The tournament represented a developmental moment in the global game – a vehicle for South American countries to raise playing standards and generate more interest in the Anglo-Saxon sport.
Advertisement
English giants Arsenal and Serie A stalwarts AS Roma were the ones most likely to sign him but hesitated for the fee Barcelona B were asking.
They shook the European teams and steamrolled their way to the gold, a feat theycame close to repeating four years later in Amsterdam, where they won the silver instead. Few soccer fans in our country will ever have a better chance to witness the greatest players on earth competing to stake claim to their ultimate legacy as soccer players.
The route to the knockout stage should be routine for Brazil, even without superstar and talisman Neymar, who is being rested to focus on the Olympics later in the summer. And so, in 1930, Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup. Another flop at Copa America could cost Jurgen Klinsmann his job as manager of the men.
This is the 45 edition of this tournament and its was started in 1916.
Endemic corruption almost halted the staging of the centenary Copa America. More arrests followed in December. So does Venezuela, the only team from the South American region never to have reached a World Cup.
Kaka has dropped out of the Brazil squad for the Centenary Copa America due to injury and will be replaced by Paulo Henrique Ganso, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Wednesday. “It’s a unique opportunity because Copa America doesn’t come along very often and they realize that”. He will be looking to finally carry his Club pedigree into a major global tournament, and fulfill his destiny to become the greatest of all-time.
And there’s no better way to get the nation fired up about the tournament than a victory against Colombia. For Uruguay, that is an understatement. The Uruguayans will clock up the most air miles of all the participants during the group stage with a freaky itinerary: they begin their campaign against Mexico in Pasadena, on the West Coast, next play Venezuela in Philadelphia, and then head back west to meet the “Reggae Boyz” from Jamaica in Santa Clara.
Coach Oscar Washington Tabarez said the training environment “is one of excitement and companionship because when there is will, much progress is achieved”. Suarez, though, heads into the Copa America under an injury cloud. But, confoundingly, Tabarez did select a full-strength squad for the tournament.
Colombia have scored only one goal in their last five Copa America games: Jeison Murillo found the back of the net in the Cafeteros’ 1-0 win against Brazil a year ago.
After a disappointing quarter-final exit on penalties to Argentina at the 2015 Copa, Colombia will be eager to show that their performances in Brazil 2014 were not a one-off. Coach Jorge Sampaoli left after the triumph and, as a result, the reigning champions are in a transitional phase.
After that, the opposition is going to be all of the powerhouse squads.
Advertisement
“The Copa America has been stained by the corruption involving the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF directors”, says Tostão. They have not won a continental title since 1993. Not only do footy fans have the European Championships in France to look forward to in June, but there’s another major global tournament going on at roughly the same time: the Copa America Centenario. Coach Tata Martino’s approach is simple: play pragmatic but flux football to maximise Messi’s talent. A run to, and past, the semi-finals would be the icing on top.
