Out for the Record

It may not have been the final that was widely anticipated, but it was natural that after knocking out hosts Argentina and Brazil respectively, Uruguay and Paraguay find themselves in the 2011 Copa America final, hosted in the famous El Monumental stadium, home to fallen giants River Plate. On level terms with Argentina with regard to Copa America honours, Uruguay now have the chance to lead alone.

Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Against Venezuela, Oscar Tabarez’s side dominated much of the proceedings, eventually toppling their adversaries by two goals signed by Luis Suarez, a player the coach greatly boasted in his post-match declaration: “He is an elite player in world football. We talked about having more presence up top. That is how we got the first goal. [Diego] Forlan and Suarez appeared. After that, Peru kept attacking, but we had it under control.”

Uruguay might be slight favourites, but a team that has knocked out Brazil certainly will not run and hide. Uruguay will have to be extra careful not to leave gaps at the back for the Paraguayan attack however, as Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez could potentially shoot down the Uruguayans’ dreams.

Surviving Another Shoot-out

Emotions were high in the air at the Estadio Alvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, as a goalless draw after ninety minutes meant that Paraguay were on their way to their second consecutive penalty shoot-out. Luckily for La Albirroja, they managed to tackle Venezuela, booking their place in the final stage for the first time since 1979, back when they won their second and last Copa America accolade.

The Paraguayan team managed to hold its own against Venezuela, with goalkeeper Justo Villar proving to be the hero once again as he denied several Venezuelan attempts, notably a solid effort from Jose Salomon Rondon. The new Estudiantes goalkeeper was again the penalty-kick hero as he denied Franklin Lucena from the spot. Should he continue on the same path, then there is a good chance that the Player of the Tournament award is his.

Paraguay might have had their luck so far, but they will have to be at their best should they want to dispatch Uruguay, whose forward Luis Suarez cannot certainly be counted out. Diego Forlan will be dangerous too as he looks to kick-start his tournament following torrid times.

Recent form

Uruguay:
- Uruguay 1-0 Mexico (12/07; Copa America)
- Argentina 1-1 Uruguay; 5-4 pens to Uruguay (16/07; Copa America)
- Peru 0-2 Uruguay (19/07; Copa America)

Paraguay:
- Paraguay 3-3 Venezuela (13/07; Copa America)
- Brazil 0-0 Paraguay; 2-0 pens to Paraguay (17/07; Copa America)
- Paraguay 0-0 Venezuela; 5-3 pens to Paraguay (20/07; Copa America)

Players to watch

Uruguay – Luis Suarez: The hero on the night against Venezuela will go up against Paraguay’s keeper in a battle of two of the best players in the tournament so far. Their personal contest does not summarise the match, but it will certainly be expected.

Paraguay – Justo Villar: Paraguay’s man of the tournament will definitely have all eyes watching him as he prepares to guide La Albirroja to their first major trophy in 32 years. While questions have surfaced over his abilities at 34 years old, Villar has hit back at his detractors with fine displays.

Match Prediction

Uruguay are favourites going into this match, but at such a stage, anything can happen. Paraguay have shown that they can compete with any team so far, but could ultimately fall against Tabarez and his side. Expect Uruguay to lift the title at the end.

Don’t forget: If you fancy a bet on the Copa America final check out all current odds and available betting markets in one go on OLBG. Click on Uruguay v Paraguay to see the latest prices and to find out which bookmaker offers the best value for money.
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SOURCE:
“2011 Copa America Final: Uruguay v Paraguay Match Preview”
Hassan Chamas
Friday, 22nd Jul 2011
http://www.insidefutbol.com
http://www.insidefutbol.com/2011/07/22/2011-copa-america-final-uruguay-v-paraguay-match-preview/45729/

Forlan – Uruguay

Venezuelan Fans

Goal at Salta Stadium

Neymar – Brazil

Argentine Fans

Paraguayan Fan

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SOURCE: http://blogs.lanacion.com.ar/en-foco/

“It’s going to be tight but we’ll get there,” tournament organising committee president Jose Luis Meiszner said after an inspection of the giant stadium by South American Football Confederation officials.

