LIMA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Peru's national soccer team is all but ready for the 2007 Copa American which begins on Tuesday next week in nine Venezuelan cities, local media said on Tuesday.

    The team will travel to Venezuelan city Merida on Thursday where they will play Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia in the city's Puerto Nuevo Stadium, as part of Group A.

    Julio Uribe, the national team's manager, will deliver his list of 22 players before making the journey. The current shortlist of 26 players is currently training in Lima's Villa Deportiva Nacional Stadium.

    The players are extremely enthusiastic and committed to passing the group phase: doing so means earning 50,000 U.S. dollars to share between team members. If the team wins the whole championship they will earn 500,000 dollars.

    Peru has two team layouts planned: 1-3-3-2-2- and 1-5-3-2 depending on which rival they are facing. The first set up is designed to bring lost balls back into circulation and the second to boost defense.

    Three of Peru's players are injured, but none of them seriously. These are goalkeeper Leao Butron, central defender Alberto Rodriguez and forward Paolo Guerrero.