Santiago de Chile, May 5 (EFE).- Eight players who participated in winning the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa América are on the list of 55 preselected by Argentine Ricardo Gareca, Chile’s coach, for the 2024 edition that It will be played in the United States from June 20 to July 14.
These are some components of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’.
Some had not been called up recently, such as full-back Eugenio Mena and midfielder Marcelo Díaz.
The group of experienced figures is completed by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, defenders Mauricio Isla and Gary Medel, midfielder Arturo Vidal, as well as forwards Alexis Sánchez and Eduardo Vargas.
The final list of 23 players must be presented to Conmebol on June 12. La Roja was paired in Group A with the teams of Argentina, Peru and Canada.
On the previous list there are players from local clubs who had not been mentioned by Gareca in the friendlies played last March against Albania and France, such as the attacker Luciano Cabral from Coquimbo Unidos and the goalscorer from Deportes Iquique, Steffan Pino.
The former Argentinos Juniors Cabral, who is 29 years old, was born in Argentina, but became a Chilean national. The midfielder is one of the figures of the local tournament, but he carries a complex judicial history.
The player was sentenced in 2019 to ten years in prison after being involved along with two family members in a homicide recorded in Mendoza where he is from. He received conditional release for good behavior, which allowed him to return to professional soccer, but they are investigating whether in his condition he can enter the United States, according to Chilean media.
Also notable on the list is the 27-year-old midfielder Ulises Ortegoza of Argentine origin who plays for Talleres de Córdoba, and the 30-year-old goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, born in England, who plays for Burnley in the Premier League.
List of 55 pre-called:
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Betis-ESP), Gabriel Arias (Racing-ARG), Brayan Cortés (Colo Colo), Lawrence Vigouroux (Burnley-GBR) and Vicente Reyes (Norwich City-GBR).
Defenders: Matías Catalán (Talleres de Córdoba-ARG), Paulo Díaz (River Plate-ARG), Mauricio Isla (Independiente-ARG), Benjamín Kuscevic (Fortaleza-BRA), Igor Lichnovsky (América-MEX), Guillermo Maripán (Monaco- FRA), Gary Medel (Vasco da Gama-BRA), Francisco Sierralta (Watford-GBR), Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse-FRA), Nicolás Díaz (Tijuana-MEX), Sebastián Vegas (Monterrey-MEX), Thomas Galdames (Godoy Cruz -ARG), Enzo Roco (Al Tai-SAU), Eugenio Mena (Catholic University), Óscar Opazo and Erick Wiemberg (Colo Colo), Nicolás Fernández (Audax Italiano).
Midfielders: Erick Pulgar (Flamengo-BRA), Marcelino Nuñez (Norwich Cit-GBR), Ulises Ortegoza (Talleres de Córdoba-ARG), Rodrigo Echeverría and Williams Alarcón (Huracán-ARG), Claudio Baeza and Jean Meneses (Toluca-MEX) , Pablo Galdames (Vasco da Gama-BRA), Víctor Mendez (CSKA-RUS), Arturo Vidal, Esteban Pavez and Vicente Pizarro (Colo Colo), Luciano Cabral (Coquimbo Unidos), Marcelo Díaz and Maximiliano Guerrero (Universidad de Chile), César Pérez (Unión La Calera), Felipe Loyola (Huachipato).
Forwards: Alexis Sánchez (Inter Milan-ITA), Eduardo Vargas (Atlético Mineiro-BRA), Diego Valdés (América-MEX), Benjamín Brereton (Sheffield United-GBR), Víctor Dávila (CSKA-RUS), Darío Osorio (Midtjylland -DIN), Diego Valencia (Atromitos-GRE), Diego Rubio (Austin-USA), Felipe Mora (Portland Timbers-USA), Alexander Aravena (Catholic University), Cristián Zavala, Carlos Palacios and Marcos Bolados (Colo Colo), Steffan Pino (Deportes Iquique), Lucas Assadi (University of Chile).
(c) EFE Agency
