Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Chicharito top Copa America rosters

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, Colombia’s James Rodriguez and Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez are among the players named to their countries’ provisional rosters for next month’s Copa America Centenario soccer tournament.

The 100^th anniversary edition of the Copa America, the most important international tournament in the Americas after the World Cup, is being held in the United States for the first time this summer. The 16-team tournament will be played in 10 cities, including Pasadena, which will stage three group-play games, featuring Colombia, Brazil and Mexico.

The tournament will kick off June 3 in Santa Clara with the U.S. meeting Colombia, a World Cup quarterfinalist two years ago. Among the players chosen to the preliminary 40-man U.S. roster were Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes and his former teammate Omar Gonzalez, a defender now playing for Pachuca in Mexico’s Liga MX. Also earning call-ups were teenager Christian Pulisic of Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and World Cup veterans Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, all on Major League Soccer teams.

In addition to Hernandez, Mexico’s preliminary roster includes Galaxy midfielder Giovani dos Santos; Dos Santos’ brother Jonathan, who plays for Spain’s Villarreal; Malaga goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa; midfielder Andres Guardado of Dutch club PSV; and Real Sociedad’s Carlos Vela. Mexico will begin its Copa America on June 5 against Uruguay in Phoenix before coming to the Rose Bowl to play Jamaica on June 9.

Argentina, the world’s top-ranked team, will bring a star-studded roster to the Copa America. In addition to Messi, a five-time player of the year, the preliminary roster for the 2014 World Cup runners-up includes Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta and Angel Di Maria of French club Paris Saint-Germain.

But Argentina’s team has not won a major international title since the 2008 Olympics. In addition to losing to Germany in the final of the last World Cup, it lost to Chile in last summer’s Copa America final and last won that tournament in 1993, when Messi was 6.

Uruguay’s roster will be led by Suarez, Messi’s club teammate at Barcelona and the leading scorer in Spain’s La Liga with 35 goals in 33 matches. He’ll be joined on the Uruguayan team by Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin.

In addition to James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup by scoring six goals, Colombia’s roster includes Borussia Dortmund forward Adrian Ramos. Missing, however, is Chelsea’s Radamel Falcao, who is out with a knee injury. He also missed the World Cup because of an injury.

Costa Rica, like Colombia a World Cup quarterfinalist two years ago, released a preliminary Copa America roster topped by Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas.Defending tournament champion Chile, third in the latest FIFA rankings, named Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez and Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal to its team.

Brazil’s squad, meanwhile, was noteworthy for who was left off. The country’s soccer federation had previously said forward Neymar would not play in the Copa America, clearing him to participate in August’s Olympic tournament in Brazil instead. But World Cup captains Thiago Silva and David Luiz were also left off the team. Chelsea midfielders Oscar and Willian, Barcelona defender Dani Alves and Kaka, a former world player of the year now with Orlando City of Major League Soccer, did make the preliminary roster.

Panama, which beat the U.S. in last summer’s Gold Cup, will be led by former Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, now playing for Costa Rican club Saprissa.

A spot on the preliminary roster does not guarantee a place in the Copa America since teams have to reduce their teams to the tournament limit of 23 players by May 20. The names on the preliminary rosters are still significant, however, since replacements for injured players must come off that list.