Sanchez’s great expectations

Hugo Sanchez expects Mexico to deliver at the Gold Cup and Copa America this summer.

But the coach also confirmed Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez will not play in North and Central America’s championship.

Let’s make the Copa America the real Gold standard

Let’s start with a bold prediction: come Sunday, June 24, Chicago’s Soldier Field will rise to the national anthems of the U.S.A. and Mexico before the teams contest the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Any other outcome to this joke of an international football tournament is so unthinkable that it almost seems pointless to play the preceding 24 games.

Yet the match will not be the conclusion to weeks of preparation for the two nations, but merely the aperitif to what should be the main course in Venezuela.

Three days later, Mexico face Brazil and, with a day’s more rest, U.S.A. take on Argentina in their opening fixtures of the Copa America (trophy, pictured). The contrast could not be more marked; the biggest threat to the Gold Cup’s obvious final is an inspired run from such footballing powerhouses as Canada, Costa Rica or Trinidad & Tobago.

Argentina’s friendly with Australia axed

Argentina’s planned Copa America warm-up match against Australia has been cancelled.

Messi lets his feet do the talking

The worldwide attention Leo Messi has received for scoring a Barcelona wonder goal is set to boost the forward’s claim for a place in Argentina’s Copa America squad.

This is what Argentina are missing out on . . .

Juan Sebastien Veron – who was tonight in line to make his first appearance for Argentina since 2003 – has been forced to withdraw from the side to face Chile because of injury.

Get well soon Seba, you deserve your shot at making the Copa America squad.

In the meantime, here are some of his finer moments . . .

Argentina 0 Chile 0

Alfio Basile’s poor start in charge of Argentina continued with a lacklustre goalless draw against Chile.Both teams fielded experimental line-ups of home-based players for the “Trans-Andean Classic” in Mendoza, and coach Basile admitted: “There were a lot of nerves because several players made their debut.

Transfer boosts Angel’s Colombia hopes

Juan Pablo Angel has been thrown a lifeline in his bid to play in the Copa America this summer.

Injury thwarts Veron comeback

Juan Sebastian Veron’s return to the Argentina fold has suffered a setback.

The 32-year-old midfielder (pictured left) was due to captain his country in a friendly against Chile on Wednesday – having last played three-and-a-half years ago – but a leg injury has forced his withdrawal from the squad.

Chavez: Venezuela will not be pushovers

Venezuela’s enigmatic president Hugo Chavez has warned the Copa America favourites: “We will not be the Cinderella team as usual.”

Scolari snubbed as Brazil back Dunga

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s hopes of regaining the Brazil job have been dealt a blow.

The country’s Football Confederation have given current coach Dunga a vote of confidence and hit back at suggestions that Scolari could do the job from Europe.