The Copa America is just around the corner, kicking off on Friday when the US and Colombia face off.
Every major tournament comes with major surprises. Who would have thought that Spain would be the first team eliminated from the 2014 World Cup after almost a decade of dominance? Who would have expected Costa Rica to be the little engine that could for a while or that Brazil would get demolished 7-1 at home as it fell from grace? Or even last summer when Peru became a Copa America darling, finishing third. Or who would have expected Lionel Messi to score a total of zero goals in leading Argentina to the final of the Copa?
Yet many people likely predicted some of these outcomes, bold as those Prophesies might have been. Here are five bold predictions for this Copa America.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's situation remains rather dire in Europe. The Mexican has struggled to find himself as a starter for Real Madrid this season, but more importantly, he is barely playing for the defending European champs.
Spanish League soccer clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona are by far the two most popular sports franchises in the world today on social media. The two Spanish clubs are also the most valuable franchises in sports.
With Major League Soccer (MLS) turning 20 years old next season, the league shined the spotlight on young players such as Chivas USA's Erick Torres as they unveiled their new logo at the MLS and EA Sports FIFA 15 launch party Thursday night.
With the 2014 World Cup now in the rear-view, Luke Dempsey's entertaining book "Club Soccer 101" helps new-school soccer fans and sports history wonks learn more about professional club teams from around the world -- including La Liga, Bundesliga, English Premier League (EPL), Liga MX, and Major League Soccer (MLS) -- with his new book further helping them understand the passion of "the beautiful game."
Brazil's 7-1 humiliations at the hands of the Germans was so much more than an elimination from the World Cup. It jolted fans and players alike out of a reverie and false dream. It made them realize that the team was far from being a contender and was simply an average side waiting to meet a team with the ruthlessness to put them away.
The 2014 World Cup begins in Brazil Thursday, and Latino celebrities and professional athletes are putting their own musical spin on the colossal event that's captures the attention of the world. Superstars like Shakira, Carlos Vives, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez, and Brazil's soccer players, defender David Luiz and mid-fielder Kaká as well as Spain's mid-fielder/winger Juan Mata, among others, have created their own World Cup Spotify playlists.
