Five players to watch for in the Copa America semi-finals – Copa America 2011 (Part 1)
With Paraguay, Uruguay, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Argentina-c2841
when http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Paraguay-c2979 take on Venezuela on 20th of July 2011, Peru battle Uruguay on 19th of July, 2011...
Muslera
Uruguay’s young shot stopper can be credited with keeping it together at the back at the start of the tournament despite being under pressure from his country’s media outlets for being rocky in the penalty area especially from
balls out wide. It can be said that he was at mistake for Gonzalo Higuain goal because he didn’t read Lionel Messi’s pass quickly enough as he could’ve easily punched the ball away but Muslera showcased his true class as a shot stopper in the penalty shootout
when he saved http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Carlos-c8346 Tevez’s penalty.
Muslera is a young goalkeeper and has his best years in front of him. The shootout against Argentina must’ve provided him with well needed confidence and considering the nature of the tournament so far in South America, there is
a lot of possibility that the semi-final between http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Uruguay-c3035 and Peru will go to a penalty shootout, if that is the case then Muslera will be a favourite to guide his team to the final through another emphatic performance once again. Additional pressure will be
on the Uruguay international to marshal their back line considering that they will be without http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Diego-c11058 Lugano in central defence.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Juan-Manuel-Vargas-c19785
Peru’s speedy winger was integral to their game plan in the extra time of their quarterfinal win over Colombia in the 2011 Copa http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/America-c38390 where they scored two late goals to seal their place in the semi-finals of the competition.
Now the pressure will be on Vargas to outshine his opponents when Peru face Uruguay in the semis. Both the teams are well matched by Vargas is an extremely difficult customer on the wings.
He switches them at will which creates confusion in the opposition back line. His late surge against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Colombia-c2873 changed the game for Peru as he netted their second goal of the match by embarking on a marvellous solo run. Vargas
will most probably start on the right wing for Peru in their 2011 Copa America semi-finals but his ambidextrous nature means that he will drift inwards to link up with his team’s strikers at will.
This might work well for Peru as it allows their full backs to bomb forward and give them width. In doing so, it also helps the South American minnows to stretch the opposition. Vargas will be a favourite to add to his modest
tally of a goal in three appearances for Peru in the Copa America thus far. If he has an off day then http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Peru-c2981 will struggle to make a mark on the game as a unit as most of their offensive traffic flows through him on the wings.
To be continued in part 2...
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