Copa America Final 2011: 'guay?

The final match of the 2011 Copa America tourney is this Sunday, and this latest edition has been odd to say the least. Brazil and Argentina are nowhere to be found, replicating their disappointing World Cup campaigns from the year before. One finalist, Paraguay, hasn't even won a match yet. Not one. They required penalty kicks to advance in the elimination rounds. Venezuela's in the third place match for crying out loud, a level Hugo "Boss'" team never dreamed of reaching.

Duh, TYING!

The way this tournament is going, it seems that the Copa America has easily dethroned the Gold Cup for the most cataclysmic soccer tournament on the planet. But will the final live up to the precedings? Click to find out more.




The other finalist, Uruguay, is one of the strongest sides in FIFA today. They don't have overwhelmingly famous players on the team, but they have very strong, well-respected players that work well together. Chief among them is Diego Forlan, playmaker extraordinaire of Atletico de Madrid. World Cup '10 gave him a platform to showcase his considerable skills.

Feeding off his passes like a goal-scoring wraith has been Luis Suarez, one of the most consistent international goal scorers over the past two years. His 2 goals against Peru spelled double trouble for the guinea pig eaters.

There's the tandem now. Sadly, the lighting really is that crappy at Argentinian stadiums.

On the defensive side, the squad is led by captain and Fenerbahce standout Diego Lugano. His play has helped Uruguay allow only 3 goals for the tournament.

As for Paraguay, well, they're not earning style points, and they may have to fight dirty to win this thing. I've read that striker Roque Santa Cruz of Man City will be missing the final, hurting the attack of an already weak offensive team. They will have to rely on mistake-free defense, backed by goalie Justo Villar, who's got be on oxygen for all the penalty kicks he's had fired at him.

This is getting old you guys.

Who will win? I predict Uruguay will get the job done with relative ease. Paraguay is a feisty team and have given some great teams fits, including a close 1-0 loss to eventual champ Spain in the World Cup quarterfinals last year. If we've learned anything from that incredible Spanish team, though, it's that teams that play together win championships together. Especially when they're more talented.

Alex Morgan agrees with my selection.