Is CONMEBOL Overrated?
That wasn't a misprint in the title. It is a serious question and if you have been watching the 2007 Copa America you should ask the same of CONMEBOL. At the risk of sounding like the epitomy of a "Euro Snob", I can't help but wonder if any of the participating nations besides Brazil and Argentina would qualify for Euro '08. Indeed, were it not for those 2 great footballing nations there really is not much to get excited about when watching Copa America.
Mexico, an invited nation out of CONCACAF, even managed to dominate Brazil during the group stage meeting and have looked as impressive as the Argentines have. But consider the tournament as a whole to this point. What matches have been of epic quality that would be expected from such a highly regarded region? Some of the play during the group stage was unwatchable. I'm speaking of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and even Venezuela. Yes, Group A winners Venezuela! I don't care that they were on home soil, how does Venezuela win their group after going some 30 years without winning a Copa America match?
Okay, so maybe the group stage was sloppy, unattractive football hardly reminiscent of what I have come to expect from South America. But then, the knockout round arrives and we get scores like Uruguay 4 - Venezuela 1, Brazil 6 - Chile 1, Mexico 6 - Paraguay 0 and Argentina 4 - Peru 0. These are the quarterfinal results of what is supposed to be one of the top 2 football regions on the planet. To me, these scores reflect an enormous amount of mediocrity and a tiny amount of world class talent. That amount of talent is reduced when you - once again - consider Mexico is not part of this region but could easily win the competition.
Maybe the semi-finals will live up to the hype. As I write this Brazil leads Uruguay by a goal at the half. The first half featured shocking defending from both squads and plenty of unorganized play. I fully expect Argentina and Mexico to be nothing short of outstanding in that semi-final clash.
I would like to see CONCACAF and CONMEBOL get together and combine their competitions on years when a Confederations Cup spot is not up for grabs. They should have a true Football Cup of the Americas and see if the US can be coaxed in to bringing a full strength side. There is no one that can convince me nations like Canada, Guatemala, T &T and even Guadelupe couldn't hold their own against some of the stinkers that have competed in Copa America this year.
It could very well hold true that either Brazil, Argentina or Mexico would always win such a tournament. With Uruguay or the US pulling off the occassional upset to reach a final, but it would have to make for an overall more exciting competition than what the Gold Cup and the Copa have produced in 2007.
I don't want to sound disrespectful to CONMEBOL, but I think some of the enthusiasm for how great this region is should be reigned in. It may very well be the 2nd most prestigious footballing region behind UEFA. But it is no where near as deep. And if it must be regarded as 2nd best, it is a very distant 2nd.
Mexico, an invited nation out of CONCACAF, even managed to dominate Brazil during the group stage meeting and have looked as impressive as the Argentines have. But consider the tournament as a whole to this point. What matches have been of epic quality that would be expected from such a highly regarded region? Some of the play during the group stage was unwatchable. I'm speaking of Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and even Venezuela. Yes, Group A winners Venezuela! I don't care that they were on home soil, how does Venezuela win their group after going some 30 years without winning a Copa America match?
Okay, so maybe the group stage was sloppy, unattractive football hardly reminiscent of what I have come to expect from South America. But then, the knockout round arrives and we get scores like Uruguay 4 - Venezuela 1, Brazil 6 - Chile 1, Mexico 6 - Paraguay 0 and Argentina 4 - Peru 0. These are the quarterfinal results of what is supposed to be one of the top 2 football regions on the planet. To me, these scores reflect an enormous amount of mediocrity and a tiny amount of world class talent. That amount of talent is reduced when you - once again - consider Mexico is not part of this region but could easily win the competition.
Maybe the semi-finals will live up to the hype. As I write this Brazil leads Uruguay by a goal at the half. The first half featured shocking defending from both squads and plenty of unorganized play. I fully expect Argentina and Mexico to be nothing short of outstanding in that semi-final clash.
I would like to see CONCACAF and CONMEBOL get together and combine their competitions on years when a Confederations Cup spot is not up for grabs. They should have a true Football Cup of the Americas and see if the US can be coaxed in to bringing a full strength side. There is no one that can convince me nations like Canada, Guatemala, T &T and even Guadelupe couldn't hold their own against some of the stinkers that have competed in Copa America this year.
It could very well hold true that either Brazil, Argentina or Mexico would always win such a tournament. With Uruguay or the US pulling off the occassional upset to reach a final, but it would have to make for an overall more exciting competition than what the Gold Cup and the Copa have produced in 2007.
I don't want to sound disrespectful to CONMEBOL, but I think some of the enthusiasm for how great this region is should be reigned in. It may very well be the 2nd most prestigious footballing region behind UEFA. But it is no where near as deep. And if it must be regarded as 2nd best, it is a very distant 2nd.
posted by Anonymous at 8:25 PM
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