The final, the only match of the 12-nation tournament to be played in the capital, is scheduled for July 24 at the 62,000-capacity Monumental that doubles as the national stadium.

Workers are racing against the clock to repair the damage after River “barrabrava” hooligan fans rioted after the team’s 3-1 aggregate defeat 10 days ago in a playoff with Belgrano, who were promoted from the Nacional B division.

“We were worried about it (but) the mere possibility of having to think about a change (of venue) would have been pathetic,” Meiszner told reporters.

The damage includes 4,000 seats ripped out of their fixtures in the stands, many thrown onto the pitch, along with broken glass barriers and windows.
______________________________________
SOURCE:
“Copa America final gets Monumental ok after fan riot”
Thu Jul 7, 2011
Reporting by Rex Gowar; editing by Mark Meadows; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com
http://in.reuters.com
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/07/06/idINIndia-58119220110706

Much has changed in the 24 years since the tournament’s resurrection. The previous year Argentina had won the World Cup with a team in which more than half the starting line-up were based at home. Brazil took a squad in which the number of players with European clubs was limited to two veterans.

Since then, of course, the floodgates have opened. Club football in South America has become an export industry, with talent whisked across the Atlantic at an ever-earlier age.

Given this scenario, and bearing in mind the chasm which has opened up between club football in Europe and South America, the performances of Brazil and Argentina’s national teams have held up remarkably well. Last year’s World Cup offered powerful evidence of the continent’s strength in depth. All five of the South American teams were competitive and only Chile – who were eliminated by Brazil – failed to make the quarter-finals. Uruguay, who were South America’s fifth-best team in qualification, finished fourth in South Africa.

It would be inappropriate, however, to credit the rebirth of the Copa America for the strong showing of the continent’s national sides. Far more important in this regard has been the introduction of the marathon format of World Cup qualification, where all 10 teams play each other home and away in a giant league. With this system in place the South American national teams have, for the first time, enjoyed the type of calendar that the Europeans take for granted: regular competitive games with guaranteed income, allowing top-class coaches to be hired, giving the teams continuity and the chance to develop in terms of tactics and confidence.

This change has been directly behind the remarkable rise of Ecuador, who went from whipping boys to the world’s last 16 in under 20 years, and the equally extraordinary progress of Venezuela, who for the first time will go into the next set of World Cup qualifiers with a realistic chance of getting through.

The introduction of the marathon World Cup qualification format in 1996 inevitably had a detrimental effect on the Copa America. At the time, the tournament was being played every two years and found its relevance greatly reduced by the sheer weight of competitive fixtures. In 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2004 the Copa featured many understrength, experimental teams.

The role and timing of the tournament in the international calendar had to be re-thought and, starting with the last Copa in 2007, it would appear that the right answers have been found. Now staged every four years, the Copa America has been placed in a coherent and interesting slot.

International football turns in a four-year cycle. For South American teams the first year – the one following
a World Cup – is for appointing new coaches and making some money with lucrative friendlies. At the end of that year, the Copa America announces the return to competitive action. Coaches will then hope to emerge from the Copa with a battle-hardened team that is ready to face the gruelling challenges of the World Cup qualifiers which get under way soon afterwards.

Indeed, the coaches of nearly all the South American teams this year have been stressing that their priority is building for a place in 2014 and that the Copa is a test on the way, rather than an end in itself. Of course, once the action kicks off and the adrenalin kicks in, all involved will be dreaming of doing a lap of honour with the trophy on July 24.

But there is another point to the Copa America, beyond that of being a glorified World Cup warm-up. The Copa offers an excellent opportunity for investment in stadiums and sporting infrastructure. And, in South America, that frequently presents a chance to counteract a historic imbalance.

