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No extra time, penalties and more for Copa

The rules for the Copa America have slightly been modified this time around.

Quarter final and semi final matches which end in a draw will go straight to penalty kicks (same as last year) with the only final going to extra-time and if needed, penalty kicks. However, in the final, should a match go to extra-time, team’s will be allowed a fourth substitute.

A new rule being implemented is that abusive language will result in a penalty being awarded to the other team. Video replays have also been introduced to the tournament.

Messi To Sit Out Against Chile?

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It appears that with MESSI not fully recovered, Nico GAITAN will be starting against Chile.

Lionel MESSI is set to fly today to join his teammates in San Francisco following his trial in Spain and will be arriving on Saturday morning. That’s good news but here’s another one which is less pleasant.

He might not start in the opening match against Chile. Partly because maybe there is some significant truth about his injury which was reported recently on La Nacion.

Should MESSI sit out for this one, Nicolas GAITAN will be brought in as his replacement. In fact, Nico has been deputizing MESSI over the last few training sessions.

As of now, the possible starting line-up chosen Tata MARTINO against Chile will be….

Sergio ROMERO; Marcos ROJO, Ramiro FUNES MORI, Nicolas OTAMENDI, Gabriel MERCADO; Ever BANEGA, Javier MASCHERANO, Augusto FERNANDEZ; Angel DI MARIA, Gonzalo HIGUAIN and Nicolas GAITAN.

Argentina team in training

Tata set-up an eleven in training.

The team trained on Tuesday and this was the line-up:

ROMERO; ROJO, FUNES MORI, OTAMENDI, MERCADO; BANEGA, MASCHERANO, FERNANDZ; DI MARIA, HIGUAIN and GAITAN

Lionel MESSI on injury: “I’m f*cked”

Lionel MESSI’s comments about his injury.

Lionel MESSI, currently in Spain for his tax trial, is still recovering from his injury. However, according to La Nacion, he was quoted as saying the following to someone in his entourage:

“I’m f*cked. It hurts a lot, if it’s like this, I won’t play against Chile. We’ll see how it progresses.”

Practice As Usual For Tata & The Boys

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Training schedule went on as usual in San Jose despite all the trouble back home surrounding the AFA.

Despite the many distractions and trouble brewing back home within the AFA which may lead to the possibility of Argentina being pulled out from the Copa America; the usual training went on as schedule at the National Team training camp in San Jose.

It appears Tata MARTINO, the rest of the coaching staff and players were all in high spirit and are only thinking about the opening match against Chile, which will be played at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Apart from Lionel MESSI (who is in Spain attending his tax evasion trial) and Lucas BIGLIA who looks very doubtful because of injury, the rest of the squad were all present. This also includes both Ezequiel LAVEZZI and Javier PASTORE who both showed improvement following their injury upon joining the National Team.

According to La Nacion (also mentioned in our previous article), the team doctors have decided to hold on until the weekend before making decision on BIGLIA’s fate in the team which means his replacement Guido PIZARRO will have to wait for the time being.

Regardless of this, it is news from back home in the AFA headquarter that will occupy the most for Argentina fans around the world. Rest assured its all going to be good, for now that is……