Claudio Bravo Can Continue Barcelona Form to Help Chile End Copa America Drought
On Sunday night, Barcelona's players lapped up the adulation of their supporters, crammed into Camp Nou for an event to celebrate their historic treble.
The stars of the season, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, were there. So were the, shall we say, lesser-spotted players, like Douglas and Thomas Vermaelen.
One important name was missing though. He didn't play a part in the Champions League and Copa del Rey finals, but he was a crucial component of their La Liga title triumph. Yes, Claudio Bravo.
So where was the Chilean, if not reaping the fruits of his labour on an open-top bus tour, getting drunk, eating fast-food and celebrating? He was on a flight back home, to Chile.
His country kick off the Copa America against Ecuador on Thursday night and there was no time to waste, given he'd already missed the friendly game La Roja have played in preparation, against El Salvador.
When you think of Chile, you think of the talismanic duo Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, bombastic players who can dominate their respective stages. Bravo is not like these two, but he is just as important.
Jorge Sampaoli has recognised this, and Bravo is the team's captain, returning a hero from his fantastic domestic season with the champions of Spain, ready to try and help his country win their first Copa America.
On home turf you would bet on Chile to go deep, despite their recent lack of goals (they have just one in their last three games, against Iran, Brazil and El Salvador), especially if Bravo is keeping things tight at the other end.
They also have a favourable draw, in a group with Ecuador, an under-strength Mexico and a pathetic-looking Bolivia.
It's not inconceivable that Bravo could keep three clean sheets in the group stage, and as we saw this season, he likes a strong start.
Coming off the back of an impressive World Cup, in which his side were knocked out by hosts Brazil on penalties, Bravo signed for Barcelona from Real Sociedad for just €12 million.
Bravo arrived in the Catalan capital in July, with his wife Carla Pardo. He knew that he was going to battle with Marc-Andre ter Stegen for his spot between the sticks.
“I would like to thank Barcelona for putting their trust in me and my future abilities," he said after signing, per Sport. The club's trust was not misplaced.
Ter Stegen is excellent with the ball on the floor, and extremely comfortable making risky manoeuvres. Bravo doesn't try as many, but he is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world when asked to use his feet, perfect for Barcelona's style.
Bravo broke a long-standing record at the start of the season, surging beyond Pedro Artola's previous tally of 560 minutes unbeaten in goal for Barcelona at the start of a La Liga season.
In fact, it was only a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty that saw Bravo ship his first goal in the Spanish top flight, after 754 minutes of gameplay, in his ninth match.
The Chilean was also on FIFA's shortlist for goalkeeper of the year, although Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer eventually swept that award up.
Bravo is known as a calm character, but completely professional, and that is reflected in an interview with El Mercurio's Revista Ya, a magazine from his homeland.
As explained by Sport, Bravo lost five kilos after arriving at Barcelona, thanks to coach Luis Enrique's training and diet regime. Bravo told the magazine:
"There is a phrase that I remember. Try to be so great that everyone wants to reach your level and just as humble, so everyone wants to be be with you. That I will never forget.
I'm not like many other footballers. I take a lot of caution, it's my duty. I just focus on my work and my family, without disturbing anyone. One thing is to know our life and history, the other is to show off the material goods we have—there is no need.
"
His wife confirmed that her husband isn't someone to lose his temper or become too big-headed. She added: "Claudio has never lost his centre, he is a quiet and reserved man who has things very clearly, for this he does well and also for the extreme effort he puts into his work. He does not let his guard down."
Bravo may not have been able to play in the Champions League or Copa del Rey finals, which Luis Enrique allocated to Ter Stegen, but he did win an individual award at the end of the season.
The Ricardo Zamora Trophy, given to the La Liga goalkeeper who has the lowest goals-against average, found its way into the Chilean's hands. Conceding just 0.51 goals per game, just 19 in 37 league games, Bravo was way ahead of the opposition.
With 23 clean sheets he also leapfrogged legendary goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who only ever managed 20 (2004-05) in a season for Barcelona, and Andoni Zubizarreta (1988-89), who managed the same.
The latter was also the man who brought Bravo to the club from la Real, but was sacked from his sporting-director position after Barcelona's defeat against the Chilean's old side in January. Even he couldn't have envisaged how successful his recruit would prove to be.
Bravo's shutouts were not by accident. He made several brilliant saves in various games as Barcelona won the league, including a penalty stop from Valencia's Dani Parejo, in a nerve-racking and crucial 2-0 victory at the Camp Nou.
"It had to be saved, and it was," said Bravo afterwards, typically modest when asked to speak about his stop. That save was just the start of his hard work that day, with an excellent reflex parry from Rodrigo the pick of his many impressive moments.
It came after the one notable error he made all season, the previous week in a 2-2 draw with Sevilla. Ever Banega's piledriver had slipped past him, one of many mistakes the team made that day.
Bravo suffering during that game at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan was cruel, given its importance and his otherwise wonderful performances. But he did what he does best, taking it in his stride and striving to bounce back.
Chile coach Sampaoli has been extremely keen to keep his country's preparations for the Copa America quiet. At times it almost seems like he's bordering on paranoia, including one episode where he stopped training because of a drone at their training camp on the edge of Santiago, as reported on the official Copa America website.
But even though Bravo has only arrived with a short amount of time to go before the big kick-off, thanks to his phenomenal form this season, it's no secret that he'll be back in the team and hard to beat.
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