Chilean test for Gold Cup winners Mexico

Posted Monday, July 04, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

SAN JUAN, Argentina (AFP) - Mexico will hope to make headlines for the right reasons against Chile in Monday's opening Copa America Group C match after a swathe of players became embroiled in a doping probe at the recent Gold Cup while eight more were sanctioned for indiscipine after a friendly.

Chile, for their part, will be concentrating on getting the best out of Udinese wonderkid Alexis Sanchez as they go all out to end their continental duck.

Although Mexico, regular guests at the Copa, South America's footballing pageant, won the Gold Cup, they have seen their reputation tarnished after nine players were found to have traces of clenbuterol, primarily used to promote growth in livestock.

Then eight Copa squad members were suspended after incidents at their hotel after a warm-up win over Ecuador.

Both the clenbuterol saga and the Ecuadorian affair have taken some of the shine off Copa preparations.

The "Tri" have twice been runners up in seven previous appearances - in 1993 and 2001 - but a young side competes here owing to the crowded schedule of the Gold Cup and then the Copa in quick succession - their standout name being Tottenham midfielder Giovani Dos Santos.

Chile, coached by Argentine former international Claudio Borghi, have also never won the event but goalkeeper-skipper Claudio Bravo is promising a good run.

"We'll give it everything we've got in every game. We want to see a Chile out there winning.

"We've got to look at reaching the semi-finals. I'm not setting that as a target but it should be an idea for us. Even so we have to go step by step and not create falsely high expectations," said the Real Sociedad shot-stopper.

Bravo adds that no Chilean will fall into the trap of dismissing Mexico's youngsters.

"We don't see them as an under22 side - we have also done a few things with a young average age and they have a strong side," he insisted.

Marcelo Bielsa, the former Chile coach who masterminded their impressive run through the qualifiers to the 2010 World Cup, may have moved on but La Roja feel that with Sanchez and goalpoacher Humberto Suazo on board they might just go one better than four runner-up finishes.