July 7 – With England defeating Austria 1-0 in the curtain-raiser of Euro 2022 and the Concacaf Women’s Championship in full swing, the Copa America takes centre stage on Friday when Bolivia and Ecuador kick off the South American competition.
Brazil will go into the 9th edition of the tournament as favourites, even if they are without an injured Marta, the retired Formiga and Cristiane – the first time since 1995 the Brazilians will have played without any of these three stars.
Brazil coach Pia Sundhage will consider this tournament a transitional phase to whip her team into shape ahead of the 2023 World Cup. They will face Peru, Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay in Group B and could claim their 8th title. The defending champions defeated Colombia 3-0 in the final of the previous Copa America. In 2006, Argentina won the competition on home soil.
In Group A, hosts Colombia, who also bid for the 2023 World Cup, will play Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay. The tournament will be played across Cali, Armenia and Bucaramanga with big crowds expected in the three host cities. It is the last time the Copa America will be staged on a quadrennial basis. Conmebol plan to organise the competition every two years in the future.
In April, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez announced increased prize money for the competition, with the winners taking $1.5 million home and the runners-up $500,000.
The tournament doubles up as World Cup qualifying, providing three direct sports and two play-off spots for next year’s global finals co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The two finalists of the Copa America will represent South America at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714159742labto1714159742ofdlr1714159742owedi1714159742sni@i1714159742tnuk.1714159742ardni1714159742mas1714159742