Investing in provinces

Many of the countries in the continent are extremely centralised – the legacy of a colonial economic past whereby raw materials were exported and manufactured products brought in. Typically, the port where this trade took place grew into a giant capital city, which lorded it over an underdeveloped hinterland.

As football is the game of the city, this domination is reflected in the way that the major teams tend to be clustered together in the capital. One of the prime aims of recent Copas has been to decentralise the football of the host country by investing in the provinces.

All of this applies strongly to Argentina, where the national title has rarely left greater Buenos Aires. Estudiantes of La Plata have established themselves as a major force, but La Plata is just an hour’s drive from the capital. Elsewhere, the pair of clubs from Rosario, Central and Newell’s Old Boys, each have a handful of titles, but that is it.

On the seven occasions that Argentina staged the Copa between 1916 and 1959, everything took place in greater Buenos Aires. The 1987 tournament was a little more ambitious – there was a group each for Rosario and Cordoba – but in 2011 the Copa America will be a genuinely national affair.

La Plata will stage more games than any other venue, a decision clearly inspired by the construction in 2003 of a new stadium which, with the recent addition of a roof, is one of the most impressive new grounds on the continent – although the condition of the pitch is a cause for concern.

Rosario misses out this time, with the city, presumably, having to be content with staging the Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier in 2009. Instead, nearby Santa Fe is being used, and the centre of the country is represented by Cordoba, where the stadium was built for the 1978 World Cup and now bears the name of the star of that tournament, Mario Kempes.

Another venue built for 1978 is in Mendoza, over in the wine growing region near the border with Chile. Nearby San Juan is another host city, with the only stadium constructed especially for the tournament.

And there are two venues up in the north, in the foothills of the Andes, near the frontier with Bolivia. One is Salta, whose compact stadium was built for the 2001 World Youth Cup, the other is Jujuy, a city with the nickname of “the little silver cup”.

A rather large silver trophy will be presented to the winning captain in River Plate’s Monumental stadium on July 24 in the only game taking place in Buenos Aires – and it is surely fitting that the showpiece occasion will be staged in the city where the first Copa America was contested 95 years ago.

____________________
SOURCE:
“Rebirth of the Copa: guide to Copa America 2011″
By Tim Vickery
http://www.worldsoccer.com
http://www.worldsoccer.com/featured/rebirth-of-the-copa-guide-to-copa-america-2011

The 43rd tournament runs until 24 July, with the highest placed team (other than Brazil, who qualify as hosts) earning the right to compete for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

With some of the world’s finest footballing talent on display, as well as the usual mix of South American flair, outrageous defending and theatrics, there are a number of viewing opportunities available for the casual and hardcore fans.

In the US, the tournament will once again be shown live exclusively on Spanish-language broadcaster Univision, with match highlights and live streaming also available on the company’s website.

In the UK, ESPN will show the tournament for the first time, a full list of live fixtures and highlights is available on the channel’s website.

In addition, Google YouTube will stream live matches to viewers in over 50 countries at youtube.com/copaamerica (not available in the UK). All matches will be screened live with English commentary including replays and highlights which will be available on demand.

So all you have to do is sit back and enjoy what should be a fascinating festival of football.
________________________________
SOURCE:
“Where to watch Copa America 2011 live”
By Gordon Macrae
July 5, 2011
http://uk.ibtimes.com
http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/174404/20110705/copa-america-2011-watch-highlights-schedule-fixtures-calendario-argentina.htm

Argentina’s meteorological office had been warning that sub-zero temperatures were on the way and sure enough the thermometer had dipped to minus two in parts of the area around Buenos Aires, including La Plata, where the auriverde were to take on Caribbean hopefuls the Venezuelans.

Snowfalls were at least absent from the capital – that fate reserved for parts of the Atlantic seaboard including tourist centre Mar del Plata – while residents in the western province of Mendoza shivered as the mercury slid to a low of minus 14 Celsius.
The polar snap is set to last until midweek, forecasters said. They added that winds gusting at up to 140 kilometres per hour would afflict some predominantly northern provinces.

