Christian Pulisic
At 17, Christian Pulisic might be poised for a breakthrough performance at Copa America Centernario. He dazzled in a 1-0 win against Ecuador, in his second appearance for the American National team. Pulisic was a consistent presence during the season at Borussia Dortmund, becoming the youngest non-German to score in the Bundesliga. There is a huge hype surrounding this kid in the US, with people saying he might be the best player the US has ever produced. That’s a lot of expectation on his young shoulders, but he might just prove them right.
Marquinhos
The PSG center back seems like he’s been around for ages, but he’s still only 22 years old. His club colleague David Luiz may have taught him a thing or two or two about what not to do, so that’s good news for Brazil supporters. Marquinhos is an assured tackler with a strong positional sense, and what he lacks in aerial ability and physical power, he makes up for with an excellent reading of the game. He has developed well with veteran centre back Thiago Silva, and will be hoping to keep many clean sheets through the course of the tournament.
Joel Campbell
The Costa Rican man had his first full season with Arsenal, and gave some good performances on the right wing for the team. Campbell is very good on the ball, and can easily get out of a tight spot. He had an excellent world cup two years ago, being one of his team’s best players in the tournament. At 23, he’s already won 50 caps for his country and will be important to the fortunes of his country.
Philippe Coutinho
One of the best midfielders in the Premier League, the Liverpool number 10 has been linked with Barcelona in recent weeks. The young midfielder has excellent long range shooting, can see a pass from a mile and had silky skills to boot. With Brazil always one of the favourties at a major tournament, Coutinho will be need to be on song for his team to have any hope of success.
Juan Iturbe
Long considered one of the brightest stars in the Paraguay team, Iturbe made his debut for the national team at the age of just16, selected by manager Tata Martino for a friendly against Chile. Dubbed the New Lionel Messi by the media, he has a similar playing style to that of the Argentine. Iturbe is technically gifted, with a diminutive stature and an eye for goal. He has had a slightly difficult time at Roma, sparingly used during their last campaign, making 12 appearances in Serie A before being sent on loan to premier league club AFC Bournemouth. Iturbe has a big tournament ahead of him, and must show the world what he is capable of.