again. Venezuela, shrouded in in-fighting with a number of its top players penning an open letter to express their discontent with the national federation, has failed to kick on from a decade that saw it emerge for the first time as genuine soccer nation.

CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico will be Uruguay’s biggest test, but a safe passage to the knockout stage is the very least Uruguay will expect in the Centenario.

Uruguay thrives in knockout football, when it’s backs-to-the wall approach comes to the fore. A second-place finish in Group D could see Uruguay meet Argentina in the quarterfinals, however, and while Uruguay would love nothing more than to humble its great rival in the first knockout stage, winning its group will be a priority.

This tiny nation’s repeated heroics has left an almost contradictory level of expectation. The public accept, indeed embrace, its place as soccer’s great underdogs, which would ostensibly leave expectations low.

However, the benchmark is set low only so it can be overcome. Uruguay must outdo itself every time it enters the field. Anything less than a quarterfinal finish would be a disaster.

Team Overview

By Scott French | @ScottJFrench | 

The golden generation of Panamanian players who followed in the Dely Valdes brothers' footsteps has played into its 30s, something that’s become a concern. There's certainly talent -- it's bewildering that Panama has been unable to match Costa Rica's or Honduras' strides -- but development has lagged.

The best of the current generation has been good, especially in midfield with San Jose Earthquakes Anibal Godoy and Alberto Quintero, home-based Armando Cooper, and rising regular Valentin Pimentel, but there's just hasn’t been enough quality players.

Jaime Penedo, ex of the LA Galaxy, is one of the region's top goalkeepers, and 35-year-old Mexico-based defender Felipe Baloy, Vancouver Whitecaps forward Blas Perez (also 35), and former Real Salt Lake forward Luis Tejada (34) are genuine stars.

Panama sandwiched solid CONCACAF Gold Cup showings in 2013 (runner-up) and 2015 (third place) around a brutally disappointing 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, one in which it was 90 seconds from Brazil before conceding two stoppage-time goals in the finale at home against the U.S. The team is capable of surprising, but Group D, with Argentina and Chile, might be a mountain too tall.

Key player

Jaime Penedo - Panama is going to be on its heels much of the tournament, especially in the Group D fights with the Argentines and Chileans. The team will need the former Galaxy netminder at his best if it’s going to have even the smallest chance of getting to the final eight.

Penedo's an instinctual goalkeeper that Bruce Arena targeted after his enormous performance in Panama's Gold Cup title-game run three years ago, and his work with Ian Feuer and then Matt Reis has broadened his palette, especially on shot-stopping. His work in Los Angeles narrowed his tendency to give up soft goals.

He did well with LA -- he's third all-time among MLS goalkeepers for goals-against average (1.09) -- but departed in discord after last summer's Gold Cup and signed a multi-year deal with Saprissa. After just half a year, he announced he was leaving the Costa Rican power.

Penedo has a veteran backline in front of him, but Panama's penchant for giving away leads has to be conquered.

Manager spotlight

Hernan Dario Gomez's expertise will be of great aid to Los Canaleros. The colorful Colombian is a veteran of big tournaments -- he's coached in four World Cups and several Copa Americas -- and won CONCACAF's coach-of-the-year honor in January after leading Panama, the fourth nation he's guided, to third in last year's Gold Cup.

Gomez said in February he'd turned down an offer to become Chile's coach because he wanted to guide Panama to its first World Cup appearance, quite a turnaround after threatening to quit following the “utter robbery” that cost Los Canaleros in the 2015 Gold Cup semifinal loss to Mexico.

A former midfielder with his hometown archrivals Independiente Medellin and Atletico Nacional, Gomez, 60, joined Francisco Maturana's staff in the late '80s with Nacional before moving with him to Colombia, where the team reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 1990 but bowed out in the first round four years later. He succeeded Maturana with the national team, prodding them back to the World Cup in 1998, then took Ecuador to its first World Cup appearance four years later.

He followed with another with Colombia -- he was forced to resign after slugging a woman outside a bar -- and coached a couple of clubs at home before accepting the Panama job.

Success looks like...

Panama faces few expectations -- Argentina or Chile could win the whole thing -- and will need something of a miracle to reach the quarterfinals. Anything more, there'll be parades in Panama City.

A victory over Bolivia in its June 6 opener in Orlando is critical, and the team will need to be sharp on the counter if it’s going to have a shot at points in the games against the powerhouses that follow. Luis Tejada has 41 international goals and Blas Perez has 38, so they can finish if the opportunity is there, but Panama's midfield will have to win some battles if that's going to happen.

And the team has to be organized at the back, not give away easy chances, and it will have come up big under heavy pressure. That's not been part of their DNA, so good luck.

Failure looks like...

Panama could go 0-3-0 and look upon this as a positive experience. The chief aim is to maneuver through CONCACAF qualifying and get to Russia in another couple of years -- the nation’s never appeared in a World Cup -- and the Centenario competition is something on which it can draw when those matches turn tough. Play well, mostly, throw a genuine challenge at the opposition, and see what sticks - that'll work.

What won't is an embarrassment: Get outclassed by Bolivia and buried by Argentina and Chile. The response at home would not be good.

Team Overview

By Cesar Hernandez | @CesarHFutbol | 

With plenty of talent finding success abroad in Europe, and a new batch of exciting and young prospects transitioning into the national team, Mexico appears poised to make a splash in the Copa America Centenario.

After losing 2-1 to Ecuador in the group stage of last year’s Copa America in Chile, El Tri has since gone on a 17-game run without a single loss in any competition. Although impressive, many skeptics have been quick to point out that 15 of those games have been against CONCACAF opponents. Mexico is currently the king of the region, but that may mean little-to-nothing against a daunting South American opponent like Brazil or Colombia.

Despite the fact that El Tri has dominated numerous CONCACAF tournaments, Mexico has emerged empty-handed in the nine previous invitations to CONMEBOL’s Copa America. The national team nearly clinched a championship in 1993 and 2001, but bowed out of the competition as a finalist during both occasions.

That being said, El Tri now has a great opportunity to fight for this year’s title. With a significant amount of Mexico fans in the U.S. that will be sure to be in attendance, El Tri will be motivated to chase a first-ever championship.

Key player

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is the easy answer here, but a more appropriate response would be PSV Eindhoven’s Andres Guardado.

The 29-year-old is a highly intelligent player that is not only excellent with his distribution going forward, but also with his interceptions in the midfield. With an endless amount of energy, and 126 appearances for El Tri, Guardado may prove to be the most significant member of the starting XI next month.

As for his role, Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio has yet to confirm whether Guardado will be a defensive midfielder or one of the two attack-minded midfielders in his 4-3-3 formation. The veteran has recently thrived in the defensive midfield position for PSV and appears better suited to continue at this spot with the national team. Either way, Guardado will undoubtedly be a focal point for Mexico and a constant provider of key passes and long balls.

Keep an eye on the PSV player. The midfielder recently won a second consecutive league title with his club and will be entering the tournament with plenty of confidence.

Manager spotlight

Since his appointment as manager last October, Osorio has so far been impeccable with his five wins in five games for El Tri. During that run, Mexico scored 12 times against their opponents and has yet to allow a goal under the leadership of Osorio.

It’s a dream start for the Colombian who at first wasn’t greeted with open arms from critics and fans.

After numerous rumors of Marcelo Bielsa taking charge of Mexico, and multiple other high-profile names as well, many were let down last year when the former Puebla coach was appointed as the new leader for El Tri. Osorio had never coached a national team beforehand and was underwhelming in his previous short stint in the Liga MX. As Puebla’s manager, Osorio only amassed a meager total of two wins in 11 games for Los Camoteros during the 2012 Clausura.

With five wins now in hand for Mexico, the manager has been able to win over much of the public, but a poor showing in the Copa America could prove to be disastrous for the Colombian. The FMF (Mexican Football Federation) is infamous for its fickle nature towards managers and might lose a significant amount of confidence in Osorio if the coach struggles during the tournament.

Success looks like…

At least a spot in the semifinals.

Although Uruguay might prove to be a headache for Mexico in the first match of the group stage, there is no reason why El Tri shouldn’t be able to secure victories against Venezuela or Jamaica. On paper, Mexico’s multiple options in the attack should be able to rack up goals in the two matches following the opener against Uruguay.

Looking at the knockout stage, El Tri would then likely face Argentina or Chile in the quarterfinals. Both sides are arguably better than Mexico, but a loss would feel like a heart-breaking reminder of the six consecutive times that El Tri has fallen out of the World Cup during the first stage of the knockout round.

If Mexico was to end its run during the quarterfinals, it might be a stretch to say it would be a failure, but very few would be celebrating the accomplishment.

A top four finish might be unrealistic for some, but it’s key to remember that Mexico will likely have more supporters than any other team in the competition. Every match, even potentially against the United States, will have a home-game atmosphere for El Tri.

Failure looks like…

Not leaving the group stage.

This might seem like a highly unlikely scenario, but you wouldn’t have to look too far into the past to find some eyebrow-raising results for Mexico. During the last summer’s Gold Cup, El Tri stumbled into the championship with questionable penalty calls and draws against Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago. Mexico eventually emerged with the Gold Cup trophy in hand, but the championship felt bittersweet for many who expected better performances from El Tri.

Mexico has moved on from then-manager Miguel Herrera and is now under new leadership, but a majority of those players involved in that tournament will also likely be included in next month’s roster.

It’s also important to note that Mexico’s first match of the competition will be up against Uruguay. A loss against La Celeste is completely plausible, and would then put plenty of pressure on Mexico to find an immediate victory in the following match against Jamaica.

