quinta-feira, 2 de julho de 2015

Argentina favourites to lift Copa

Resultado de imagem para copa americaResultado de imagem para copa america

Argentina are odds-on favourites to win the Copa America for the first time since 1993 by beating Chile in Saturday's final.
They are mostly quoted at 4-7 to lift the trophy while the hosts are 6-4, according to betting aggregator oddschecker.com.
Chile swept through the group and knockout stages with relative ease but benefited from being drawn against weaker teams, with referee decisions also tending to go their way.
Lionel Messi-led Argentina nearly stumbled against Colombia, beating them in the quarterfinals on penalties, but their 6-1 destruction of Paraguay in the semis on Tuesday was a clear demonstration of the havoc they are capable of wreaking.
The odds of either team winning on penalties is 10-1, according to Sportingbet.
Chile forward Eduardo Vargas, who played in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers last season on loan from Napoli, is tournament top scorer and favourite to win the Golden Boot.
The hero of Chile's semifinal clash with Peru after scoring both goals, Vargas has scored four times in the tournament so far, just ahead of a quartet of players on three including his teammate Arturo Vidal and Argentina's Sergio Aguero.
Messi, who British bookmakers William Hill had as favourite to be top scorer before the tournament began, has netted just once with a penalty but the mercurial forward has been the creative spark behind many of Argentina's goals.
He has had 17 shots on goal from open play – more than any other player – but his failure to score more goals has been one of the talking points of the tournament. Nevertheless, Messi is the 3-1 favourite to score first in the final on Saturday.

Copa final 'not war' – Mascherano


Argentina star Javier Mascherano called for calm on Wednesday as the countdown to this weekend's Copa America final against fierce rivals Chile got under way.
Two teams desperate to succeed will collide in Santiago on Saturday with hosts Chile aiming to end nearly a century of failure by winning a major tournament for the first time in front of an expectant home crowd.
Argentina meanwhile are burning with desire to win a first title in 22 years, determined that one of the most talented generations of players the country has ever produced does not suffer another disappointment.
The high stakes will carry an additional edge thanks to the historical rivalry between the neighboring nations, who in the past have been at loggerheads over various territorial and diplomatic disputes.
But Mascherano was adamant that politics should not poison what is expected to be a highly charged sporting encounter.
"I hope that people can understand that football is a sport, not war," Mascherano said.
"The past is the past. We must not put sport in the middle of politics. Chile and Argentina are brother countries, we have to show mutual respect," the defensive midfielder added.
"If we stoop to aggression and violence, we lose that message of respect. Sport is about trying to be healthy and having fun, not a war."
Mascherano's words were echoed by Chile defender Eugenio Mena.
"Everyone's going to be watching this final so it's important that the two teams show respect," Mena said.
Argentina set the stage for Saturday's showpiece with a scintillating display to destroy Paraguay 6-1 in Tuesday's semifinal, with skipper Lionel Messi producing a virtuoso individual performance.
Chile defender Jose Rojas said his teammates would need to raise their performance against Argentina.
"They are one of the best teams in the world, there is no doubt about that," Rojas said.
"But being the favourites doesn't guarantee anything. We are playing at home, with our people behind us, and we have something to say."
Rojas also urged Chile to give their all against the Argentines.
"You have to throw all the meat on the grill," Rojas said.
"Argentina is strong but nothing is impossible. We have hunger and desire to achieve something important for our country."

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