Nobody really wanted this tournament. First the original organizers jumped out, then the players defended themselves, and finally the judges decided. Despite all the opposition, the ball will roll in South America from Sunday.
Brasília (dpa) – The anticipation sounds different: “We are against the organization of the Copa America, but we will never say no to the Brazilian national team.”
The Brazilian national team made a statement shortly before the kick-off about the Copa América in their own country. The continental championship in the corona hotspot Brazil is likely to be an unusual tournament in many ways.
The biggest enemy is the virus
The road to the Copa America was already bumpy. Initially, host Colombia jumped out after dozens of people were killed in protests against the government, some of which were bloody. Then co-host Argentina, which was hit hard by the second corona wave in the southern hemisphere at the beginning of winter, also withdrew. Eventually the tournament was moved to Brazil. There the Supreme Court ruled on June 10th that the Copa America could actually take place.
Now the ball should start rolling on Sunday. The largest country in Latin America is still a focal point of the corona pandemic: So far, more than 17 million people have been proven to be infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus, and around 480,000 people have died in connection with Covid-19. The right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has always played down the virus and resisted tough measures. Most recently, scientists had also identified a new variant of the corona virus.
Millions of people have lost relatives, the pandemic has increased poverty, and doctors and nurses are still working at the limit in the overburdened intensive care units. The players around superstar Neymar therefore found it inappropriate to organize an international football tournament at such times. Apparently they could not win enough allies in other countries for their boycott plans. Especially for the players who are under contract in South America, the Copa is a showcase.
Ten teams are fighting for the title
It starts on Sunday with the opening match between hosts Brazil and Venezuela in the Mané Garrincha stadium in the capital Brasília. The group stage with the ten South American teams will run until June 28th, and the quarter-finals will begin after a three-day break. The final is scheduled for July 10th in the legendary Maracaná in Rio de Janeiro.
Favorites for the title include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia. Brazil wants to defend the title in their own country, has an always dangerous striker in Neymar and is currently also leading in the qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup with six wins from six games.
Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi wants to take the opportunity to finally win an international title with the national team. The Albiceleste won the Copa America for the last time in 1993. Messi will turn 34 during the tournament – it could be one of his last chances for the title.
Uruguay must always be expected at the Copa. The national team of the small South American country has already won the title 15 times – more often than any other team. With Luis Suárez from Atlético Madrid and Edinson Cavani from Manchester United, the Uruguayans are also sending one of the region’s most dangerous storm peaks into the tournament.
20 years ago Colombia won the Copa America for the only time, now the team of coach Reinaldo Rueda want to repeat the triumph of 2001. It was not until June 8 that the Colombians won Argentina a draw in their World Cup qualification. The cafeteros have to do without their star James Rodríguez. Rueda did not nominate the ex-Bayern player because of an injury that, in his opinion, has not yet fully cured – Rodríguez is said to be quite angry about the decision. But at least the Colombian striker is perfectly aligned: Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel play together at Atalanta Bergamo.
The biggest enemy is the virus
The biggest opponent is not on the pitch at the tournament anyway: In times of corona, the main thing is to protect against the virus. The regional football association Conmebol has drawn up an extensive hygiene protocol. Spectators are not admitted to the games. In addition, players and officials should already have a lot of routine. The Copa Libertadores and World Cup qualifiers have been running for a while under Corona conditions.
At the Copa América, for example, the teams are not allowed to leave their accommodations apart from the games. Argentina even goes a step further: The team of national coach Lionel Scaloni is barracked on the association’s premises near the airport of Buenos Aires and flies to Brazil for every game.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210611-99-947556 / 3
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