Mexico vs. Paraguay: Marquez ready to make the most of "great opportunity"

MEXICO VS PARAGUAY 5/28/2016 GOL DE GUARDADO

Rafael Marquez is hoping Mexico can take advantage of the "great opportunity" ahead as El Tri step up preparations for the Copa America Centenario with a friendly versusParaguay.

Mexico is unbeaten in its last 17 games and will look to build momentum after receiving an invitationto the Copa America for the 10th straight tournament.

El Tri have reached the final in 1993 and 2001 and will be expected to progress from the group stage at the 100th anniversary tournament, having beendrawn alongside Uruguay, Venezuela and Jamaica in Group C.

Ahead of Saturday"s warm-up with 2011 runner-up Paraguay at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, captain Marquez believes Juan Carlos Osorio"s side has its best chance of winning the competition for the first time.

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"We have a great opportunity [to win it], but we have to take it game by game," said Marquez, who has been capped 129 times by Mexico. "It is going to take a lot of work, because there are a lot of other national teams with a lot of quality. Within the team there is a commitment of wanting to win, to fight with everything and make the final of the competition."

Paraguay has been handed a tougher possible route through to the quarterfinals, with Ramon Diaz"s men pitted against the U.S., Colombia and Costa Rica in Group A.

Their recent record in the competition is impressive, following up on their run to the final five years ago when Paraguay was beaten 3-0 by Uruguay with a fourth-place finish in Chile last year.

With just one win in the last five games, Paraguay is not in the best vein of form. But winger Edgar Benitez is relishing the opportunity to impress at a major tournament and says the entire squad is ready to prove its worth on the international stage.

"There is not one player who wants to miss out on this tournament or who refuses to play for the national team," Benitez said. "In our country there are few opportunities to draw attention from abroad, and if we want a better way of life, we have to take advantage of the international spotlight."

• Sports & Recreation
• Rafael Marquez
• Copa America
• Paraguay
• Mexico

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