After staging such a wonderfuly tournament (honestly, each of the first six games were so very entertaining), CONMEBOL should be ashamed of itself of the way it has handled he final group stage game. Everyone knows that you should hold the final group stage games at the same time so you can avoid the "we'll just pretend to try and we'll both go through" games. Venezuela-Uruguay was a completely drab affair. Already knowing what had taken place in the Bolivia-Peru game, both teams were content to just sit and wait for the game to end 0-0. Afte such an entertaining tourament, it was just sad to see. Venezuela knew they just had to pick up one point to secure top position and were more than happy to oblige. FIFA took care of his problem a few World Cups back by conducting the final group stage games at the same time in different cities (and with NINE stadiums, Copa America has more than enough venues to pull it off). So far, this has been the biggest problem I've seen with how this tournament has been staged and handled. I think it is a shame though or fans to pay good money to attend a match and end up watching a game like Uruguay and Venzuela where neither team appeared to be that interested in pushing for a winner.
You're absolutely spot on. I was very surprised to see this set up for the last games of the group stage. I thought this was basic, mandatory stuff in this day and age...
that;s not the only thing. what about the quarterfinals? Venezuela playing Uruguay again??? All was laid out to help Venezuela go far in the tournament. it's a shame.
At least they didn't play to leave a team purposely out of the knockout stages like West Germany and Austria did to Algeria in 1982. That was THE most disgraceful football moment in history. I am also disappointed in CONMEBOL not playing the final matches at the same time.
everything is constructed so the country hosting the cup as well as brazil and argentina advance this has been around for ages.
I really, really don't understand the quarterfinal lineup???? Why in the world is Venezuela playing Uruguay??? They came from the same group. But at least that's a first place vs third place match. what about.... Brazil vs. Chile???!!! What a joke!! Why are first place teams playing second place teams while second place teams are playing third place teams?! It just does not make sense. If you come in second in your group, you should play another runner up or a group winner. Group winners should only get the luxury of playing a wild card third place team. The quarterfinals should look... Venezuela vs Chile Peru vs. Brazil Mexico vs. Paraguay Argentina vs. Uruguay Would be a much better QF match up... this current one is bullshLt
T1 - The best 3rd placed team T2 - The second best 3rd placed team This is AFAIK the QF setup: A1 vs. T2 B2 vs. T3 B1 vs. C2 C1 vs. A2 The hosts are usually in group A. If they win the group, this setup basically helps them advance to the semifinal or final of the Copa America. First, they face the worst of the 3rd placed qualifiers and if they win, they will not meet a group winner in the semifinal. More money for CONMEBOL. About the last matchday of the group. The last 2 matches were played as a double header in the same stadium to generate more interest and... more money for CONEMBOL.
I would go with Mexico - Peru Brazil - Paraguay If you win your group (Mexico) you should be rewarded by playing against the weakest second placed team (Peru).
and I thought CONCACAF was bad. They at least thinly veil their disguise at keeping the US & Mexico apart. Ridiculous.
the morons at CONMEBOL didn't count on Group A being the most competitive (Venezuela getting 1st place with only 5 points and a 1pt difference between 1st and 2nd/3rd) and therefore getting a 3rd place team from that Group. Logic sense would've said that the two best 3rd place teams would come from Group B and C. Then, it wouldn't have looked that bad.
If you win your group, you should get one of the 3rd place teams. and if they are from the same group, reverse them. Very Simple.
Man these brackets are so loopsided that it aint even funny! Why are teams from the same groups playing each other again? and why is Mexico who is a 1st place team and has more points then Venezuela playing a 2nd place team insted of a 3rd? It should be... Argentina vs Chile Mexico vs Uruguay Venezuela vs Brasil Paraguay vs Peru I understand their trying to keep Venezuela away from the best teams but didnt Peru have to play Argentina early in the last Copa America? so why is Venezuela getting this special treatment?
But the Americans still should have taken this tournament seriously... and have shamed it's perfection by not bringing their best...
Can anyone blame the US for not taking this seriously now? What idiot would set up brackets where there are two group rematches in the quarters? Worse still, how can one justify a second place team (Brazil) playing a third place team? I never thought I'd point to CONCACAF as an example of how to do things - but the Gold Cup had the same basic setup and their brackets for the knockout stage made far more sense. This doesn't even touch on the 'draw' rigging the hosts with the easiest group possible. Seriously, when was the last time Boliva wasn't in the host's group?
Who cares about the draw. These CONMEBOL "idiots" only have NINE World Cup championships. It ain't about the draw, it's about the games. The Gold Cup was so well organized- YAY! But North American soccer still has no chance. There's no excuse- the US had an opportunity to step up, play great teams, and just blew it. I'm amazed how shortsighted everyone is. The US cannot win the World Cup without playing South American teams regularly.
CONCACAF was just as guilty of doing the same thing CONMEBOL did in the group stages, but at least they didn't have any group rematches in the quarterfinals or have a second-place team play a third-place team.
Actually this time it was set up for Brazil in Argentina to be in the same side of the bracket, so that neither would have to face Venezuela before the final. But Brazil ********ed it up by losing to Mexico.
Yeah, that is right. The draw sucks, but when all is said and done, if you expect to win you still have to beat everybody. Nobody should use the draw as an excuse. And, while your last sentence may be a bit over the top, I agree that the US would do well to send its best players to compete against South American opposition. The premise of this thread, that the Us should not take this tournament seriously because the draw is drawn poorly, is ridiculous. Sounds like a copout.
Not the premise of the thread and not even the premise of my post - we didn't deserve to advance but you can't blame us for prioritizing our own confederational championship first. That was just a throwaway line on my part. My main point is that CONMEBOL look like total amateurs trying to run a tournament, even if some of the competition is good.
a 1st place played a 2nd place team and a 2nd place team vs. 2nd place team. http://www.terra.com/deportes/articulo/html/fox379325.htm Both [confederations] are lacking organization on this side of the world.
The premise of this thread had nothing to do with how the US took this tournament. I agree that it is unfortunate that we sent an understrength team, but that was never the point of this thread (I should know, I started it). The point is that this tournament was really poorly organized. The Gold Cup was set up the same way, but we managed to go into the final set of games with a lot of things on the line. I thought we had learned from FIFA's past that you need to play final group games at the same time. Copa had enough stadiums to do it but failed to persue it. Also, the fact that we have rematches in the second round is rediculous. That should never happen. Take a gander at the Gold Cup set up and see that it was impossible to end up with rematches in the second game. And second place teams should never be playing third place teams. This makes no sense whatsoever.
If you think that is bad look at chile we have to play brazil twice and we are in the same group. We just our asses kick 3-0 by brazil and we have to do it all over again. Conmebol sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!