Copa América 2007

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section contains information about (a) future sporting event(s) or team(s).
It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the event approaches and more information becomes available.

Official Copa América 2007 logo

The Copa América 2007 is a football tournament, set to be held in Venezuela between June 26 and July 15, 2007. It is organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body. This will be the first time Venezuela, the only Spanish-speaking South American nation where football follows baseball in popularity, will hold the tournament.

1 Competing Nations
- 1.1 Confirmed
- 1.2 Speculated
2 Venues
3 External links

[edit] Competing Nations

[edit] Confirmed

Venezuela (hosts)
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil (Holders)
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Mexico (Invitee)
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
USA (Invitee)

Costa Rica had been provisionally extended an invitation by CONMEBOL upon an initial rejection from the USA team. However, the latter later decided to accept the invitation leaving the former out of the competition.

[edit] Speculated

The United States, as winners of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, have a standing invitation to take part in the tournament. As of October 30, 2006 they have accepted the invatation. Scheduling conflicts with Major League Soccer have prevented the U.S. from participating in the Copa América since 1995, but United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati has recently said he will send the U.S. National Team.[1] However, it is also rumored that Brazil will withdraw; the 2007 Pan American Games will be held in Brazil during the Copa América, and blanket television coverage of that event in Brazil will leave the country without a television network with spare time to air the Copa América. But Brazil will participate and send a youth squad to the Pan American competition.

CONMEBOL is considering expanding the number of competing nations to 16. Rumours included Portugal and Spain (the former colonial powers) as invited nations, along with the 4 best teams from CONCACAF, presumably United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago, with Guatemala (fifth in CONCACAF 2006 World Cup qualifying) or Panama (runners-up of the 2005 Gold Cup, and the nearest Central American country to South America) as backup options if the USA choose not to enter the competition.

[edit] Venues

City	Stadium names	Host club(s)	Capacity
Maturín	Estadio Metropolitano de Maturín "Juana La Avanzadora"	Monagas SC	52,000
San Cristóbal	Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo	Deportivo Táchira	45,000
Mérida	Estadio Metropolitano de Mérida	Estudiantes de Mérida	45,000
Ciudad Guayana	Estadio Polideportivo Cachamay	Mineros de Guayana	45,000
Barquisimeto	Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara	Union Lara	40,000
Puerto La Cruz	Estadio Olímpico Luis Ramos	Deportivo Anzoategüi	40,000
Maracaibo	Estadio José Pachencho Romero	UA Maracaibo	40,000
Caracas	Estadio Olímpico de la Ciudad Universitaria	National Team	40,000
Barinas	Estadio Agustín Tovar "La Carolina"		30,000