Team overview

By Richard Farley | @richardfarley | 

If Bolivia wasn’t a complete basket case, Copa Centenario would be a nostalgic experience for a team who last qualified for a major tournament when the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994 (South American teams don’t have to qualify for Copa). Since then, though, La Verde has never finished higher than seventh place in South American World Cup qualifying, and in the last three cycles, Bolivia’s finished in the region’s bottom two.

Historically, Bolivia has just been bad, but recently, the federation’s added chaotic to its ineptitude. After earning a shock place in the knockout stage of last summer’s Copa America (despite a -4 goal difference in group), Bolivia fire its coach, unsuccessfully tried to appoint another, settled on a renown ex-player then saw two of the squad’s stars prematurely retire. Bolivia’s gone full Bolivia, just in time for its North American tour.

On the field, La Verde has only one win in six games in CONMEBOL’s 10-team, 18-round World Cup qualifying tournament. Already seven points from survival, Bolivia continues to be known for its heights off the field rather than on. At just under 12,000 feet, Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz is one of the highest places in the world where high-level soccer is played, with concerns over player health leading FIFA to, in 2007, temporarily ban World Cup qualifying matches from being played in the country.

Key player

What to do about Marcelo Martins? Clearly Bolivia’s most talented player, Martins retired from international soccer last September, reportedly because of differences with Julio Cesar Baldivieso. Apparently hoping Martins will reconsider, Bolivia included the former Shakhtar Donetsk attacker in its preliminary squad. Martins, however, confirmed his intension to sit out, telling reporters last week “[I] want to play in Copa Centenario, but for now I won’t, because I do not share the same philosophy as the person in charge of the squad.”

In addition to his time at Shakhtar, Martins -- currently playing for Changchun Yatai in China -- has been on the books of Cruziero, Werder Bremen, Wigan Athletic (during its Premier League incarnation), Gremio and Flamengo. Born in Bolivia but with a Brazilian father, Martins was brought up through Vitoria’s youth system and was part of the Brazil’s youth national teams at U-18 and U-20 levels. In September 2007, one month past his 20th birthday, he chose to make his full international debut for his mother’s country.

The most expensive Bolivian in soccer history (Shakhtar paid $14 million to get him from Cruziero in 2008), Martins is his national team’s most experienced and most prolific player. At 28, he has 54 international appearances, most among those in Baldivieso’s preliminary squad, and his 14 international goals make him the only potential La Verde player in double digits for his career.

For a squad that’s made up almost exclusively of players from the Bolivian league, Martins is the standout talent. He scored two of the team’s three goals at last year’s Copa. Without him, Bolivia’s chances of going goalless at the Centenario increase dramatically.

Manager snapshot

With 85 caps as a player, Baldivieso is a national team legend, one who translated elite technical talents into stints in Argentina, Japan, Ecuador, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela. Eight years ago, he made the slow transition into management, albeit controversially; he left his first club job after giving his 12-year-old son a professional debut.

In August last year, after the team’s surprise run to Copa’s knockout round, Baldivieso took over as head coach. Within weeks, the team was on the wrong end of a 7-0 drubbing by Argentina and was dealing with the premature retirements of Martins and captain/center back Ronald Raldes.

That Baldivieso is even in the job is a minor miracle, considering the chaos that came before. In the wake of Copa, Bolivia sacked head coach Marcelo Soria, attempted to re-hire him, then tried to appoint Spaniard Miguel Angel Portugal, only to see his hiring rejected by the country’s power-holding clubs. Baldivieso eventually stepped in and, perhaps predictably, the floor fell out from under him.

Success looks like

Bolivia has no meaningful record of success against Argentina and Chile, the clear powers in a top-heavy Group D. The team’s last win against Argentina came amid Diego Maradona’s first games managing the Albiceleste’s chaotic 2010 World Cup qualifying run. In 37 all-time meetings, Argentina has never lost to La Verde outside of Bolivia.

Chile has posted a similar mark, having lost to Bolivia away from La Paz only once, 22 years ago. That leaves Panama, a team against whom, playing in North America, Bolivia should still be considered underdogs. Three points from the Canaleros is Bolivia’s realistic best-case scenario.

Failure looks like

Three games, three loses, none of which are particularly close. Chile won its last meeting with Bolivia, 5-0. Argentina has outscored La Verde 14-0 in the teams’ last three meetings. A win over Panama in Orlando (June 6) wouldn’t be a shock, but it’s also possible Bolivia returns home nine days later goalless, pointless, and at the bottom of its group.

Team overview

By Rupert Fryer | @Rupert_Fryer | 

While the Copa America Centenario could well be taken with varying degrees of seriousness by a number of South America nations, for Argentina it will be top priority.

The Albiceleste will use the Rio Olympics simply to blood a new generation, not least because it already has its Olympic medals – two, in fact, after claiming back-to-back golds in 2004 and 2008 which, crucially, drew the program level with historic rivals Uruguay.

Those victories in Athens and Beijing did not quench the thirst, however, and the two-time world champion Argentina is desperate to grab its first senior title since the Copa America of 1993.

Uruguay has won two titles in the 23 years since a Gabriel Batistuta double saw off Mexico in the final in Ecuador, which have seen la Celeste leapfrog Argentina as the most successful team in the 100 years of the competition.

There is also the feeling that this is the best chance Argentina’s current side will have to lift a trophy of their own, with the overwhelming majority of its predicted starting XI either approaching, or just over, the 30 mark – at least eight of those who started last year’s Copa America final are expected to line up for Argentina’s opener in the U.S., fitness permitting.

After coming so close in Chile last year, the Copa America Centenario will undoubtedly provide the generation of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Sergio Aguero its best chance of ending the drought.

Key player

Lionel Messi - The world has been waiting for five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi to truly light up an international tournament.

He has, however, been building momentum in recent years. His best World Cup showing to date arrived in Brazil in 2014, inspiring his side to the final despite being nowhere near full fitness.

It was in the run-up to Brazil that Messi and Argentina finally clicked. Former coach Alejandro Sabella was appointed coach in 2011 and immediately cast aside an increasingly troublesome Carlos Tevez. Messi was handed the captaincy and set him free alongside Gonzalo Higuain and Aguero, supported by the shuttling Di Maria.

He hit 12 goals in Sabella’s first full year as coach – equaling Batistuta’s record tally for strikes in a calendar year and finally winning over a local public that had, harshly, doubted his commitment to his country.

Messi and Argentina would fall to Germany in the World Cup final and to Chile in the 2015 Copa final, but the latter brought an improved individual showing from Messi, who was clearly in better physical condition.

Had Higuain converted from a yard with the last kick of the game after Messi slalomed through the Roja defense, Messi and Argentina may well have returned from Chile with the title for which they have waited so long.

If 2016 is to end that wait, Messi will likely have to be the one to end it.

Manager Spotlight

Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino took up the Argentina post following Sabella’s decision to step down after the World Cup.

Fresh off the back of an ultimately disappointing stint with Barcelona, the Rosario native’s appointment was something of a no-brainer for the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).

Desperate to install a coach who would coax the best out of Messi, the two had spent a year together in Catalonia and had forged a good relationship.

Moreover, Martino is a Newell’s Old Boys legend who appeared more than 500 times for Messi’s boyhood club and is listed by Messi’s father Jorge as his favorite player.

Martino is another in an increasingly long line of Marcelo Bielsa disciples, though certainly more pragmatic than some of his fellow Bielsan alumni. After finding success in Paraguayan domestic football, he was handed the national team job in 2006.

He promptly steered la Albirroja to the World Cup in South Africa, finishing joint second with, ironically, Bielsa’s Chile in CONMEBOL qualification before securing Paraguay’s best-ever finish as his side were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Spain in the quarterfinals.

A year later, he dragged an ageing Paraguay to the final of Copa America 2011 – without winning a single game at the tournament – before jumping ship to lead Newell’s to an impressive league title, prompting Barca’s interest.

Success Looks Like...

Lifting the Copa America. The fans, and this team, have waited long enough. The improved performances of Messi at major competitions has provided enough encouragement among the locals to believe that he can lead Martino’s men all the way to the promised land.

After two final defeats, and with Brazil focused on the Olympics, Argentina is considered favorites for the crown, though Martino believes it will be anything but a two-horse race.

"Copa America Centenario is much more than Brazil and Argentina," he said. "Recently we haven't been seeing the best version of Brazil. But Brazil's current struggles do not put us in a better place because other countries are playing at top level. Uruguay is right up there along with Chile and Colombia and Ecuador are at the same level so we should not just be thinking about Brazil."

Reigning champion Chile, however, is navigating a post-Jorge Sampaoli world, while Ecuador has slowed after flying out of the qualifying traps with four consecutive wins. Colombia earned just one win on its first four qualifiers, but is back on track after beating Bolivia in La Paz and cruising past Ecuador last time out.

Failure Looks Like...

Anything but victory. A place in the final would usually suffice, but after coming within touching distance in the last two years, it will have to be third time lucky for Argentina, and for Martino, who has now lost two Copa America finals as a coach.

Martino’s job appeared on the line after Argentina’s stuttering start to the long road to Russia 2018 and the knives will be out once again should his side fail to bring the title back from the United States, particularly if Messi fails to impress.

Argentina comes into the competition following an upturn in form, however. After failing to win in its first three World Cup qualifiers, Argentina has steadied the campaign with three consecutive victories, including wins in both Chile and Colombia.

Messi’s return from injury played a major part: Martino saw his side win just one of four qualifiers without Messi; Argentina has won two of two with the Barcelona star back in the side.

By Paul Tenorio | @PaulTenorio 

The United States men’s national team is often measured on a pass-fail scale.

