Copa America 2015 Preview: Chile

Overview

All the conditions are right for Chile to claim its first-ever Copa America title and transform its agonising exit from last year's World Cup into a faded memory.

Home soil, a wealth of talent, and a phenomenal manager provide La Roja with the necessary ingredients to win a tournament that has eluded Chile like rain eludes the Atacama Desert.

Few competitions can boast the value of playing at home quite like the Copa America. Six of the tournament's seven champions have won at least one edition in their own streets - a feat Chile could accomplish, given that the team won six of their eight home qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.

Between the posts, La Roja will have Claudio Bravo, the namesake of Chile's most famous hyperrealist painter. His experience at the international level is incalculable, and he'll wear the captain's armband in addition to his gloves.

On the flanks, wing-backs Mauricio Isla and Eugenio Mena will join the team's attack while tackling machine Arturo Vidal - accurately nicknamed The Warrior - bounces around the pitch like a pinball, following the play wherever it may be before spearheading quick counterattacks.

In front of goal, in a glaringly bielsista feature of Chile, Alexis Sanchez will act as a false nine of sorts, looking to link up with Eduardo Vargas via devastating through balls and take out backlines with precision-perfect passes.

Parading the touchline, meanwhile, will be the bald-headed Jorge Sampaoli, a self-confessed disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, the manager to instill an attacking identity in La Roja. Sampaoli's arrogance is contagious, just like the tactical innovations he carved out at Universidad de Chile.

Chile was one of the World Cup's best sides despite meeting a cruel fate at the Mineirao. If the team can produce the mesmerising style of attacking football they've become known for in recent years, there will be no need for Mauricio Pinilla to get a tattoo reading: "One centimeter from glory."

Group Stage Schedule

All times are listed in local time

Projected Starting XI

Claudio Bravo; Miiko Albornoz, Gary Medel, Gonzalo Jara; Mauricio Isla, Charles Aranguiz, Arturo Vidal, Eugenio Mena; Eduardo Vargas, Alexis Sanchez; Mauricio Pinilla

Since last year's World Cup, Chile hasn't ventured from the hard-pressing 3-4-2-1 formation that uses Mauricio Isla and Eugenio Mena as wing-backs and allows for an attacking style of football that suffocates opponents in their own half.

And why should it?

It's a beautiful style of play that South American football enthusiasts, formation geeks, and the casual supporter can all appreciate, and that continues to work wonders for Chile.

El Capitan

In a universe where 'keepers are undervalued, Claudio Bravo continues to illustrate the importance of having a No. 1 that can provide reliability, quick reflexes, and experience at international tournaments.

Bravo was called upon for 37 of FC Barcelona's 38 La Liga fixtures this season, a number that would be exhausting for any footballer that isn't a 'keeper.

Featuring between the posts at the Camp Nou might not be the most demanding of jobs, but that shouldn't take away from Bravo's impressive first season at the Catalan club. He kept a La Liga-leading 23 clean sheets and distributed the ball with 83-percent accuracy, good enough for first among 'keepers who played at least two fixtures in the top flight of Spanish football.

Chile really has nothing to worry about as long Bravo continues to be Bravo.

The Star

Like a huaso exploring the valleys of Chile, Arturo Vidal roams the football pitch in search of adventure, never confined to one space and always seeking the ball.

His reading of the game is somewhat frightening, almost as if a third eye is hidden somewhere beneath the tattoos that consume his body.

A two-way player, Vidal can do it all. On the defensive end, he'll manifest his abilities through tackles, clearances, and interceptions. On the offensive end, his key passes and eye for goal trigger envy from the opposition. His injury concerns are the only thing that serve as proof that he's human.

No one was surprised when Vidal was the one to score the goal that clinched the Serie A title for Juventus in early May, and no one will be surprised if it's Vidal who scores the goal that clinches the Copa America title for Chile in early July.

The Young Gun

At only 24 years of age, Miiko Albornoz will likely be the youngest player to feature for Chile at the Copa America.

Albornoz's teenage years were spent representing Sweden from the under-15s to the under-21s, but he ultimately ended up joining La Roja at the senior level, scoring in his debut for Sampaoli's side in the buildup to last year's World Cup.

Of course, Albornoz's unique journey and youthfulness mean he doesn't possess a wealth of experience when it comes to Chilean football. He only holds five international caps to his name and didn't take the pitch at the World Cup, despite being included in Sampaoli's 23-man squad.

All that, however, appears set to change. With Gary Medel and Gonzalo Jara the only certainties for Chile's three-man backline at the Copa America, an opening exists that is Albornoz's for the taking.

Burning Questions

• Who will round out Chile's attack? Will it be Mauricio Pinilla or Angelo Henriquez that ends up playing alongside Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez?
• How frequently will Sanchez drop back into a deeper position in order to link up with Vargas?
• Players such as Sanchez and Arturo Vidal will be exhausted after an extensive campaign with their respective clubs. Will Chile be able to play with the furious tempo that's a staple of its tactics?

Odds and Ends

Nickname: La Roja

Most caps: Claudio Bravo (89)

Top scorer: Marcelo Salas (37)

Best Copa America result: Runners-up (1955, 1956, 1979, 1987)