Copa America

[Sanguine]

Can't see a Copa America thread, so...

The US have managed to go out of their home tournament at the expense of Panama, who beat Bolivia 3-1 in their final group game to qualify ahead of the hosts, who lost 1-0 to Uruguay; albeit the damage was done when Panama beat the US 2-1 last week.

A draw with Chile, after beating Peru, was enough to see Canada through to the knockout stages too, in their first Copa America.

Lautaro Martinez has four goals in three games for Argentina. Is a surprise to me that he isn't mentioned as a transfer target for Europe's biggest clubs (notwithstanding he is already at one). Regular goalscorer for four or five years now.

[Stranded]

Brazil can only draw with Colombia but still qualify for the quarter finals in 2nd place. However, they have to play an excellent Uruguay side in the QFs.

Full draw:

Argentina v Ecuador
Venezuela v Canada
Colombia v Panama
Uruguay v Brazil

For reasons I don't fully understand but likely just relates to keeping Argentina and Brazil apart until a potential final, they haven't mixed the ties up so that means that teams from the same group could meet again in the semi final rather than final, which seems pretty stupid in a 16 team tournament.

[Sutekh]

Brazil can only draw with Colombia but still qualify for the quarter finals in 2nd place. However, they have to play an excellent Uruguay side in the QFs.

Full draw:

Argentina v Ecuador
Venezuela v Canada
Colombia v Panama
Uruguay v Brazil

For reasons I don't fully understand but likely just relates to keeping Argentina and Brazil apart until a potential final, they haven't mixed the ties up so that means that teams from the same group could meet again in the semi final rather than final, which seems pretty stupid in a 16 team tournament.

Wasn't this competition just for CONMEBOL members until recently? If so seems stupid to extend it without including all of CONCACAF (not that anyone from that region would ever have much of a chance of winning it except Mexico).

[Stranded]

Brazil can only draw with Colombia but still qualify for the quarter finals in 2nd place. However, they have to play an excellent Uruguay side in the QFs.

Full draw:

Argentina v Ecuador
Venezuela v Canada
Colombia v Panama
Uruguay v Brazil

For reasons I don't fully understand but likely just relates to keeping Argentina and Brazil apart until a potential final, they haven't mixed the ties up so that means that teams from the same group could meet again in the semi final rather than final, which seems pretty stupid in a 16 team tournament.

Wasn't this competition just for CONMEBOL members until recently? If so seems stupid to extend it without including all of CONCACAF (not that anyone from that region would ever have much of a chance of winning it except Mexico).

There are only 10 CONMEBOL members so there has been 2 guests invited to make the tournament up to 12. This year it is 16 with CONCACAF sides qualifying via the CONCACAF Nations League tournament.

[Sutekh]

Brazil can only draw with Colombia but still qualify for the quarter finals in 2nd place. However, they have to play an excellent Uruguay side in the QFs.

Full draw:

Argentina v Ecuador
Venezuela v Canada
Colombia v Panama
Uruguay v Brazil

For reasons I don't fully understand but likely just relates to keeping Argentina and Brazil apart until a potential final, they haven't mixed the ties up so that means that teams from the same group could meet again in the semi final rather than final, which seems pretty stupid in a 16 team tournament.

Wasn't this competition just for CONMEBOL members until recently? If so seems stupid to extend it without including all of CONCACAF (not that anyone from that region would ever have much of a chance of winning it except Mexico).

There are only 10 CONMEBOL members so there has been 2 guests invited to make the tournament up to 12. This year it is 16 with CONCACAF sides qualifying via the CONCACAF Nations League tournament.

That sounds like a much better competition with the 16, looking forward to them extending it to the inevitable 24 then 32

Shame they don't operate it like the Euros with qualification groups for all countries

[Winston Biscuit]

Solomon Rondon!
https://x.com/PremSportsTV/status/1809415422174716088?s=19

[NathStPaul]

To the SIIIIIIIIIIIIDE.

[Loafer]

Crazy scenes I'm the Uruguay game

The players went in the stands and started to fight the fans

https://x.com/foxsoccer/status/18112207 ... HWtd4GfuYA

[Winston Biscuit]

Darwin Nunez getting involved
https://x.com/UruguayFootENG/status/1811225678471434567?s=19

[Sutekh]

Why are Uruguay's players starting fights with Columbia fans? Would say they should be thrown out of the tournament but they'd already lost 1-0 to Columbia, is it a quaint old Uruguayan custom to stick it to opposing fans in the event of a defeat? I noticed Nunez throwing a punch and missing...

[Loafer]

Why are Uruguay's players starting fights with Columbia fans? Would say they should be thrown out of the tournament but they'd already lost 1-0 to Columbia, is it a quaint old Uruguayan custom to stick it to opposing fans in the event of a defeat? I noticed Nunez throwing a punch and missing...

their families were getting attacked first by the fans

which is fair game for the players to fight back imo

[Orion1871]

The Colombian fan who punched Darwin Nuñez is a priest.

[Sutekh]

In the normal world both teams would be suspended from further international competition. However in the weird world of South American football they'll all carry as if nothing happened and it will never be mentioned again.

[Brogue]

dreadful scenes from the final loads of people got in without tickets pictures of children crying, videos of people climbing through vent ducts to get in. police bashing people with truncheons. Concerns now over the World Cup being hosted over there, as the security has been so poor. The whole tournament has been mired by violence and just shoddy organisation

[Sutekh]

dreadful scenes from the final loads of people got in without tickets pictures of children crying, videos of people climbing through vent ducts to get in. police bashing people with truncheons. Concerns now over the World Cup being hosted over there, as the security has been so poor. The whole tournament has been mired by violence and just shoddy organisation

Yes, seems to have been an utter shambles with accusations CONMEBOL (Copa America is a South American tournament) are just interested in ££££ (how unusual for a regional FA ). Bielsa in particular has been vocal on the subject, criticising the organisation, security and the state of the training pitches in particular (apparently Bolivia were not able to train properly at all - but as it's Bolivia no-one cared). Some of the game pitches were not necessarily prepared in good time with some only seeded a few days before games and some were not of adequate size as they just "converted" NFL pitches.

Presume the World Cup will not be such a shambles in a couple of years, but alarm bells must be ringing. Great ammunition for the argument that these competition finals should be held in countries and regions that can cope properly rather than be hawked around places with little interest and/or little of the required infrastructure.

Daily Mail on the Copa America organisation