American captain Michael Bradley memorably classified World Cup qualifying as such. Qualify and you pass; fail to make the World Cup and you don’t. It’s easy to argue the CONCACAF Gold Cup is perceived the same way. Winning the regional tournament is a passing grade; anything else is failure.

Typically, that changes only every four years. The World Cup is seen as the truest measurement for the U.S. national team in respect to the rest of the world. Regional dominance has become an expectation, and it’s usually a two-dog fight with rival Mexico. Friendly results against top European teams are thrown out.

How far has the U.S. advanced? The World Cup will tell you.

That four-year cycle will be interrupted this summer when the U.S. hosts the Copa America Centenario. The biggest teams from South America will bring mostly full-strength rosters to the tournament. Mexico and the U.S. will battle for supremacy and respect alongside the likes of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

And plenty more is at stake for the U.S. than simply pass-fail. Every result will be parsed. The standing of the national team program will be catalogued on multiple levels, both globally and regionally, based on how it performs this summer.

As U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann put it in April: “This is a big deal.”

U.S. vs. Mexico

The tide of the most influential soccer rivalry in CONCACAF began to change at the turn of the millennium.

Since the year 2000, the U.S. has had the better of the head-to-head match-up with Mexico on the senior level. The United States has posted a 13-6-5 record against its regional rival, including the famous 2-0 win in the Round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup – the beginning of ‘dos a cero.’

Those chants have echoed through many of the U.S.-Mexico games since. The measure of dominance in CONCACAF goes beyond just head-to-head match-ups, however, and Mexico has surged ahead in some areas.

Since the beginning of the Jurgen Klinsmann era in July 2011, the U.S. youth national team programs have failed to measure up to Mexico’s success.

The U.S. under-17s did not qualify for the 2013 World Cup, then finished third in CONCACAF qualifying in 2015 before failing to get out of the group stage at the World Cup. The under-20 national team lost to Mexico in the 2013 CONCACAF championships and went out at the World Cup in the group stage. The 2015 version of the U-20 team finished second in its group in CONCACAF qualifying, but made a quarterfinal run in the 2015 World Cup, the best finish by any youth side under Klinsmann.

The under-23 Olympic team has will miss its second straight Olympic Games later this year after another failure in CONCACAF qualifying.

Those records look even worse when measured up to Mexico’s accomplishments.

Mexico’s under-17s won both the 2013 and 2015 CONCACAF championships and finished second and fourth at the World Cup in those years, respectively. El Tri’s under-20 teams won the CONCACAF championships in 2013 and 2015 and advanced to the Round of 16 in 2013, though it failed to get out of the group in 2015. Mexico’s under-23 Olympic team took home the gold medal at the 2012 Games and qualified as the top team in CONCACAF again for this summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro.

The different paths of the national team programs presented a concerning pattern that finally reached the senior level last year.

Mexico’s national team captured the Gold Cup in 2015 while the U.S. finished a distant fourth. El Tri then beat the Americans, 3-2, in the CONCACAF Cup for a berth in next year’s Confederations Cup.

It felt like a sudden change.

“They were not easy to swallow and people got very critical,” Klinsmann said in January. “And rightfully so.”

Just one cycle ago, Mexico needed American Graham Zusi’s goal against Panama to reach a World Cup playoff series with New Zealand to qualify for the World Cup. Now, the Copa America is a chance for Mexico to announce itself as the unquestioned top dog in CONCACAF, a distinction it hasn’t held in some time – not since before the U.S. knocked El Tri out of the World Cup.

After its porous Gold Cup and slow start to qualifying, the U.S. will look at this tournament as a chance to heal itself ahead of the fall qualifiers. Advancing beyond Mexico would also keep open the argument about which team deserves top billing in the region.

The Centenario, therefore, represents the rare chance to reverse the narrative that has started to build against Klinsmann and to reinject some confidence into the national team program as it looks toward Russia in 2018.

CONCACAF vs. CONMEBOL

The Copa America will be a proving ground not just for the U.S., but by extension the CONCACAF region.

Rightfully seen as the little brother in the Western Hemisphere, CONCACAF teams will not get a better chance to make a statement against the top teams from South America. Both the U.S. and Mexico will enjoy home-field advantages. The home-field advantage gives both teams an opportunity that hasn’t existed since the 1994 World Cup: a crowd that can help them to a win over the favored South American sides.

“The Copa America for us is a once in a lifetime opportunity because when will you have the next Copa America here in the United States, home advantage,” Klinsmann said at the start of U.S. camp in Miami Shores in May. “How long is your career? Maybe 12 to 15 years if you stay healthy, so I don’t know how many Copa Americas are coming by again for you as a player. This is what our message is for the next couple days … saying ‘Listen guys, you’ve got to take this opportunity. Take this showcase.’”

Just what success means is open for interpretation.

No non-CONMEBOL team has ever won the Copa America, though Mexico has come close before. El Tri finished second in both 1993 and 2001, losing to Argentina and Colombia, respectively, in the final. Mexico also finished in third place in 1997, 1999 and 2007. The U.S. took fourth place in 1995.

El Tri has set ambitious standards.

"We see the Copa America as the objective," Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio told press in Atlanta in April. "We want to be inside the top three places, [and] hopefully reach the final."

An appearance in the final by either the U.S. or Mexico would have implications that impact the region -- and the soccer hierarchy on this side of the Atlantic.

The Copa America Centenario is…different, in a word. The Centenario is a special edition of Copa Ameica in order to celebrate 100 years of the competition, which is the oldest international continental competition in the world.

Typically played among the 10 CONMEBOL teams with a pair of guest teams (Mexico has participated nine times), Copa America is being played outside of South America for the first time, with the United States hosting the massive gathering of the Americas. Six teams from CONCACAF join the South American contingent to make a field of 16 teams vying for the title.

This will be the 45th edition of the tournament, with Uruguay – winners of the first edition in 1916 – holding a record 15 titles. Argentina has 14 titles to its name.  Chile is the defending champion, having beaten Argentina in penalty kicks of last year’s final for a first-ever crown.

Chile prevailed at home in 2015. As the history below shows, there is a distinct trend of a home-field advantage – especially for one-time winners…and Uruguay. Good news for the United States?

The event was the South American Championship, until it took the name of Copa America in 1975. (And, yes, there were two Copa America events in 1959.)

1916: Uruguay (Host: Argentina)

1917: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1919: Brazil (Host: Brazil)

1920: Uruguay (Host: Chile)

1921: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1922: Brazil (Host: Brazil)

1923: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1924: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1925: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1926: Uruguay (Host: Chile)

1927: Argentina (Host: Peru)

1929: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1935: Uruguay (Host: Peru)

1937: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1939: Peru (Host: Peru)

1941: Argentina (Host: Chile)

1942: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1945: Argentina (Host: Chile)

1946: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1947: Argentina (Host: Ecuador)

1949: Brazil (Host: Brazil)

1953: Paraguay (Host: Peru)

1955: Argentina (Host: Chile)

1956: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1957: Argentina (Host: Peru)

1959: Argentina (Host: Argentina)

1959: Uruguay (Host: Ecuador)

1963: Bolivia (Host: Ecuador)

1967: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

Copa America era

1975: Peru (No set host)

1979: Paraguay (No set host)

1983: Uruguay (No set host)

1987: Uruguay (Host: Argentina)

1989: Brazil (Host: Brazil)

1991: Argentina (Host: Chile)

1993: Argentina (Host: Ecuador)

1995: Uruguay (Host: Uruguay)

1997: Brazil (Host: Bolivia)

1999: Brazil (Host: Paraguay)

2001: Colombia (Host: Colombia)

2004: Brazil (Host: Peru)

2007: Brazil (Host: Venezuela)

2011: Uruguay (Host: Argentina)

2015: Chile (Host: Chile)

Team overview

By Alex Schieferdecker | @alexschief | 

Of the sixteen teams in the Copa America Centenario, only Venezuela ranks below Haiti in the FIFA World Rankings. But Les Grenadiers deserve respect, both for their tenacious play and what they represent. The recent history of Haiti and its football federation is, of course, a story of the 2010 earthquake. Thirty-seven staff members of the Fédération Haïtienne de Football (FHF) were killed when their headquarters collapsed. The national stadium was badly damaged. The country from top to bottom was thrown into chaos.

But in the years following that unfathomable tragedy, the Haitian national team has given its countrymen something to cheer. The 2015 Gold Cup marked one of their best results since the 1970s. Grouped with the United States, Honduras, and Panama—three 2014 World Cup participants—the Haitians stunningly advanced in second place. Their airtight defensive effort conceded just once to the U.S. (0-1) and Panama (1-1), and kept the Hondurans out completely. In the quarterfinals, they were edged, 1-0 by the Jamaicans, the eventual runners-up.

Haiti’s top-eight finish in the Gold Cup earned the team a chance to qualify for the Copa America through a one-off against the Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago. They pulled it off, 1-0, and will be once again hoping to persevere against the odds this summer.

Key player

Haiti doesn’t have a single player upon whom it rests its entire tournament hopes. Whatever is achieved will be a team effort, but goalkeeper and captain Johnny Placide is the man with the most responsibility. The French-born Stade de Reims player endured a disappointing season in which he lost his starting position and Reims was relegated. Yet barring injury, he is certain to start, and he must play well to give his team a chance to advance.

A handful of Haitians play in the United States. Sporting Kansas City midfielder Sonny Mustivar is the most prominent, but New York Red Bulls homegrown midfielder Derrick Etienne could be named to his first senior team as he gets regular playing time in USL. Americans who follow the NASL will know some of Haiti’s other important players. Defensive midfielder James Marcelin has been among the second-division’s best for years. Defender Mechack Jérôme, who had a stint with Sporting Kansas City, is a rock in the back for the Jacksonville Armada.

