By FRANCO PANIZO
The 2016 Copa America Centenario may happen, after all. It just might not take place in the United States.
CONMEBOL president Juan Angel Napout gave an interview with a Paraguayan radio station on Wednesday in which he said that the location of the centennial tournament was in question. The planned 2016 Copa America was originally scheduled to be played in the United States, but allegations of $100 million in bribes that are part of the highly-publicized FIFA scandal have put that in jeopardy.
Still, Napout sounded optimistic that it will be played. He just is not 100 percent sure where.
“The 100th anniversary will have a celebration and this will be on the field,” said Napout, who is Paraguayan. “We want to have a Copa Centenario. It’s on the FIFA calendar, and the idea is for it to be played. Whether it will be in the United States? We have to wait for some things to happen, review some things.”
The 2016 Copa America is scheduled to be played next summer from June 3-26. The initial plan was for the 10 South American teams to compete against one another and with six nations from CONCACAF, but whether that structure will remain is unknown.
There had been a growing buzz stateside about the long-rumored tournament, especially since it was to pit the U.S. Men’s National Team against CONMEBOL’s talented nations, but that excitement has been replaced largely by skepticism following the FIFA scandal.
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What do you think about Napout’s comments? Do you see the Copa America Centenario being played next year? Think it happens in the United States when all is said and done or elsewhere? Would you be disappointed if the tournament was moved?
Share your thoughts below.
could we all turn a “blind eye” to the 100 million in bribes? just this one time? i would LOVE to see this tournament be held in the usa. even if it never happens again…
would be a bummer if it isn’t here, but as long as we can play in it, i’ll be happy.
We’re not playing in it if it isn’t here. Which is fine, we have Olympics that summer anyways
Who says..YOU? I’m pretty sure if they said let’s move to Argentina, the USMNT would still go. You wouldn’t want to test your self in arguably the strongest competitions we would ever participate in (4 in top 10 Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Chile) and another just outside (Uruguay).
I say so because that’s the truth… The link i’m trying to paste won’t work, but yeah it was already stated that USA only plays in it if it’s in the USA. Otherwise, why would they invite us to play in their tournament in their country.
“why would they invite us to play in their tournament in their country”
Because the US has been invited to Copa America in South America a few times before.
.
do you know how Copa America works? they invite teams from other confederations every time.
OK… Sounds like someone is trying to get even more money for not pulling out the tourney from the US…
BTW, if this gets done, it’ll be with crap rosters. Many players, Messi included will decline because they just played the “real” copa america and the South American qualifiers are underway. Expect half of the squads to be u-23s
Just make it in 2019.
its on the official calendar so your top players should be there.. if it happens. there are no qualifiers that summer.
but yes, I hope that this is the (return) beginning of the USA participating in the real Copa’s starting in Brazil 2019!
Players can still refuse themselves.
I’d love for the Gold Cup and Copa America to merge. You could just have the ten South American teams and the six teams from the previous version of the Hex, and there’s your 16 teams. Not sure there are the right financial incentives to do it but it would be cool.
Clearly, you do!
Who gives a sh*t….
If I were a citizen of a South American country I would be outraged. How do you outsource the 100th year edition of our most revered competition. Money isn’t everything!
That is what I was thinking when I first heard it might be coming to the US. It would be just as silly as CONCACAF holding their 100th Anniversary tournament in Brazil etc.Choose 1 South American country. It is too difficult to have it across multiple countries. Brazil alone is about the size as the continental US, and don’t forget how huge Argentina is as well.
This is just an extra edition of it. Plus, everyone loves money.
all 10 South American nations have a significant expat population in the USA, more so than most SA nations. Plus we have lots of nice big stadiums..
There are also significant South American populations in Southern Europe. It is a South American competition and the oldest international competition in the world (pre-dates the World Cup and other confederation competitions), keep it there.
Geez, it’s only one time. They aren’t moving it here permanently. And this version of it includes the US, so why not have it here?
Perhaps It ain’t everything, but it certainly is what drives and motivates competitive sports. National pride, loyalty to a club or city……… these things are promotional ploys… fodder meant to bait, stoke the emotions, irrational devotion and spending of the consumer.
CONMEBOL isn’t the first to sell out their home fans to tap into dollars/profit in the U.S. See: Mx national team, Gold Cup That most any foreign Club or national team outdraws our own is a pretty good indication that we need to continue to up or game.
“The planned 2016 Copa America was originally scheduled to be played in the United States, but allegations of $100 million in bribes that are part of the highly-publicized FIFA scandal have put that in jeopardy.”
This makes it sound like the US bribed CONMEBOL and FIFA to get the Copa America.
I agree. We didn’t though right?
When the Copa America Centario ’16 was first announced, my recollection is that the USSF basically said, “What? We didn’t agree to host that tournament?!?!”
CONMEBOL announced the tournament in the Fall of 2012, but it wasn’t until May of 2014 that CONCACAF confirmed it.
1st two paragraphs of this article is what I remember:
http://www.espnfc.com/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/1840699/copa-america-2016-is-taking-shape-to-be-played-in-the-united-states
This is clearly payback for the DOJ indictments. I’ll take losing Copa if it means taking on corruption in the game.
^This
JD,
It might just be a practical thing.
Maybe people just don’t want to have to travel to the US if they become vulnerable to arrest.
Does this mean the Copa will be held in a country with a weak extradition treaty?
The players don’t need to fear indictment. And the tournament can proceed without the confederation’s leaders. (See, WWC 2015.) Thus, retribution for having a (semi-)functional, impartial judicial system would appear to be the logical motive. They can make money with this tournament in South America. But who hosted the most profitable, best-attended World Cup? They will make much more money for everyone if they stage it here.
when conmebol discovered that soccer in USA is just an ethnic girls sport in schools…that was all it took
Then why post on a blog of a sport that you think so little of…..
Easy does it…..
tga is joking. Referring to a comment made recently by the FIFA “reform” executive.
whoooooooooooosh
Dang it FIFA, got it here with what they do best, then screw it up with the type of comment they do best.
tga,
Is there a comma between “ethnic” and “girls”?
Way to go FBI investigation
I’m scratching my head not sure what to make of your comment. I’m not sure if you are bing sarcastic or supportive of the FBI…
I think he’s supportive of the old FIFA
they’re afraid la señora Lynch will arrest them. I’m ok with them putting it in Mexico with some games in Mex DF, Monterrey, TJ, Mexicali, San Diego, Phoenix, and El Paso, with of course no Conmebol officials attending the games on US soil.
Am I the only one who thinks the South American competition should be in South America. Mexico is not South America.
Depends on who you ask, everyone outside of Mexico and the US, think Mexico is part of S. America, especially Europeans.
That is not true. I lived in Europe during part of of my childhood and adulthood in Europe. They have a better grasp of geography than Americans. In fact, I also lived in part of Africa and been to multiple countries in all continents except Australia and Antarctica. People rarely, is ever, made that mistake.
Thanks Obama!
lord beyns is a Sepp Blatter fan.
Thanks El Nino.