It's been very quiet around a 2020 centenario redux. Perhaps because CONMEBOL is still struggling filling its six guest spots for the (expanded) 2019 Copa America. Looks like the initially rumored Spain/Portugal invitations are out the window: 974636901180366848 is not a valid tweet id I'm sure Qatar will jump on the invitation but Japan, South Korea and China are in the middle of their domestic seasons during the Copa. Australia may send a team assembled from A-League players on their break.
I think it has to do with everyone being focused on the World Cup. After the World Cup I expect Univision or some other outlet to leak some info on the proposed 2020 Copa.
It feels like they are competing with the AFA (Argentina) to see who can come up with the most ridiculous competition around. Whats dumber: a 16 team tournament for a confederation with only 10 members or a 30-team first division? Tough choice.
A 20 team tournament with 10 CONCACAF teams and 10 CONMEBOL teams. (Yes , I have heard this rumor recently, no joke.)
10 teams is not ideal, and it's not CONMEBOL's fault how many members they have. I agree that Argentina shouldn't have a 30 club first division. A 10 team tournament requires groups with unequal amounts of teams or 2 groups of 5. 2 groups of 5 requires 5 Group Stage matchdays, including each team having 1 matchday off. If the top two in each group advanced to the Semifinals, the tournament would take 7 matchdays. That's more than the 6 matchdays required by 3 or 4 groups of 4 with the finalists playing 3 Group Stage games and 3 games after that. Alternatively, the bottom 4 could be paired for 2 elimination games before a Group Stage with 2 groups fo 4. That format would require 6 matchdays.
Not ideal, but neither is 12 or 20. Having 16 teams with almost half the teams from other confederations is not only mickey-mouse, but it starts to lose its South American identity. I'd rather just have two groups of 3 and one group of 4. What's so wrong with that? Groups of 3 aren't ideal, but as long as we're having them in the freakin' WC you can have it in Copa America. A second (better) option is to have an 8-team with qualification like every other region has.
Hopefully it remains a rumour and nothing more. Like I mention above, there comes a point when the tournament loses its identity. At which point I'd be like, "why am I watching this? It feels like a watered-down Confederation Cup."
Conmebol could have 12 countries if they wanted and Suriname, Guyana accepted. *French Guyana is not a FIFA member, so they could stay in Concacaf. 2 groups of 5, that is 4 games per team per group (5 match dates) then top 2 advance to Semifinals. I am sure that has been tried before.
True. That's not so bad either. Actually I like it, used in CONMEBOL youth qualifying tournaments. 7 matchdays total - same as the Euros and African Cup of Nations. Its actually better than six groups of 4 if you think about it. Every game matters if only 2 out of 5 teams advance from each group.
How would you determine who advances? Would you advance the best second place team while taking out the game against the fourth place team? That's what UEFA did in WCQs, but it's unusual for it to happen in a tournament. The Olympics had 10 Women's Soccer teams in 2004 with two groups of 3 and one group of 4 before expanding to 12 teams in 2008. If the groups of have amounts of teams, every day of the Group Stage can have an equal amount of games. With unequal groups, there would be 1 game on days when a group of 3 played and 2 games on days when a group of 4 played. Teams in a group of 4 would have the disadvantages of one more chance for players to get injured or to get two yellows and a suspension.
To compensate the teams in the 4-team group they can put the lowest-ranked team in that group. Or they can re-set the yellow-card records after the group stage. Yeah, its not ideal but I would prefer that over a 16 or 20-team tournament that has no identity (and might not even be played in South America). But the best option for me would just to have two groups of 5.
Two groups of five was the format for the 1989 and 1991 tournaments. But the top two teams from each group advanced to form another group, round robin with the winner of the group declared champion. It worked out nicely in 1989 as the final group match between Brazil and Uruguay essentially became a 'final' just as in the 1950 World Cup. 1991 wasn't quite as smooth as the final group matches, played in the same stadium, had second place Brazil (v third place Chile) kicking off first followed immediately by leaders Argentina (v bottom dwellers Colombia) who knew what result/scoreline was needed to become champion. 1993 began the practice of inviting non-CONMEBOL members.
Looks Qatar is definitely in for 2019: http://www.goal.com/en/news/qatar-t...-2019-copa-america/1a24ouoilmgkh1r70tbl2ts962
Makes sense. They want to play as many competative matches as possible next cycle without any WC qualifiers to worry about.
Brazilians are probably tripping over each other to get hands on tickets to see Qatar. This is why having a 10-team tournament is not a problem to be avoided at all costs. Yes groups of unequal size are not ideal, odd # of teams in a group is also not ideal. BUT... invite Qatar, China and/or Mexico "D" team essentially creates 3-team groups anyway. Its just that teams are collecting 3 points instead of having a bye for one matchday. So format issues exist regardless, but now you have a Copa with no identity. In fact there will be some matches involving 2 non-CONMEBOL teams.
It all comes down to what it always comes down to. More television reveue and money.. Talking about reverting back to 5 team groups is like talking about shutting down the internet and going back to the telegraph.
And if the East Asian associations don't want to disturb the domestic season I'm sure Saudi Arabia and the UAE wouldn't mind a couple of invites.
I'm totally fine with a 16-team Copa América. I'm also fine with inviting Mexico, Costa Rica, United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea and/or Australia.
I'm not fine if its means some of them bringing their B or C teams to the cup. That ********ing sucks.
When its Qatar, Canada and China does it matter if its A or B team? I hope Messi sits this one out to send a message. Fake another retirement, whatever it takes!
I think we all know it is not the teams fault that they bring the "B" or "C" teams. Euro Clubs will not allow Mexico, Costa Rica and USA to call up their stars for both the Copa and Gold Cup. And the CONCACAF also does not want those teams to focus on the Copa because they want those players healthy at the Gold Cup. So let's not make it seem like teams are just bringing their benchers because they want to.
Five team groups would imply 20 group stage matches and least 4 KO stage matches, which is a negligible difference from the 12-team format. Perhaps more importantly, two 5-team groups would mean more guaranteed fixtures involving the big draws - Brazil, Argentina and whoever the host is. I would think that is important because, unlike the Euros, Copa America doesn't automatically draw lots of viewers no matter who is playing. But what do I know...