If Haiti scores, there’s a good chance Duckens Nazon will be involved. The 22-year-old Paris-born forward is likely Haiti’s brightest prospect. He plays in Ligue 2 for Laval and scored both of Haiti’s goals in the Gold Cup. The only problem is that he seems to be out of favor, sitting as an unused substitute for both of Haiti’s recent qualifiers against Panama. Considering that Haiti failed to score in either outing, Nazon would seem to have an opening back into the squad. His partner up front may be Kervens Belfort, who does seem to have the coach’s support. Belfort, a 23-year-old playing in the Turkish second division, scored the winner (via a miskick) against Trinidad and Tobago to qualify the team for Copa America, and he assisted the winner against Honduras in the Gold Cup. The pressure will be on Haiti’s forwards to make individual magic for their team, and these two have done it before.

Manager spotlight

Frenchman Patrice Neveu took over after his countryman Marc Collat was not retained following the Gold Cup. Neveu has had a fascinating career, coaching around the world, mostly in former French colonies. He has previously helmed the national teams of Niger, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mauritania, as well as clubs in China, Egypt, and Tunisia.

Immediately upon taking charge of Haiti, he made a positive impression with the key win to qualify for Copa America. But in the next two matches against Panama in World Cup qualifying, Neveu’s team was both boring and ineffective, all but ending its chances of making the Hex. That back-to-back failure, along with some questionable team choices and a rumored bias towards French-born players, has fans already calling for Neveu’s head. Similar performances this summer could mean an early exit.

Success looks like…

Simply making the tournament is an achievement for Haiti. But after beating the odds in the Gold Cup, could a repeat happen? Les Grenadiers are grouped with three South American teams: Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. Their primary objective is defeating the Peruvians in Seattle. Achieve that, and anything is possible. Four days later, Haiti will play Brazil in Orlando, where Haiti will be stalling from the opening whistle. A 0-0 draw is the objective there, however unlikely. If all goes according to plan, the last step would be to hold off Ecuador in New Jersey.

The odds are against Haiti, but organization and defensive prowess give the team a chance against more heavily favored teams. Consider this: it has been over a year since Haiti conceded more than one goal in a match. This from a stretch that includes three encounters with Panama, two with Jamaica, and one each with the U.S. and Costa Rica. Don’t expect Haiti to light up the scoresheet, but don’t expect them to get lit up, either.

Failure looks like…

To some extent, Haiti is playing with house money. Fall out in the group stage and the worst you could say is “as expected.” But it would be disappointing if Haiti’s defense-first approach merely resulted in a series of turgid losses. Something to that effect is taking place in World Cup qualifying, where the Grenadiers were placed in the group of death, and sit in last place behind Costa Rica, Panama, and Jamaica. They have yet to score, and have lost 0-1 three times, infuriating their supporters. Three straight 0-1 losses would look a lot like failure for the Haitians.

Team overview

By Rupert Fryer | @Rupert_Fryer | 

For Peru, the Copa America Centenario could be a period of change. But even a successful month in the United States for will bring caution from a public who has seen it all before.

In 2011, under the stewardship of veteran Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian, Peru fans would have been forgiven for believing the immediate future looked bright. Having finished rock bottom of CONMEBOL World Cup qualification ahead of South Africa 2010, Markarian guided the team to its first Copa semifinal since 1983 in what local media dubbed ‘the cup of the humble.’

Peru failed to build on that success, however, and finished 10 points off qualification for what it hoped would be its first World Cup since 1982.

Expectations were raised again at last year's Copa after Argentinian coach Ricardo Gareca matched Markarian’s third-place finish. However, a disappointing sense of déjà vu has followed with Peru slumping to just one win in its six qualifiers so far, leaving it third-bottom of the 10-team group with just four points.

There had been suggestions that Gareca would use the Centenario to experiment with some new faces, but the omissions of a number of high-profile players such as Jefferson Farfan, Claudio Pizarro Juan Manuel Vargas, Carlos Zambrano and Luis Advincula have been met with speculation he has lost patience with the core of his group.

Key player

32-year-old Flamengo striker Paolo Guerrero avoided the cull, and much of Peru’s hopes will be pinned on the former Bayern Munich, Hamburg and Corinthians man.

Tied with the great Teofilo Cubillas on 26 goals as Peru’s all-time leading marksman, Guerrero is strong, leads the line and is a persistent threat in the air. He is expected to inherit the captain’s armband from Pizarro.

The problem for Peru will be providing its hitman with the service to overtake Cubillas and write himself into the history books.

Toluca winger Christian Cueva could provide a key supply line following an impressive spell in Mexico which has seen him improve at a rate that is rumored to be attracting scouts from England. PSV’s uncapped Luiz Da Silva is also an interesting prospect.

Tricky Universitario striker Raul Ruidiaz could also add some much-needed guile, should he graduate from impact sub to a first-teamer. The 25-year-old’s career slowed after making waves off the bench at Jorge Sampaoli’s Universidad de Chile in 2012, but he has rediscovered his form since returning home.

A squat, inventive attacker, Ruidiaz has scored bucket-loads of goals this season and came off the bench to rescue a point in Lima in March’s 2-2 draw with Venezuela in World Cup qualifying.

Few at the Copa head the ball better than Guerrero and, with the right supply line, he could certainly lead from the front.

Manager spotlight

Gareca was roundly booed following that 2-2 draw with Venezuela, and the tension was clearly getting to him as he reacted angrily to a line of questioning regarding his future during a post-match press conference.

Assisted by legendary Peru international Nolberto Solano, Gareca has attracted further criticism for a 40-man preliminary squad that included just 10 players based outside Peru.

“Maybe I've been too patient,” he said. “I have characterized it that way because I always believe that players will recover their form. That is the criterion I have used. But everything has to have a limit.”

It was a bold decision from the former Boca, River and Argentina striker who led Velez Sarsfield to three league titles between 2009 and 2012, overseeing what was perhaps the most stable club in Argentinian soccer’s recent history, with Gareca managing a remarkable four years in the same job.

His stock was high following his spell in Liniers, but a 2014 spell with Palmeiras lasted just nine games as the Argentinian contingent he brought to Sao Paulo failed to produce immediate results.

Life as Peru coach started well with the 2011 Copa, but the pressure is mounting.

Success looks like...

Qualification from a tricky group that includes Brazil and early qualification pace-setters Ecuador would be seen a fruitful tournament for Peru. However, simply some encouraging signs from the new arrivals to the international scene will likely be enough to buy Gareca time ahead of the resumption of CONMEBOL qualifying in September. The Centenario will offer a distraction from the rocky road to Russia 2018, and the diminished importance of the competition itself means it’s more suitable to utilize as a something of a test lab for the Argentinian.

Gareca will also be able to gauge the reaction of Peru’s senior absentees, some of whom were rumored to have added their names to a long list of incidents of ill-discipline that have plagued the national team's recent history.

An inexperienced squad, then, will be faced with the task of navigating a group which will see Peru as favorites in just one of its first-round matches, against CONCACAF outfit Haiti.

The emergence of a new star would certainly be welcome. Perhaps 19-year-old Da Silva could be exactly that. An exciting talent, he has already cruelly been tagged the ‘Peruvian Neymar.’

Failure looks like...

Three insipid performances that would undoubtedly lead to criticism that Gareca was wrong to leave a group of established internationals kicking their heels throughout June.

“In the soccer world, players must be in great form to reach a national team,” mused Lima-based newspaper El Bocon in its critique of the squad.

“Ricardo Gareca clearly thinks differently. Notable is that no one in the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) has the authority to [question] the latest call-ups to the Peruvian team.”

The excluded Zambano insisted, “We do not care much about this Copa America Centenario. We want to reach a World Cup and we have to win a lot of points.” Gareca’s employers, however, may think differently, and more of the sort of form the team’s shown since last year’s Copa would likely see the end of the road for the coach.

Recent Copa America performances are about the only things Peruvian fans have had to celebrate in some 30 years. They don’t expect another semifinal. All they ask is cause for hope.

Team overview

By Richard Farley | @richardfarley | 

Ecuador seems to occupy a strange place with those who claim soccer as their religion. Among some of the church’s parishioners, La Tricolor is often a dark horse pick, with devotees pointing to qualifying resilience and Enner Valencia-esque talents to justify against-the-grain predictions. The team’s recent tournament record, however, hasn’t justified that faith. Since qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, Ecuador has only advanced past a tournament’s group stage once. Germany 2006 was the only time in the last eight major competitions that Ecuador advanced to a knockout round.

This summer’s Centenario should be different, particularly given a draw that looks more fortuitous by the day. Drawn with Haiti and Peru, the Ecuadorians were always going to be favorites to claim at least second place, but with Neymar not part of Brazil’s squad, Ecuador can harbor hopes of topping Group B. Given the other stars Dunga left out, those hopes have a good change of reaching fruition.

Ecuador backers can also point to the team’s strong record in the current World Cup qualifying campaign, with Gustavo Quinteros’ team matching Uruguay on points on top of South America’s standings. That, however, might paint too rosy of a picture of Ecuador’s form. After taking 12 of 12 points to start the tournament, the Tricolor went draw-loss during the March break, dropping points at home to underdog Paraguay before losing a one-sided contest in Colombia, 3-1.

With names like Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Jefferson Montero (Swansea City), Juan Carlos Paredes (Watford) and Christian Noboa (Rostov), Ecuador has a number of well-establish players still performing at high levels. That talent and experience demands a quarterfinal berth. Whether Ecuadorians will see more depends on whether this team comes together better than those that stumbled in Chile and Brazil.

