A look at the teams in the Copa America from Group C and D. (More Football News)
GROUP C:
Uruguay
Best finish: titles in 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959 2nd edition, 1967, 1983, 1995, and 2011.
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
Key players: Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez, Luis Suárez
WHAT TO KNOW: Bielsa has begun a rebuilding process in Uruguay, but he can't give up on veteran players as he assembles his squad for the tournament. Striker Núñez had a reasonable season at Liverpool, in which he scored 18 goals in 54 matches.
He is expected to step up as 37-year-old Edinson Cavani retired from the national team. Núñez will have to count on veteran Suárez, playing his fifth Copa America, to help him up front. Uruguay beat Mexico 4-0 in a friendly early in June to suggest that any rival that does not respect its strikers will suffer. Midfielder Valverde will be the team's leader in the U.S.
United States
Best finish: Fourth place in 1995 and 2016
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Key players: Christian Pulisic, John Sargent, Folarin Balogun
WHAT TO KNOW: The U.S. has already proven to be the top team in CONCACAF after beating Mexico in the League of Nations final for the second year in a row. Copa America gives the Americans an opportunity to show they can give the South Americans trouble.
The team lost 5-1 to Colombia, a nation that is riding a 22-game unbeaten streak, but then played a good match against Brazil, one of the top two contenders alongside Argentina. The U.S. team looks to be the favorite to move on to the second round with Uruguay, although Panama will be tough to beat. The problem for the Americans should they finish second behind Uruguay is there's a good chance they would meet Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Panamá
Best finish: First round 2016
Coach: Thomas Christiansen
Key players: Michael Murillo, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Luis Mejía
WHAT TO KNOW: Under Christensen, the Panamanians have shown consistent progress even though they missed the 2022 World Cup . Christiansen remains at the helm despite that and last year the team was the runner-up in the Gold Cup and this year they made their way to the Nations League semifinals.
Led by Adalberto Carrasquilla, Panama will try to upset the group favorites Uruguay and the United States. The team arrives at the tournament after securing a couple of victories in the CONCACAF qualifiers against Guyana and Montserrat.
Bolivia
Best finish: title in 1963
Coach: Antonio Carlos Zago
Key players: Carlos Lampe, Gabriel Villamil, César Menacho
WHAT TO KNOW: Bolivia has had a slow start under coach Zago, as its penultimate place in South American World Cup qualifying shows, but the team continues to field young players while looking to the future. Bolivia's hopes in Copa America lie in players who are more like 24-year-old striker Menacho, one of the top goal scorers of his country's national championship.
A few veterans remain, including goalkeeper Lampe. The team will miss striker Marcelo Martins, who retired in March at age 36. Unlike most of its competitors, Bolivia's squad mostly includes local players.
GROUP D
Brazil
Best finish: title in 1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, and 2019.
Coach: Dorival Júnior
Key players: Vinicius Júnior, Endrick and Lucas Paquetá
WHAT TO KNOW: New coach, new starters and no Neymar. Brazil is likely to be competitive at Copa America as the team's performances in friendlies this year suggest, but it is hard to see Júnior's team as heavy favorites. There are a few evident starters in goalkeeper Alisson, defender Éder Militão, midfielder Paquetá and winger Júnior but that is about it.
Teenager Endrick has delivered goals since he was first called up to the senior team in March, but Brazil's coach has not yet decided whether he or Rodrygo will start. Brazil's bench is filled with players getting their first opportunity with the national team.
Colombia
Best finish: title in 2001
Coach: Néstor Lorenzo
Key players: Jefferson Lerma, James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz
WHAT TO KNOW: Unbeaten for 18 matches, Colombia is one of the favorites to win Copa America, something the team has not done in 23 years. Before beating the United States 5-1 amid preparations for the tournament, Colombia beat Brazil 2-1 in South American World Cup qualifying and topped both Spain and Germany in friendlies in Europe.
Midfielder Rodríguez, who has struggled to play for his clubs in recent years, has delivered good performances for the national team. Colombia is in third place in World Cup qualifying, and a convincing campaign at Copa America could make its physical and skillful team aim higher in the next few years.
Paraguay
Best finish: titles in 1953 and 1979
Coach: Daniel Garnero
Key players: Diego Gómez, Gustavo Gómez, Miguel Almirón
WHAT TO KNOW: Paraguay will use Copa America and the Paris Olympics to try to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup. Garnero is trying to rejuvenate his squad with the support of two key veterans: defender Gómez, one of the best on the continent since he arrived in Brazil's Palmeiras, and veteran striker Almirón.
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The performances of 21-year-old midfielder Gómez of Inter Miami will be key for the Paraguayans to have any hopes of getting through the group. The tournament will also help the coach adjust his team to recover in World Cup qualifying, which currently sees Paraguay in 7th, out of the qualification zone
Costa Rica
Best finish: quarterfinals in 2004
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Key players: Francisco Calvo, Joel Campbell and Manfred Ugalde
WHAT TO KNOW: After leading Ecuador to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Alfaro became the Ticos' coach last November, replacing Luis Fernando Suárez.
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Under Alfaro, the team is making a transition and several key players from the past are gone, including iconic goalkeeper Keylor Navas and veterans Celso Borges and Bryan Ruiz, leaving Joel Campbell and Francisco Calvo as the only veterans on the squad. Costa Rica has won its two World Cup qualifiers against Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis and had a 0-0 draw against Uruguay on May 31.
