Elias Figueroa, the greatest Chilean football player of all time

Elías Figueroa, the greatest Chilean football player of all time, resides in the city of Viña del Mar, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, more than 100 kilometers away from the capital Santiago. And on his way to the Estadio Nacional, to witness the final of the Copa America between La Roja and Argentina, he took some time to speak with as.com.

"We hope the match starts soon and we have great confidence in the boys. Chile was one of the best teams in the tournament. It was the most balanced and with merits managed to reach the final," said the former defender and captain of the national team.

"Argentina will always be difficult at any time. But they also know that they have a great responsibility, as they have not won the title for many years. They also have a lot of respect for the Chilean team. They know them well, many of them even play together with some Chileans. They should know the weight of Chile, especially here in the country, at the Estadio Nacional, which will be 99 percent with Chile," he added.

Also, the former defender referred to the influence that being the host of the tournament can have on La Roja.

"Regardless of the home advantage, Chile should only be thinking about what is going to happen on the field. That is the most important thing, that the players are well, confident, and secure. One thing is confidence and another is knowing that they have to be careful, because they will face a good team," he said.

"In terms of football, Chile has all the conditions to win this title. There are several players who are in their prime and have enormous confidence. In addition, most of them are in full maturity. They play for great teams, so they should take advantage of that. It is a great opportunity for this generation to achieve something. It would be very nice, because it would be in front of their home crowd," he added.

Figueroa played for many years at Internacional de Porto Alegre and was a great figure in Brazil. Therefore, he followed with special attention the poor performance of the Brazilian national team in the tournament, being eliminated by Paraguay in the quarterfinals on penalties.

"Brazil had a very poor performance, as they have always been better than that. Before the Copa America started, Brazil was clearly among the favorites to win the tournament. It was a disappointment what happened to them," he said.

Finally, considering his successful spell at Peñarol in Uruguay in the 1960s, the former center-back addressed the aftermath of the defeat against Chile in that country, in which Edinson Cavani was sent off after provocation from Gonzalo Jara.

"I think it's speaking a little bit from the wound. Knowing the Uruguayan people, I know that with time that will pass. It's just anger in the moment," Figueroa said to as.com.