THANK heavens for the Copa America.

While Liverpool fans are thankful that Steven Gerrard and co. haven't been involved in another Ingurlund farce this summer, international football can provide a cheap fix once the season finishes.

The months of June and July would certainly have been rather dull without the mouth-watering football played out in Venezuela.

Staying up until the early hours of the morning has been a small price to pay for some of the scintillating football on display, most of it coming from Argentina and the impish Lionel Messi.

Sadly the beautiful football of the Argentines was cancelled out last night by the efficient but uninspiring Brazil (I know, it sounds wrong just writing it.) Argentina's lynchpin Riquelme was unable to take advantage of his team's best chances and with Carlos Tevez misfiring, a second-string samba side lifted the trophy with a perfect counter-attacking performance - winning 3-0 thanks to the tactical triumph of their coach, Dunga.

But the real highlight of the tournament for me was undoubtedly the development of Javier Mascherano, Liverpool's defensive midfielder pilfered from West Ham in January.

Graeme Souness, the most dominant central midfielder in English football history, was once famously described as the iron fist in the velvet glove'.

And it seems that Mascherano, a 22-year-old who has already shown real panache to match his punch, could soon follow in the great Scot's footsteps.

With the young Argentinean midfield general, the sublime Spaniard Xabi Alonso, the Scouse dynamo Steven Gerrard and the Malian destroyer Momo Sissoko, the Mighty Reds arguably boast the finest central midfield in the world.

And now that the waffling about Wimbledon and the hullabaloo surrounding Hamilton's chances of winning Silverstone is over, it's time for Senor Benitez to unleash our red horde.

Pre-season friendlies have begun, fantasy football teams are being picked and the season is little over a month away.

I can't wait.