Key player

2016 has been a year of lower body injuries for Felipe Caicedo, with a hamstring problem costing him his place in Ecuador’s last two qualifiers. Before that, Caicedo had scored in each of Ecuador’s first four qualifiers for Russia. With him, the team was 4-0-0, claiming wins over Argentina and Uruguay. Without him, the team’s dropped its first points of South America’s tournament.

The samples on both sides of that equation are small, but there’s also a certain logic to focusing on Caicedo. Since returning to Europe from a brief stint in the Middle East, the 27-year-old has scored 17 goals over two seasons with Espanyol. He’s proven he can be productive. Team him with Enner Valencia up top, and Ecuador will have a strike tandem that would scare any team in the tournament.

Add in a recovering Antonio Valencia on the right (either at fullback or midfield), Montero on the left and Noboa in midfield, and Ecuador looks beyond troublesome. To many, that talent is downright scary.

Quinteros has yet to have Saicedo and Enner Valencia on the field at the same time during 2018 qualifying. And Antonio Valencia missed November’s friendlies against Uruguay and Venezuela. If Ecuador has another gear, Caicedo’s presence may bring it out at Copa Centenario.

Manager spotlight

An Argentina-born former Bolivian international, Quintero has been a coaching nomad since a debut with San Lorenzo in 2003 - a status that’s not uncommon among South American coaches. Since his time with the Pope’s club, the 51-year-old has had eight other appointments, jobs that have included a return to Argentina (San Martin, 2006-07), a brief dalliance with a Bolivian titan (Bolivar, 2009), a two-year stint in charge of his national team (Bolivia, 2010-2012) and two-and-a-half years managing an Ecuadorian giant, Emelec (2012-2015).

Since taking over with Ecuador, between World Cup qualifying and last year’s Copa America, he’s deployed both 4-2-3-1 (five times) and 4-4-2 (four) formations. Sometimes he plays Enner Valencia alone up top; other times, he’ll pair Miller Bolanos with Valencia or Caceido.

With Antonio Valencia healthy and Jefferson Montero out wide, a 4-4-2 makes sense. But if a change needs to happen mid-tournament, Quintero knows how to give his team a different look. 

Success looks like...

Success would see Ecuador getting out of Group B and playing well in the round of eight, but there’s reason to dream bigger. With Brazil both struggling and not sending its best squad, Ecuador can set its sights on the top of Group B, a distinction that may not matter come the quarterfinals. There, it’s difficult to predict which of Colombia or the host nation will be the more difficult opponent. And if Costa Rica or Paraguay advance out of Group A, chaos in that quartet may make the first-second distinction irrelevant.

Regardless who Ecuador faces in the quarters, it won’t be an upset if it reaches the semifinals, where the team will likely face Argentina, Chile, Mexico or Uruguay. Against any, Ecuador will be an underdog, potentially for the first time in the tournament.

Failure looks like...

Failure for Ecuador looks like success for Peru, a scenario that was far more possible before Ricardo Gareca elected to omit all of his overseas veterans from the Balnquirroja’s preliminary roster. Now, it would take something dramatic to keep Ecuador from second.

How likely is Ecuador to let that drama happen? To drop points to both Haiti and Peru, and get nothing from Brazil? And if it does, how likely is it that one of Group B’s underdogs wins multiple games? There are other ways Ecuador can bow out, but the scenarios come at slim odds.

Consider, too, Ecuador’s familiarity playing in the United States. Since 2010, the Tricolor have played 11 times in the States, and while all of the games have been friendlies, the opponents have included Mexico (four times), the United States (twice), Argentina and Brazil. Over those games, Ecuador is 3-4-4, has a plus-8 goal difference, and has played before an average crowd of 45,376. Copa’s strange surroundings won’t seem so strange to Ecuador.

Team overview

By Rupert Fryer | @Rupert_Fryer | 

Brazil arrives at Copa America Centenario with one eye focused elsewhere. The Selecao’s biggest priority for 2016 is to end its wait for Olympic gold.

Despite its long and concerted efforts, the CBF was unable to convince Barcelona to release Neymar for both competitions, and so he will sit out of the Copa in order to lead the charge at August’s Rio Olympic Games.

Coach Dunga has elected to take a young squad to the United States, with seven of the 23 of Olympic age. “I think we're taking a very competitive squad… providing experience to some Olympic players,” he said. “We have taken the opportunity to look at some new faces.”

That means it’s out with the old, with the likes of David Luiz - the second most-capped central defender under Dunga - dropped along with Kaka, Roberto Firmino, Oscar, Fernandinho and Danilo. Of Dunga’s 20- most-capped players since his July 2014 appointment, only nine have made his Copa squad.

Despite some high-profile omissions, Brazil has a relatively settled side, particularly following the recent emergence of creative midfielder Renato Augusto, who has stepped in to fill one of the few roles ostensibly up for grabs. The team’s biggest issue remains the lack of an established center forward.

Key player

The five-time world champions may well have already lost him. Brazil’s biggest problem since World Cup 2014 has been its overreliance on Neymar – an issue the team will be forced to confront at this tournament..

The Barca star has scored a quarter of the goals under Dunga despite having missed nearly a quarter of the games, mostly through suspension as his frustrations at carrying the attacking burden boiled over. Of the 41 goals from Dunga’s 22 matches, 23 were scored by players who have been left out of the Copa squad.

Who will carry the attacking burden in the absence of Neymar? Willian has played every game under Dunga and been his most consistent performer, but is yet to make create and score goals at anything like the rate of Neymar. Likewise, Douglas Costa has been in fine form but is yet to prove himself a true craque at international level.

The key, then, could yet be the form of Renato Augusto. A silky, cerebral playmaker who re-emerged from some serious injuries to star in the Corinthians side that romped to the league in 2015, he was Brazil’s best player in their last two World Cup qualifiers and scored a magnificent goal against Uruguay.

Devoid of their most potent attacking threat, Brazil’s quest for goals could yet rely on a 28-year-old who has just moved to Chinese club Beijing Guoan.

Manager Spotlight

Coach Dunga returned to Brazil at perhaps its all-time lowest ebb. While the 1950 World Cup defeat on home soil was labelled the nation’s greatest tragedy, the 7-1 shellacking at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinal was its greatest humiliation.

Local commentators insisted that what is now known simply as ‘the 7-1’ proved it was time for Brazilian soccer to do some long overdue soul-searching, to move away from an approach built on brute strength and counterattacks. Instead, the CBF reverted to type, bringing back the ultra-pragmatic Dunga, who led Brazil to a quarterfinal finish at the 2010 World Cup.

He got off to a fine start, marching to 10 consecutive friendly victories and conceding just two goals in the process, but the wheels came off in Chile at last year’s Copa when his side slumped to a quarterfinal defeat to Paraguay.

Dunga generally deploys a 4-2-3-1, which can morph into a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3, but he has thus far been unable to reproduce the reactive, reactionary and ultra-efficient counterattacking collective he formed in his first spell, and World Cup qualifying has not run as smoothly.

Dunga is a man under pressure. He is in line to lead the Selecao in Rio but a repeat of last year’s Copa showing could cost him his job, particularly with the shadow of Corinthians boss Tite looming ever larger.

Success Looks Like...

Brazil has an obligation to win every tournament it plays. However, a place in the final four and some more convincing performances overall would likely suffice. With a young squad, attentions on the upcoming home Olympics, and the acceptance that the Copa America Centenario itself is a little contrived, Brazilian fans may be slightly more forgiving than usual.

To see some encouraging signs from the jogadores olimpicos ahead of a second must-win competition on home soil in two years will earn some otherwise hard-won brownie points. Moreover, the press could be sympathetic should Brazil find answers to its biggest issues in attack.

The biggest tactical shift under Dunga has been the introduction of a false No. 9, but he is yet to fill that role as Brazilian soccer suffers a serious dearth of central-attacking talent. The 36-year-old Ricardo Oliveira is the favorite to start up front, but uncapped Santos starlet Gabigol could provide an interesting alternative. The decision to leave in-form Benfica forward Jonas out of the squad, however, could come back to haunt Dunga.

Losing a final is an unforgivable crime in Brazil, so some positive showings and a semifinal finish would likely retain enough optimism to keep the current boss on the bench and build a little momentum ahead of Rio.

Failure Looks Like...

Losing ugly. Between 2006-2010, Dunga’s Brazil won the 2007 Copa America – with a squad made up mostly of reserves – cruised through a gruelling World Cup qualifying campaign and claimed the 2009 Confederations Cup. It wasn’t pretty – the style as far from Jogo Bonito as any Brazil side has been since the early 1980’s – but it was effective.

Two slip-ups from goalkeeper Julio Cesar and a suicidal performance from Felipe Melo against the Dutch at the 2010 World Cup, however, brutally exposed the side’s flaws, with the team unable to find an answer when it went behind for the first time in the competition.

Make no mistake: the overwhelming majority of Brazilian football fans care only that the team wins. But, even in Brazil, overtly pragmatic approaches to soccer are tolerated only for as long as the victories last. Futebol do resultados is useless if it produces no results. Dunga once described the great 1982 Brazil team as ‘beautiful losers’. The only thing worse than losing beautifully is losing ugly.

Team overview

By Scott French | @ScottJFrench | 

Paraguay has never been among South America's elite, but it’s long had a knack for playing the big powers tight and has found itself advancing beyond expectations again and again.

Argentine manager Raul Diaz, no matter Jose Luis Chilavert's public misgivings, could have Paraguay ready for another run after taking it to the semifinals in last year's Copa America. He's blooded 18 players, nine of them making this final Copa roster, since taking charge 18 months ago, overhauling an aging roster  that counts over-30s Roque Santa Cruz (34), Paulo Da Silva (36), Nelson Valdez (32) and goalkeeper Justo Villar (38) among the contributors.