But while some fans shivered as they made their way to the Estadio Unico to see Brazil open their campaign, other hardier souls were enjoying the cold.

“Never mind the cold – Chile is worth more,” Chile fan Luis Gonzalez told AFP as he prepared to set off for Argentina to support La Roja.

Dozens of cars and lorries bearing fans were headed for the border and temperatures of around minus ten were shrugged off as the travellers looked forward to Monday’s match against Mexico at San Juan.

“We are used to the cold and we have come prepared – thick clothes and plenty of wine,” grinned Gonzalez.

“Forget the cold – we’re off to support Chile, because we’re playing better than ever,” shouted fellow fan Cristobal Pinto as he set out for his first away international.

Officials say some 25,000 Chilean fans will make the trip to back their team.
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SOURCE:
“Wine and weather exercise minds at freezing Copa”
By Miguel Rojo
AFP
Sun, Jul 3, 2011
http://news.yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/wine-weather-exercise-minds-freezing-copa-185923556.html

Cordoba Stadium

Monumental Stadium - Buenos Aires

Salta Stadium

Mendoza Stadium

Santa Fe Stadium

Jujuy Stadium

San Juan Stadium

So what makes Copa America the biggest sporting event in this part of the world? Well for starters, the whopping television audience of 530 million people in Latin America tuning in for the last tournament in 2007!

The first international competition to be held between South American teams took place in 1910. However, there are also rumours that the competition was born in 1916 and named the South American Championship Selections. This tournament was contested by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay who claimed the championship.

After sixty years of intermittent changes, additions and absences, the 1975 tournament finally took on the title of Copa América. Representatives in the tournament came from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru (champions) and Venezuela. During the next twenty years, the tournament took on further modifications, and it was not until the 1993 edition played in Ecuador, that the America’s Cup took its current format in which ten teams from CONMEBOL participate in the tournament and two teams from other continents are invited. The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four. The top two in each group and two best third placed teams progress to the second round. These eight teams then compete in a play-off system to determine the winner.

Copa América 2011

The two sides invited for this edition will be Mexico and Costa Rica. The Mexican team will attend the tournament with their Olympic Under-23 side plus five reinforcements, while Costa Rica will replace the Japanese. Unfortunately the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March cast doubt on their ability to attend and sure enough, they withdrew their team on 16 May citing difficulties with European clubs in releasing Japanese players.

The 25 games will be held in the cities of La Plata, Córdoba, Santa Fe, San Juan, Mendoza, San Salvador de Jujuy and Salta, while the final will be played on 24 July at River Plate’s stadium in Buenos Aires. The champions of the tournament will earn the optional right to compete in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Brazil.

The opening ceremony will be held on 1 July at the Estadio Unico in La Plata, followed by the first match in which Argentina will face Bolivia for the Group A.
_____________________________________
SOURCE:
“Copa América kicks off in La Plata”
Friday July 1, 2011
http://www.buenosairesherald.com
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/71693/copa-am%C3%A9rica-kicks-off-in-la-plata

On July 1930 the first World Cup was organised and played in Montevideo with Uruguay beating Argentina in the final 4-2, thus also becoming the first country to win the Cup, sources said.

Argentine Sports minister Claudio Morresi visited Montevideo over the weekend to begin coordination activities with his Uruguayan counterparts from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports headed by Hector Lescano.

“In the round of meetings we have planned, we will draft a road map with the main strategic lines for the joint promotion of 2030, during the Americas Cup and we hope presidents Cristina Fernandez and Jose Mujica will be participating”, said Minister Lescano.

The “Ciudad de La Plata” Stadium in Argentina
will be the central scenery of the “2011 America Cup”

In 2009 Argentina and Uruguay created a bi-national committee to begin working on the joint candidacy. In spite of the distance in time, “we are still 19 years away, we really only have eight years left” said Morresi.

“We know the 2018 Cup is to be played in Russia and the following in 2022 in Dubai and it was announced in 2010; so at the latest in 2019, a decision will be made”, he added.

