With the domestic football season still over a month away across Europe, fans can get the opportunity to whet their appetite by taking in the thrills and spills of the Copa America from this coming Friday as the super-stars of South America do battle for the ultimate prize of their continent.

The 43rd edition of this tournament will get underway on July 1 as host country Argentina (1/5 Group A Winner) face Bolivia looking to secure what would be their 15th tournament victory in front of their adoring home fans.

On the face of it, it is difficult to see past the big three of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to lift the trophy on July 24 as between them they have claimed it on 36 occasions over the years.

However, there are some other sides that can not be discounted as the remaining seven CONMEBOL nations – Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela – will be joined by invitees Mexico, fresh from their CONCACAF Gold Cup success, and Costa Rica.

I will look at the chances of the three top sides and assess the prospects of my best of the rest who could upset the apple-cart over the next month.

ARGENTINA

Argentina coach Sergio Batista will have the pressure on his shoulders going into the tournament as host nation, while he will also, like most of the other coaches, have one eye on the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 as preparations begin in earnest.

The humiliating exit from the quarter-finals of last year’s World Cup in South Africa against Germany, which ended Diego Maradona’s stint in charge, will still be in the minds of the fans that are desperate for the Sky Blue and Whites to satisfy their demand for success.

And World Player of the Year Lionel Messi immediately springs to mind as the man who could deliver the goods for the Argentinians as he has already expressed a desire to transfer his scintillating performances with Barcelona onto the international stage and realise his “greatest dream” of winning the Copa America.

“We know what it means for me and for Argentina,” he added. “It is the first objective, as we are a very good group of players.”

Batista, in a bid to lessen the pressure on Messi, who will no doubt be the man the coach of every rival nation will be plotting to stop, claims he has a ‘Plan B’ if his talisman is nullified. And that could pave the way clear for Manchester City star Carlos Tevez to produce the goods following his inclusion in the squad.

A full strength Argentina (11/10 Winner)  will take some stopping on home turf and they have every chance of giving their population something to shout about this year after an 18-year wait.

BRAZIL

The holders will be looking to continue their great recent record in the Copa America (13/9 Winner) with four titles in the past five tournaments, including two successive triumphs against the Argentinians in 2004 and 2007.

Coach Mano Menezes will be looking for big things from his rejuvenated side’s emerging star in the shape of Santos’ 19-year-old Neymar, who has already attracted interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid following some sterling performances for club and country.

And, as Menezes has already admitted that his priority is to produce a side capable of winning the World Cup in their own backyard in three years’ time, he will be looking to unleash Neymar’s 21-year-old Santos team-mate Paulo Henrique Ganso on their South American rivals.

Despite the attacking midfielder struggling to shake off a knee problem of late, he will feature in the tournament and, along with Neymar, Menezes claims the duo will give Brazil “alternatives”.

Whether Brazil (2/5 Group B Winner) will take their eye off the ball in Argentina due to their World Cup obsession remains to be seen, but once the action starts they are sure to be hell-bent on securing a ninth Copa America crown.

URUGUAY

The Uruguayans (12/1 Winner) are considered a giant of South American football and the 1995 winners and 1999 finalists have enjoyed a modicum of success in recent years having reached the last-four of the Copa America in the past three tournaments.

They will come into this event on the back of last year’s impressive run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in which striker Diego Forlan was named the player of the tournament and partner Luis Suarez shone enough to subsequently engineer a January switch to Liverpool.

Ammunition to the forwards will come from Porto’s Alvaro Pereira, a relentless wide midfielder who highlights the strength in the Uruguayan ranks which means they are certain to be in the mix.

BEST OF THE REST

Mexico and Costa Rica’s chances of challenging will be hindered by their plan to use their Under-22 squads in the tournament, but there are other dark horses who could challenge the usual suspects for the title.

The 2001 winners Colombia (28/1 Winner) will hope their star man Radamel Falcao – who averaged almost a goal a game with FC Porto in the past two seasons and could be reunited with coach Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea later this summer – will continue to fire on all cylinders.

Falcao will be joined by Porto team-mate and creative midfielder Fredy Guarin. And how well those combine in the international side could be the key to Colombia’s chances.

Chile (6/4 Group C Winner) will pin their hopes largely on the shoulders of Udinese star Alexis Sanchez, whose excellent form in Italy’s Serie A has resulted in a bidding war between Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus Inter Milan and Manchester United for his signature.

The Chileans impressed greatly at last year’s World Cup and it would be pure folly to discount their prospects (10/1 Winner).

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