Copa America Centenario, that thing that MLS writers have been filling your Twitter timeline with lately, is coming to Philadelphia starting this week. Three matches will be held at Lincoln Financial Field over the next week. Uruguay takes on Venezuela this Thursday. Trophy holders Chile take on CONCACAF foe Panama June 14. And sandwiched in between is the marquee date, USA vs. Paraguay, Saturday night.

The Stars and Stripes coming to Philly needs little extra billing, even if it’s just to give Jurgen Klinsmann an old-fashioned Philadelphia welcome. You’ll recall that Team USA was here last summer, playing in the wrong game at the conclusion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a dismal loss to Panama in the third-place game at PPL Park.

This tournament has been billed, by Philly-area spokesman Kobe Bryant and others, as the biggest tournament the U.S. has hosted since the 1994 World Cup. So why should you care about what’s happening in Philly? Here are five stars to keep an eye out for at the Linc.

Philadelphia-area fans will hope Luis Suarez, right,
leaves the bench Thursday in Uruguay's game at the Linc. (AP)

Uruguay: Luis Suarez. You’ve got so many choices on a team full of stars. There are a half-dozen holdovers from that run to the World Cup semifinals in 2010 and their victory in this tournament in 2011 (their record 15th capturing of the crown and fourth since rebranding as Copa America in 1975). Followers of European soccer will recognize Edinson Cavani from Italy and France, the goalkeeping of Fernando Muslera and Atletico Madrid stalwart Diego Godin at center back. But Suarez, the Barcelona and former Liverpool man, is the headliner, as much for what he does with the ball as his incorrigible antics without it. Suarez was injured in the Copa del Rey final two weeks ago, which kept him out of Uruguay’s opener with Mexico, a 3-1 loss Sunday. With Uruguay facing a must-win against one of South America’s least illustrious clubs, coach Oscar Tabarez could really use Suarez’s attacking edge.

Venezuela: Christian Santos. There aren’t a lot of household names on Venezuela, beyond West Brom center forward Salomon Rondon and the Italian-based duo of Josef Martinez and Tomas Rincon. Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, who plays for French club Nantes, is a teammate of former Union striker and countryman Fernando Aristeguieta (who isn’t on the squad) and former Union target and American midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, if you’re looking for local ties. But the timelier one is Santos, who was revealed to be on the Union’s discovery list a few weeks back. The 28-year-old wing forward, who didn’t play in the opening win over Jamaica, was raised in Germany and scored prolifically for Dutch club NEC, which Union technical director Earnie Stewart will be familiar with. He’s an intriguing case who is reputedly out of contract after his option year with NEC expired, and he fits the rough profile of the kind of player who can flourish in MLS if the price is rightRead more »