Younger stars who emerged during the appalling 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign -- Paraguay went 3-10-3 and finished last in CONMEBOL after playing in the four previous World Cups  -- have taken on bigger roles, including defenders Miguel Samudio and Pablo Aguilar, home-based defender Bruno Valdez and Dynamo Kyiv forward Derlis Gonzalez.

Key player

The big names up front for Paraguay are Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez, but Dario Lezcano, a 25-year-old striker who has played in Europe since 2008, looks like the future. He's fast and powerful, is a pure finisher and can deliver a deadly free kick. He can be fiery, too, served an eight-game ban last year while with Switzerland’s Luzern for pushing a referee, knocking away the red card he'd just been shown.

He got his shot with the national team when CONMEBOL's qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup kicked off the following month, and he’s started all five matches since, scoring four goals in the last three outings.

He's still traveling below the radar, for the most part, but the Centenario provides a chance to impress the big clubs. Paraguay's attack, despite the presence of Santa Cruz and Co., hasn't been particularly consistent. Lezcano could, if he can keep this pace going, be a game-changer for Paraguay, and if he's hot in June, the Paraguayans could be the tournament's surprise package.

Manager spotlight

Ramon Diaz was a first-class striker in his playing days for River Plate and several Italian clubs and is remembered for Argentina's goal in the second-stage loss to Brazil at the 1982 World Cup. That capped his national team career -- word was a feud with Diego Maradona cost him a spot on the 1986 and 1990 rosters, although Maradona in his autobiography claims he told Carlos Bilardo to include Diaz in both groups -- but he enjoyed productive stints with Napoli, Avellino, Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Monaco before returning to River Plate in the early '90s and finishing his playing days in Japan.

Diaz took charge of River Plate right after retiring, guiding the Buenos Aires giant to six league titles and one Copa Libertadores crown in three stints as manager. He also coached Oxford United in England, San Lorenzo (winning another league title) and Independiente in Argentina, and Mexico's Club America before signing on with Paraguay in December 2014.

He's a motivational coach with some odd methods: He promised his team pickup trucks for progressing at last year's Copa Libertadores. Can he top that if Paraguay makes another deep run?

Success looks like...

Paraguay isn't anywhere near the class of South America's elite these days, but it’s been expert at grinding out results. Summon more of that, and getting out of what appears to be the most competitive of the first-round groups -- an achievement that likely would mean the U.S. doesn't get through -- is well within reach.

That's what will be expected, especially after the past two Copa America showings, but the aim is third successive trip to the final four. That's doable -- Paraguay’s certainly not intimidated by the Brazils (penalty-kick wins in the 2011 and 2015 quarterfinals) and Argentinas (draws in two of the last five competitive meetings) of the world -- but advancing deep this this tournament would still be something of a stunner.

Failure looks like...

Did anybody expect it to tank so badly on the road to Brazil? That's the one massive failure on Paraguay’s recent résumé, and the team can't match that disappointment unless it’s conceding five and six goals a game.

Group A might be this tournament's “death” group, and if rankings mean anything -- debatable, for sure -- Paraguay ought to finish last. That wouldn't go over so well at home, and third place isn't a whole lot better.

To avoid this, Paraguay needs its youngsters -- Lezcano and Gonzalez, especially -- to take a big step forward, and a little magic from Santa Cruz or Valdez would go a long way, too.

This is a team that has been shut out 14 times in 39 competitive internationals since the start of the 2010 World Cup, and scoring in bunches doesn't promise more: Paraguay’s won just four of 10 games in which they scored multiple goals in that span.

Team overview

By Paul Tenorio | @PaulTenorio | 

Costa Rica emerged as one of the best stories at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The tiny Central American nation made a run to the World Cup quarterfinals by beating Uruguay and Italy and drawing England to win its group. The reward for finishing atop Group D was a match-up with Holland, and it would eventually take penalties to knock out the CONCACAF giant-beaters. By then, though, the Ticos and their “Pura Vida” attitude had captured new fans around the globe. It was a tournament that made a country proud, and also announced Costa Rica as a formidable opponent worldwide.  

Costa Rica has long been known within CONCACAF as a consistently difficult team to beat, and it’s established itself as perhaps the third-best team in the region behind Mexico and the U.S. That’s continued through World Cup qualifying, where the Ticos currently sit atop Group 2 with a 3-0-1 record, the lone blemish a 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

It’s a team that has also benefited from the development of MLS, where several Ticos have found success, including Kendall Waston, Ronald Matarrita, Christian Bolaños, Waylon Francis, Johan Venegas and Alvaro Saborio – all of whom were named to Costa Rica’s 40-man preliminary roster.

Key player

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas. The man between the pipes for Costa Rica was probably the biggest reason for its run to Brazil’s quarterfinals.

Navas was on the shortlist for the Golden Glove award in Brazil, though it eventually went to Germany’s Manuel Neuer. He put up three clean sheets in five games and pushed Costa Rica through a penalty kick shootout against Greece. The performance earned Navas a contract with Real Madrid, which bought him out of his Levante deal for 10 million euros.

After playing in just six La Liga games last season, Navas took over the starting role this year and has 12 shutouts in 33 La Liga games, posting a 0.85 goals against average while also helping Real Madrid to the Champions League final. Navas did not allow a goal at home in Champions League play.  

If there is going to be a player that gets Costa Rica to the knockout stages and beyond with his individual performances, it’s the same one who did so in the World Cup: Navas.

Manager spotlight

When Costa Rican legend Paulo Wanchope was forced to resign after getting in a fight in the stands during an Olympic qualifier, the country turned to another of its legends. Very few players are held in such high esteem by Ticos as Oscar Ramírez, who starred for both powerhouse clubs in the country: Alajuelense and Saprissa. He coached Alajuela to three consecutive Primera División titles earlier this decade before joining the Costa Rica staff and earning a quick promotion to the top job when the Wanchope fallout went down.

Since taking over last August, Ramírez has done well to turn around a team that found itself in a very poor run of form that included a nine-game winless streak.

Ramírez lost his first game as coach, 1-0, to Brazil, but he has taken a 6-3-1 record in his 10 games in charge of the program and has the team atop its World Cup qualifying group. The Ticos have regained their top defensive form under Ramírez; they have yet to give up more than one goal in a game in his charge.

If Costa Rica can maintain that defensive presence at the Copa, the Ticos should prove a tough out in a tough group.

Success looks like…

A run that mirrors or surpasses the World Cup triumphs.

Group A has been called the Group of Death in this tournament, in part because of Costa Rica’s bite and the memories of what the team did two years ago. Still, the Ticos have to think they can emerge by beating the likes of Paraguay and their regional rival, the U.S.

This group, despite its challenges, still falls short of what Costa Rica faced in Brazil, were the team was initially seen as an afterthought. No one will make that mistake in this tournament, least of all the U.S., but Costa Rica must get off to a strong start in its first game against Paraguay.

To do so, they’ll need standout performances from two men in particular: Navas as well as Arsenal’s Joel Campbell, who was one of the country’s top performers in the World Cup as a target striker.

Getting out of the group and making a run at whichever team it faces in the second round will be a enough to live up to the reputation the Ticos earned two summers ago.

Failure looks like…

Falling short of the knockout stages, and with flat performances.

The Ticos understand the dynamics of a tournament like this, but a standard was set in the World Cup, and the country surely expects the team to at least emerge from its group in a weaker field. Failure to do so would be seen as a massive letdown, but to finish in last place or turn out weak performances in the Copa would draw more ire than anything else.

This team has many of the same pieces as that 2014 run; just one player who was in the starting lineup against the Netherlands in that quarterfinal was not on the 40-man preliminary roster: former Columbus Crew defender Giancarlo Gonzalez, who was a surprising omission, but was left off after requesting to get a break following his season with Palermo in Italy.

With the same pieces in place, the belief that Costa Rica can attain similar results is not unfounded, and a fourth-place finish in the group would be seen within the country as a big step backwards. Extra emphasis will be placed on turning in a good performance against the Americans.

Team Overview

By Scott French | @ScottJFrench | 

Chile is the reigning Copa America champion, winning its first international title at home last summer, and among the favorites to claim the Centenario crown -- if last year's success hasn't dulled the team’s desire. FIFA has Chile ranked No. 3 in the world, and La Roja has a most impressive roster, full of big-name stars at major European clubs who provided the foundation as Jorge Sampaoli, who resigned in January after four years in charge, built the side into a world power. The essential players have been around since the buildup toward the 2010 World Cup began -- even earlier for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Chile's all-time caps leader, with 100 -- and are in their primes.

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Hoffenheim's Eduardo Vargas are top-shelf attackers who prospered in Sampaoli's aggressive 3-4-3 formation, and Vargas has seven goals in his last 10 caps, going back to last summer's triumph. Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal is midfield royalty, and Inter Milan's Gary Medel, Olympique Marseille's Mauricio Isla and U. de Chile's Gonzalo Jara have teamed up on the back line -- Medel sometimes in midfield -- for years. If they're as sharp as they were last year, La Roja could become the first country that isn't Brazil to repeat since Argentina did so 23 years ago.

Key Player

On a team loaded with first-class talent, Arturo Vidal has long stood tallest. The Bayern Munich midfielder, who turns 29 on May 22, is among the world's finest players, a do-everything sort who has been essential to Chile's success since debuting nearly a decade ago. He's a terrific passer of the ball, an accomplished tackler with limitless energy, a keen reader of the game, athletically superior: qualities that have served him well during excellent four-year tenures with both Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus.

