Copa America kicks off tonight as 🇧🇷 kick off a depleted 🇻🇪 and then 🇨🇴 face 🇪🇨.

Remember, the format is different. Two groups of 5, everyone plays four times and only 1 team of each group doesn’t make knockout [I know, I know]
Obviously, the usual excitement of this tournament runs deep with me, always hoping for the best out of 🇵🇪. In 2019, along with SI, I co-hosted a show for Telemundo and had a BLAST. I love this tournament.
This summer, however, I can’t help but feel so conflicted for obvious reasons and how the continent continues to be hit by the pandemic, notably Brasil, the host nation. To host a tournament, with this sense of negligence or empathy, hurts. A mess from a CONMEBOL perspective.
So, I will cheer on and report on the ⚽️ for the pod and HQ but just know it comes with a sense of slight hostility.

I just want my continent to get better.

❤️ 🙏🏽
*LACK OF EMPATHY
In terms of teams and who I think will win. I mean, first off. Don’t put much stock into favorites early on. The beauty of CONMEBOL competition is that nothing often makes sense. + because of this format, you literally have to try and not make it to the knockout stage.
The WCQ table at this point doesn’t lie. 🇧🇷 is the clear favorite and 🇦🇷 will be a big contender. Some teams have rotated squads (Peru) and others forced to change cause of covid (Venezuela) so it’s different. I do think this is a perfect moment for Uruguay to do their thing…
…but don’t over think it. If Brasil don’t win again, I’d be shocked.

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More from @lmechegaray

12 Jun
Since I started this career, one of the biggest things I’ve talked about in regards to the modern game is fatigue, both mental & physical. I truly believe we’re asking too much of these players, demanding incredible things w/ not enough recovery time.

Something needs to change.
In terms of this game restarting: I commend both squads WISHING to play & carry on in honor of Christian, but I have to say that this is a situation where senior officials should have stepped in & say, “No. Listen. We appreciate the way you want to honor your teammate, but no.”
You can see how distraught they are while warming up. I really respect them but mentally, they’re clearly not in the right mindset. Should have been reset for tomorrow morning.
Read 5 tweets
12 Jun
Copa América: As Brasil get ready to open the tournament on Sunday, their opponent Venezuela have confirmed 10 positive covid cases, which includes 5 players. The group waits for second test.
+ just to add, CONMEBOL has allowed unlimited replacement call ups for the tournament, knowing this kind of thing would happen…as we saw with Copa Libertadores and River Plate.
Busy day for 🇻🇪 who call up 16 players, mainly from domestic league and already based there. 🇧🇷 face 🇻🇪 tomorrow at 5pm ET.
Read 7 tweets
8 Jun
1/ The Donnarumma to PSG news is such a bewildering decision from Leonardo for obvious reasons, but once again - as I find myself doing it almost every season - I have to say it out loud:

It’s an absolute insult to Keylor Navas.
2/ I’m not even going to waste this thread with his resume to justify how good he is. Let’s be perfectly clear and keep it 100: Him being a brown Costa Rican is part of the reason cause you know damn well a white European doesn’t get treated with this type of disrespect.
3/ Yes, according to reports, Donnarumma’s arrival doesn’t mean his exit, but that doesn’t matter. Think of the message you’re sending to Navas. “Listen, thanks for what you’ve done so far but we want to spend a lot of money on another GK just cause we’re still not sure…”
Read 7 tweets
5 May
1/ I purposely didn’t comment on the “Latino temperament” thing yesterday because if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this site, it’s that the worst type of discourse usually occurs immediately after something happens, followed by attacks and noise instead of a chance to learn.
2/ Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% guilty of that, so I’m trying to do better & this situation called for it. I also teach a diverse range of journalism students every year & the one thing I always try and pass on, when it comes to conversations on social, is PRODUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT.
3/ First off. Jim Beglin and I have become friends on this site and aside from his public apology we have talked. I am not going to get into the actual conversation but I can tell you he feels terrible and most importantly, he is here willing to LEARN and that to me is the key.
Read 12 tweets

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