Javier Ambrois, Pelé, Ronaldo … who will add their name to Copa América’s top scorer list?

Javier Ambrois, Pelé, Ronaldo … who will add their name to Copa América’s top scorer list?

Javier Ambrois, Pelé, Ronaldo … who will add their name to Copa América’s top scorer list?

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By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

One commodity that the South American continent is never short of is a great goalscorer. There will be a vast array of attacking talent on display over the next month in Argentina. Here are some of the men who might be walking away with the golden boot award when the proceedings come to an end. 

Radamel Falcao García (Colombia)

Some strikers make the jump to Europe, and take some time to find their form. Falcao hit the ground like Usain Bolt in full flight. After an productive first season at Porto, the Colombian raised his game even more this past campaign. Thirty-five goals from thirty-eight games–including seventeen in the Europa Lague to break Juergen Klinsmann’s record–in Porto’s treble winning season, has made him one of the most feared and wanted strikers in Europe. However, the man sometimes known as El Tigre hasn’t been in the same form for his country. Colombia has really struggled for goals at times. This fact could be used to undercut the idea of Falcao grabbing the golden boot. However, if he manages to find his best form for Los Cafeteros, Falcao will definitely be a contender.


 Edinson Cavani (Uruguay)image
The story goes that in his last season at Palermo, Cavani told Delio Rossi that his best position was operating as a central striker, and that if he played there, he would be a more proficient goalscorer. Rossi didn’t agree, so Cavani spent that season playing in a deeper role. A move to Napoli followed, and the Uruguayan told the same tale to Walter Mazzari. The Napoli coach took his new player’s advice. It was the equivalent of unleashing a maelstrom. With a thirty-one goal storm, Cavani spear-headed Napoli’s first realistic challenge for the Scudetto in a long time. Now the lanky forward will reprise this central role for Uruguay at a part of a trio that will surely strike fear into defenses. With Diego Forlan and Luis Suárez supporting him, the possibility of Cavani’s picking up from where he left off for his club is more certain than not.
Humberto Suazo (Chile)
image Chile desperately missed Suazo’s predatory instincts in last summer’s World Cup. Without the stocky striker’s eye for goal, many of the chances created by Bielsa’s men were wasted. Since then, the thirty year old has racked up the goals with Monterrey in the Mexican Clausura, in addition to scoring the crucial goal that won his club the CONCACAF Champions League. Now that he’s fit, it time for him to turn his nose for goals towards Chile’s opponents in Argentina. The coach may have changed for La Roja, but Suazo’s coolness is front of goal remains. With a more mature cast completing the team, Suazo will have more than enough chances to grab the spotlight.
Alexandre Pato (Brazil)image

Injuries may have disrupted Pato’s season with Milan, but he still managed to find the net sixteen times. A shoulder injury threatened his participation in Argentina, but his recovery time was determined to be short enough that he could be included. Now that his fitness back, the young striker is expected to lead the line for the Selecão. Pato has admitted that he prefers not to play as a lone striker, but he has to adapt quickly if he wants to establish himself as Brazil’s main center forward. With his talent and his fearsome supporting cast in that famous yellow and blue kit, Pato is certainly capable of repaying Menezes’ faith with goals, and lots of them.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
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They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is certainly a case where that adage holds true. Another successful and prolific season at club level has further cemented Messi’s place as a god among men on the football field. Up to this point, his powers have not been fully expressed in the white and sky blue kit of Argentina. It is something that has earned the twenty-four year old criticism in his homeland. However, with the implementation of a system built around him, it seems like only a matter of time before Messi take the international stage by storm. What better stage than a Copa América on home soil?