Bayern Munich scooped him up for about $42 million last year to replace Bastian Schweinsteiger, after his phenomenal showing in Chile's Copa America success, and it's been somewhat hit and miss, with some uncharacteristically subdued performances mixed among several masterpieces in the latter half of the Bundesliga campaign. He's had some troubles off the field -- a DUI arrest during Copa America, press reports about showing up intoxicated at club functions, and whispers that he wasn't so highly prized at Juve, mostly about behavior and a propensity for minor injuries --  and he was roundly criticized in Germany after diving to win a penalty in a German Cup semifinal win last month over Werder Bremen. He's typically been at his best for Chile, and his form will have much to say about La Roja’s chances for success.

Manager Spotlight

Juan Antonio Pizzi has guided Chile through just two matches -- March's 2-1 home loss to Argentina and a 4-1 road victory over Venezuela in 2018 World Cup qualifiers -- so it's still a bit early to assess how things will change now that fellow Argentine Jorge Sampaoli's glorious tenure is complete. Pizzi, 47, is a former striker who started at Rosario Central, played a year at Toluca, then spent the bulk of his career in Spain's La Liga, with Tenerife, Valencia and Barcelona. He played for Spain's national team, scoring eight times in 22 internationals over five years leading to the 1998 World Cup, after which he retired and played out his club career with second and third stints with Rosario Central wrapped among stops at River Plate, Porto and Villarreal.

Pizzi began his managerial career at hometown club Colon Santa Fe in 2005, with brief stints at several South American clubs -- he won league titles with Chile's Universidad Catolica and Argentina's San Lorenzo -- before an 18-month spell at Valencia, who dumped him when they missed European qualification two years ago for the first time in eight seasons. He spent half a year at Leon in Mexico, then accepted the Chile job in late January. His task is continue the highest of bars set by Sampaoli.

Success looks like...

Expectations are massive, given last year's title, that FIFA ranking and the depth and experience Pizzi can call upon. Anything less than a final-four showing would be a big disappointment, and if they're not at MetLife Stadium for the final on June 26, there will be rumblings. The path won't be simple: They open Group D play June 6 in Santa Clara with Argentina, No. 2 on FIFA's list, in a rematch of last year's final, which Chile claimed on penalties following a scoreless draw.

Bolivia and Panama don't figure to offer much opposition in top-heavy D, but the round of 16 could bring a showdown with Uruguay, which routed La Roja, 3-0, in a World Cup qualifier in Montevideo six months ago, Sampaoli's final game, and sit atop CONMEBOL's 2018 standings. Chile pulled out a quarterfinal matchup with the Uruguayans a year ago, on Isla's late goal. There certainly exist questions about this team: Can Pizzi build on Sampaoli's success? Will they have the requisite hunger after parading the trophy not so long ago? Can they win the big games on foreign soil? That last one is thorny: Their greatest showing on the world's stage was third place in the brutal 1962 World Cup, at home.

Failure looks like...

There's so much hype for Chile, reasonable given all those names -- Vidal, Sanchez, Medel, Bravo, Vargas, and so on -- and the Copa America triumph by what's widely considered the greatest side the country has fielded, that it all might just blow up on them. A letdown after last year's success wouldn't be much of a surprise; repeating is never easy, and Chile has rarely pieced outstanding showings in successive tournaments. They've not beaten Argentina in years, and the knockout phase will be merciless, given the quality of the competition.

Throw out 2015, and La Roja's résumé isn't all that extraordinary: They were blasted by Brazil in the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup after a tight loss to soon-to-be champ Spain for the Group H title, lost to Venezuela in the 2011 Copa America quarterfinals after winning their first-stage group, and their 2014 World Cup team -- heralded (a year too soon) as Chile's finest -- went out on penalties to ho-hum Brazil, which was, to be fair, on home ground. The only precedence for something special is successive runner-up showings in Copa America's predecessor, the South American Championship, in 1955 and 1956. The first of those was at home, too. Reaching the semifinals is a must for this group, although they might be forgiven if they play really well and fall in a quarterfinal classic. Fail to make it out of Group D, and Pizzi is likely looking for a new post.

Team overview

By Paul Tenorio | @PaulTenorio | 

The Reggae Boyz are coming off of a championship game appearance in the 2015 Gold Cup, and the big question is how they will follow-up that breakout performance. Keep in mind, too, that before the Gold Cup run Jamaica had a decent showing in the 2015 Copa America, where they lost all three games by 1-0 scorelines against Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Those three Copa America losses were the only three defeats for the Reggae Boyz over a stretch of eight months and 14 games, with the 3-1 loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final dealing the next blow. Since then, however, the wins have been a bit harder to come by for Jamaica. They’ve beat Nicaragua and Haiti in World Cup qualifying, but losses to Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica have the Reggae Boyz sitting in third place in their group.

Jamaica remains one of the more athletic teams in the region, but it’s been their ability to stay in close games that helped them pull off upsets in the Gold Cup. The Reggae Boyz won all four of their games by one goal, most notably a 2-1 upset of the U.S. They’ll need similar defensive efforts to escape a loaded group this summer.

Key player

Andre Blake – The same player that has been such an important part in the resurgence of the Philadelphia Union in MLS this season should be considered the biggest difference-maker for Jamaica.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, has started to look like the player many expected he would be coming out of college. Over the first portion of the season, the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Blake has been fantastic in between the pipes for Philadelphia, taking a team that was at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last year and putting them near the top of the standings this year.

Blake has played in five World Cup qualifying games for Jamaica so far and has had some stronger performances bookended by two games in which the Reggae Boyz allowed three goals, losses to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Still, Blake has matured this season with Philadelphia and has the ability to turn the game in net. He may be the factor that keeps Jamaica in the running in one of the toughest groups in the tournament.

Manager spotlight

Like the U.S., Jamaica dipped into the German coaching pool for its manager. Winfried Schäfer is the man in charge of the Reggae Boyz, and he’s guided the side since 2013. The former German midfielder coached at the club level in Germany beginning in 1982 through 2000 before taking over Cameroon’s national team for three years, where he won the African Cup of Nations. Upon taking over Jamaica, Schäfer has looked to integrate a more organized approach into a team that has plenty of talent.

Schäfer’s pool contains several proven options, including Leicester City captain Wes Morgan and a plethora of MLS veterans: Vancouver Whitecaps’ forward Darren Mattocks, Houston Dynamo forward Giles Barnes, New York Red Bulls left back Kemar Lawrence, San Jose midfielder Simon Dawkins and New England midfielder Je-Vaugh Watson among them.

Schäfer has shown a willingness to change up the team’s style of play. They fielded a 5-4-1 in a loss to Costa Rica on the road in qualifying, but only days before had run a 4-5-1 in a 1-1 draw with the Ticos. In the 2-1 upset over the U.S. last year, however, Jamaica came out in a traditional 4-4-2. Schäfer’s preference is to find a tactical advantage more than implementing a rigid system play, and it is a trend likely to continue this summer.

Success looks like…

Getting out of group play.

Jamaica made quite an impression with its deep run through the Gold Cup, but it’s a tall task to ask them to replicate anything like it during the Copa America. While some may say the U.S. ended up in the “Group of Death” in this tournament, it’s just as easy to argue that Group C should be considered the toughest assemblage. Mexico and Uruguay both have teams strong enough to make a deep run in this tournament, and if you finish second in the standings you’re likely staring down a knockout game against Group D favorites Argentina.

Considering Jamaica’s shaky start to World Cup qualifying, finding a way to pull off an upset in the group stages and getting to that next round match-up with Lionel Messi and Co. would be a major coup. Jamaica has not beat Mexico since 2008 and hasn’t bested Uruguay since 2004, though it did play La Celeste close in last year’s Copa. Finding a way to pull off another major upset as they did last summer in the Gold Cup would have to be considered a win, even if that run ends early in the knockout stages.

Failure looks like…

Finishing at the bottom of the group and failing to at least show out as it did in last year’s Copa tournament.

Jamaica went winless in last year’s Copa America but still made an impression against some of South America’s top teams. Going winless this time around probably wouldn’t be perceived the same way. Jamaica opens up against a Venezuela team that has struggled mightily in CONMEBOL qualifying, and no doubt the Reggae Boyz look at that match-up as a game they should win.

Failing to collect three points against Venezuela would be considered a letdown for Jamaica, which looked ready to establish itself as a true player in CONCACAF along with the top-three of Mexico, Costa Rica and the U.S. A 2-0 loss to Panama and a 3-0 loss to Costa Rica in qualifying has already started to cause some concern for the Reggae Boyz. While games against Mexico and Uruguay will be a proving ground, blowout losses in those games would constitute a significant step backwards in just one year’s time. 

By Jeff Kassouf  |  @JeffKassouf

Copa America Centenario arrives in the United States this year with all the bells and whistles of what is expected to be a massive on-field and commercial success of a tournament – well, most of the bells and whistles.

There are a few notable stars missing, as with any major tournament. But unlike a World Cup, where absences are always due to either tragic injuries or controversial snubs, Copa America Centenario is in a unique situation as a commercially-contrived tournament in a busy summer. Thus, there is a third reason for missing this tournament, one which never applies to the World Cup: priorities and rest.

Club commitments are, somehow, increasingly demanding as European teams find more commercial opportunities (read: the big bucks) in summer tours of the United States and Asia. Add to that Copa and the European Championships falling in June, just two months ahead of the Olympics which, yes, many of countries do take seriously, and finding a break between now and the August restart of domestic leagues is almost impossible.

So the man who should be one of the two biggest stars of the Copa America Centenario, will watch from the sidelines as his team competes in June. We’ve detailed each team’s key player in our team-by-team guides, but these are the stars we wish were here, too, but whom are absent for one reason or another:

Neymar, Brazil

Brazil, as noted in detail in our team preview, has prioritized winning the Olympics on home soil in August over this Copa competition. It’s an understandable decision for the storied soccer nation. For all its rich history, the Seleção has never won an Olympic gold medal in soccer. Brazil agonizingly lost to Mexico in the 2012 gold-medal match, and anything short of the top of the podium in Rio this August will be disaster for fans.

