While soccer may not be a mainstay of America’s
sports enthusiasts, it is a very popular sport in other parts of the globe such
as Europe and South America. Copa America is a soccer competition featuring
teams from countries in South America.
The football confederation in South
America is usually tasked with the role of organizing continental soccer
tournaments by the world’s football governing body, FIFA. Here is a look at the
competition in detail.
History of Copa America
Copa America dates back to 1910, when the inaugural
competition was held. It featured four nations namely Chile, Brazil, their
bitter rivals Argentina, Uruguay. The hosts, Argentina, easily won the contest
after Brazil opted out of the competition prior to its commencement.
Six years
later, Uruguay were crowned champions in what the official South American
soccer governing body recognizes as an official part of Copa America’s history.
The Uruguayans’ flair for the competition stands to date, as they have won it a
record fifteen times.
During the 1920’s the competition was held
consistently. However, during the 1930’s issues such as pitch-invasions were
rampant and enmity between nations resulted in boycotts. For instance, various
national teams withdrew from the tournament leading to a 9 year intermittency,
where the competition was shelved.
In other cases, some nations failed to
appear for the competition or boycotted it altogether. However, the situation
has since normalized.
Originally, the competition was christened the
South American Competition, which was later rebranded and named Copa America in
1975. Between that year and 1987, the competition was a yearlong affair, with
no fixed venues allocated for the matches. However, in recent times, the
competition is held about a month in designated venues.
Participating Countries
The participants of Copa America are drawn from the
football governing authority in South America, dubbed Conmebol, which is a
continental confederation or subset of FIFA.
The 10 member states of the Conmebol are Argentina,
Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and
Colombia. Since the competition involves 12 teams, the confederation invites 2
additional countries, with the US and Mexico being regular attendees.
Tournament Set up
Copa America is usually held once every two years,
with each member of the Conmebol taking a turn to host the tournament. This
rotation ensures fairness such as no member country is left out of the hosting
process.
The participating teams are divided into 3 groups,
with each comprising of four teams. The winner of the group and the runner up
qualify for quarterfinals. The quarters mark the elimination stage, where the
winning team proceeds to the semifinals and lastly, the finals. In case teams
fail to score in regulation time, extra time is allowed and in the event of a
stalemate, penalties are used to decide eventual winners.
Stars who have Lifted the Trophy
Gabriel Batistuta featured prominently in
Argentina’s colors, scooping the trophy in successive tournaments- 1991 and
1993. Most notably, his goals played a decisive role in each of the tournament.
Moreover, the star combination of Humberto and Sivaro that won the competition
way back in 1957 is perceived by many as the country’s best-ever team.
Interestingly, despite the country’s vast talent, Argentina has yet to win
subsequent versions of Copa America.
Romario is another notable Brazilian legend to lift
the trophy in 1989 after an agonizing 40-year wait for the country. While the
win may have offered Brazil some reason to celebrate after beating Uruguay, the
country’s fans were still smarting from their World Cup loss to Uruguay in
1950, despite being hosts and firm favorites. Other notable figures to have
lifted the trophy include Uruguay’s Diego Forlan, who starred in the 1995
version of the competition.
Overall, Copa America is a soccer showcase
featuring talented international stars of the beautiful game. Its intention is to crown the cream of
the competition.
