Scotty
12 Mar 2007, 09:40 AM
From a Tim Vickery column in BBC Sports:
In recent tournaments two teams from outside South America - usually from the Concacaf region - have been invited to take part.
Last time it was Mexico and Costa Rica and a repeat might have been expected this time. It would make the competition an exclusively Latin American affair, in keeping with the efforts made by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to set himself up as a spokesman for the region.
But instead, along with Mexico, the United States were invited and have accepted the chance to take part in the competition for the first time since 1995. They are not in the same group as Venezuela, but the two countries could easily meet in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Chavez and US president George Bush exchange unpleasantries in their rival tours of the region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6440817.stm
In recent tournaments two teams from outside South America - usually from the Concacaf region - have been invited to take part.
Last time it was Mexico and Costa Rica and a repeat might have been expected this time. It would make the competition an exclusively Latin American affair, in keeping with the efforts made by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to set himself up as a spokesman for the region.
But instead, along with Mexico, the United States were invited and have accepted the chance to take part in the competition for the first time since 1995. They are not in the same group as Venezuela, but the two countries could easily meet in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Chavez and US president George Bush exchange unpleasantries in their rival tours of the region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6440817.stm