After a public tug of war between Brazil and Barcelona, and given the federation’s prioritization of the Olympics, Neymar was left off of Dunga’s 23-man squad for Copa America.  Barcelona requested (demanded is perhaps a better word) that Neymar be used by Brazil in one tournament or the other. When that became crystal clear, so too was Brazil’s decision: Neymar would play in the Olympics.

• MORE: Brazil's outlook at Copa America Centenario

Giovani Dos Santos, Mexico

Exactly why Giovani Dos Santos will not suit up for Mexico in the Copa America Centenario remains slightly unclear. Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio said Dos Santos declined an invite to be on the 23-man roster. Dos Santos seemed to disagree with the way that story was told, but he declined to go into great detail about exactly what happened.

So the Copa America Centenario will be played right here in the U.S. – and Mexico even has a game at the Rose Bowl, a few miles from where Dos Santos now plays for the LA Galaxy – without the 27-year-old star. He has been on a tear for the Galaxy, tallying five goals and five assists in seven games. But what exactly happened behind closed doors between Dos Santos and Osorio remains murky.

• MORE: Mexico's outlook at Copa America Centenario

Jozy Altidore, United States

Another major tournament, another hamstring injury for Jozy Altidore. Unfortunately for Altidore and the United States, the striker will miss the entirety of Copa America after re-aggravating the nagging issue in, of all things, his approach to a penalty kick in a mid-May MLS match.

Altidore is the United States’ third all-time leading scorer behind Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, and while he is often the subject of criticism from fans and pundits, the U.S. lacks a similar physical presence capable of hold-up play up top. Jurgen Klinsmann has struggled to figure out how to deal with Altidore’s absence in previous tournaments. This time, Klinsmann at least has a short window to prepare for it.

• MORE: USA's outlook at Copa America Centenario

Kaka, Brazil

Sure, Kaka is 34 years old, but the Seleção legend appeared to have a shot at making Dunga’s Copa America roster. That is, until continued problems with a thigh injury limited his minutes for Orlando City SC early in the MLS season.

Combine Copa America Centenario’s commercial standing with Brazil’s prioritization of the Olympics – and the fact that Brazil will play a group-stage match in Orlando, in the stadium in which Kaka plays home games – and there seemed from the outside a recipe for a fairytale. This one, however, wasn’t meant to be written.

• MORE: Inside the venues of the Copa America Centenario

Carlos Tevez, Argentina

Sure, Carlos Tevez has been on the outs under manager Gerardo Martino, but the volatile striker’s presence will be missed by neutrals. Tevez has proven capable of anything through the years, from incredible goals to horrifying tackles.

Tevez helped Boca Juniors win the Argentine title in November after joining the club in the summer, but his form has been up and down this spring. He was dropped from Argentina’s World Cup qualifying roster in March, but six goals in 10 games since across all competitions gave him hope as part of the 40-man Argentina squad. If Los Albicelestes are to finally get over the hump of finishing runners-up at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America, it will be without Tevez.

• MORE: Argentina's outlook at Copa America Centenario

Soldier Field

City: Chicago Capacity: 63,500 Don't Miss: Semifinal No. 2, June 22

MetLife Stadium

City: East Rutherford, N.J. Capacity: 82,566 Don't Miss: Final, June 26

Gillette Stadium

City: Foxborough, Mass. Capacity: 68,756 Don't Miss: Quarterfinal No. 3, June 18

NRG Stadium

City: Houston Capacity: 71,795 Don't Miss: Semifinal No. 1, June 21

Camping World Stadium

City: Orlando, Fla. Capacity: 60,219 Don't Miss: Brazil vs. Haiti, June 8

Rose Bowl

City: Pasadena, Calif. Capacity: 92,542 Don't Miss: Mexico vs. Jamaica, June 9

University of Phoenix Stadium

City: Glendale, Ariz. Capacity: 63,400 Don't Miss: Third-place game, June 25

Lincoln Financial Field

City: Philadelphia Capacity: 69,176 Don't Miss: Paraguay vs. United States, June 11

Levi's Stadium

City: Santa Clara, Calif. Capacity: 68,500 Don't Miss: Argentina vs. Chile, June 6

CenturyLink Field

City: Seattle Capacity: 67,000 Don't Miss: Quarterfinal No. 1, June 16

Team Overview

By Scott French  |  @ScottJFrench | 

The U.S. overachieved the last time they played in so big an event on home soil, some 22 years ago, and they'll have to do so again to make anything worthwhile in the Copa America Centenario. Advancing to the knockout round is going to take some doing after a tough draw grouped them with Colombia, ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, Costa Rica and Paraguay. The Yanks are a veteran bunch, for the most part, with an aging core -- goalkeeper Tim Howard, midfielder Jermaine Jones and forward Clint Dempsey are well over 30; captain Michael Bradley is just 28 -- and questionable depth undercutting the experience.

Defense always seems an adventure, and they struggle to get off their heels when playing the world's elite, of which this tournament has plenty. Howard is solid if a fraction slower these days in the nets, and Bradley and Jones are heady battlers at their best when anchored by someone like Kyle Beckerman, who, like Jones, is 34. That might work well in a 4-3-3 formation, which Jurgen Klinsmann has toyed with. There are younger players rising -- winger/forward Gyasi Zardes, winger DeAndre Yedlin, forwards Bobby Wood and Jordan Morris, and defender John Brooks -- and everybody's excited to see 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund phenom Christian Pulisic. But Jozy Altidore’s absence due to another hamstring injury will be felt.

The U.S. wants to show well on so big a stage after flaming out at last summer's Gold Cup, finishing fourth, and then dropping the playoff for a Confederations Cup to Mexico in overtime, so playing well and getting results are more vital -- the latter perhaps more so -- than preparing youngsters for the future. Don’t be surprised if Klinsmann believes he can do both

Key Player

Clint Dempsey - America's favorite hip-hop soccer star from Nacogdoches, Texas, sits eight goals from Landon Donovan's U.S. national team record, and he's going to need to cut the gap somewhat if the Yanks are going to do anything worthwhile as hosts of the most anticipated soccer event on these shores since 1994. At 33, Dempsey is on the other side of his arc, but he's still the side's most exciting, stylish and deadliest attacker, and especially when the games count. Among his 49 finishes in a U.S. jersey was that fine strike to tie Italy, en route to their fourth title, at the 2006 World Cup; another in the draw with England, key to winning the group, four years later in South Africa; two more in Brazil two years ago; and there's a long list covering World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cups. He's scored 28 times since Klinsmann debuted in August 2011, and 20 of those have been in competition.

The former Fulham star -- he also had a brief stint with Tottenham -- hasn't been particularly impressive this spring for Seattle but seems to be finding his step as the Sounders figure out life after Obafemi Martins, and his growing partnership with Jordan Morris could pay dividends here.

Manager Spotlight

No one's ever going to question Klinsmann's quality as a striker: The 51-year-old German legend, who has called Southern California home for nearly two decades, scored 47 goals in 108 international games, won World Cup and European Championship titles, scored 11 goals in three World Cups -- the first man to score at least three in three successive tournaments -- and averaged almost 20 goals a year over 14 seasons with VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich. He's a much more controversial figure as a manager, a rah-rah sort who presided over Germany's stunning run to third place as host at the 2006 World Cup, then held the reins less than a season at Bayern, where the established guard bristled at his modern methods.

He's been in charge of the U.S. for nearly five years, achieving plenty -- dominant runs to the 2013 Gold Cup crown and in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, advancing from a brutal group in Brazil, road wins over Italy, Holland and Germany, the first U.S. win over Mexico at Azteca -- but drawing sometimes deafening criticism from everywhere.

Omitting Landon Donovan in 2014 caused a stir, his lineups can be perplexing, and his relationship with his players is constantly scrutinized. Some observers were calling for his head when, after the Yanks' 2015 disappointments, Guatemala in a March World Cup qualifier beat them for the first time in 28 years. There's no discernible identity or style of play, and whatever advances are happening in the big picture are most opaque. There seems no threat to his job security, but everyone would be a lot happier if the U.S. plays to its capabilities.

Success Looks Like...

Expectations dropped a bit when the Yanks were drawn into the toughest of the four first-round quartets, and if Colombia is a the clear favorite to win Group A, then the U.S. is battling Costa Rica and Paraguay for the other quarterfinal berth. That's no simple path, and the order of games -- with the Colombians up first, June 3 in Santa Clara -- does them no favors. Beating Costa Rica, higher in FIFA's rankings, in the second game might be mandatory if they're going advance, which they must for this to be any sort of success.

That's probably good enough, since the quarterfinals likely bring Brazil, who has beaten the U.S. in nine straight since Kasey Keller's perfecto in the 1998 Gold Cup semifinals. How they start the Colombia game -- aggressively confident, a tad cautious, or trying to hold off James Rodriguez and Co.'s onslaught -- will say plenty, and the U.S. is certainly capable of an upset, the top spot in the the group and, if everything aligns, a place among the final four. There's precedence: They've played as guests in three previous Copas America, and reached the semifinals in 1995.

Failure Looks Like...

There's failure and then there's failure. Not getting to the quarterfinals while playing at home, no matter how tough the opposition is, would not be looked upon kindly, and it's very possible. There may be some wiggle space in this if the Americans play well and fall just short, but if they can't notch at least one victory, it won't be not good. This could come down to goal difference or goals scored, so one mistake and it could all go to hell, and although home field ought to be an advantage, last year's Gold Cup makes an argument to the contrary.