“I think we have a very strong case: the first Cup was played in Montevideo, Uruguay and Argentina computed in the final and both countries have a very rich and distinguished football history: Uruguay two Cups, 1930 and 1950, and Argentina, 1978 and 1986″, said Lescano.

Morresi said that in all major sports events the two countries must be together and revealed that the two countries’ leaders are committed to a formal presentation before their Ibero-American peers in support of the initiative.

“Organising a World Cup gives a chance to promote the countries, to promote tourism, culture, to boost infrastructure, transport, communications and nowadays it would be impossible for Uruguay to do it on its own, but jointly with Argentina, it’s different and a great chance”, said Lescano.

“A wonderful occasion to celebrate a hundred years of world competition of one of the most popular sports on Earth”, said Morresi.

The Copa America which this year is organised by Argentina was first played in 1916 and Argentina and Uruguay rank first and second in the number of times they won the tournament.

More about the FIFA World Cup Uruguay 1930

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men’s national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930. FIFA, football’s international governing body selected Uruguay as host nation as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution, and the Uruguay national football team had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the majority at the Estadio Centenario, which was built for the tournament.

Thirteen teams, seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America entered the tournament. Few European teams chose to participate because of the difficulty of travelling to South America. The teams were divided into four groups, with the winner of each group progressing to the semi-finals. The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France and the United States, who defeated Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0, respectively. Lucien Laurent of France scored the first goal in World Cup history.

Argentina, Uruguay, United States and Yugoslavia each won their respective groups to qualify for the semi-finals. In the final, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people, and became the first nation to win the World Cup.

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic football tournament as a “world football championship for amateurs”, and took responsibility for managing the event at the next three Olympiads: from 1920 to 1928. In the 1908 Olympic Games and the 1912 Olympic Games the football competitions had been organised by The Football Association and the Swedish Football Association respectively.

The preliminary schedule for the held in Los Angeles did not include football. FIFA and the International Olympic Committee disagreed over the status of amateur players, so association football was dropped from the Games. On 26 May 1928, at FIFA’s Amsterdam conference and on the opening day of the Olympic football tournament, FIFA president Jules Rimet announced plans to stage a tournament independent of the Olympics, open to all FIFA members and with professionalism permitted. The membership voted 25–5 to accept the proposal.
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SOURCES:

“Uruguay-Argentina Will Jointly Bid For 2030 World Cup”
Feb 28
NNN-NNN-MERCOPRESS
http://www.bernama.com.my
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=567227

“1930 FIFA World Cup”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930_FIFA_World_Cup

The 12-team tournament, officially called the Copa América since the mid-1970s, held its draw Thursday in La Plata, Argentina, and included two teams invited from outside the continent — Mexico (semifinalist in 2007) and Japan (participating for the first time since 1999).

Games will be played in nine stadiums around the country. Brazil is the two-time defending champion and beat Argentina in the last two finals. The host and Uruguay have each won the most championships, 14, with Argentina winning most recently in 1993 and Uruguay in 1995.

Argentina will open the tournament on July 1 against Bolivia in La Plata.

The United States has often been invited to participate in the tournament, and has played in the Copa three times (1993, 1995, 2007). Recently, the United States has declined invitations because of conflicts with the Major League Soccer season. With the Concacaf Gold Cup also to be played next summer, with a berth in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, in Brazil, on the line, the American team is concentrating on winning the regional championship (as is Mexico, which is not expected to send its first team to Argentina).

Who are the favorites? Would you consider Chile or Paraguay, after their strong showings in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, to be challengers? And should the United States be more eager to participate?

The Draw

The teams finishing first, second and the two best third-place teams in each group qualify for the quarterfinals.

* Group A Argentina, Colombia, Japan, Bolivia
* Group B Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela
* Group C Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Peru
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SOURCE:
“Draw for 2011 Copa America”
By JACK BELL
November 11, 2010
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/draw-for-2011-copa-america/