The Copa América, getting closer to being made in the United States

The organization of the Copa América is a headache for everyone. First for Conmebol, which still has no certainties and its demands put the teams that are going to participate in a bind. Later, Colombia suffered, which was unable to organize it. Argentina is also in this mess, since the voices of refusal to host the event are the majority and there are doubts about whether it will be able to organize it, despite presenting strict protocols.

Therefore, in the last hours an alternative was added: the United States would be willing to organize the edition that will begin on June 11. Are you moving to another country? For now, the official logo of the Copa América no longer announces the competition in Argentina or Colombia...

Last year the organization was going to be jointly between Argentina and Colombia, but a few days ago the coffee-growing country dropped from that role because of the deep social and health crisis that Colombians are experiencing due to the pandemic. The truth is that only our country remained as the absolute responsible and the possibility that Chile, Uruguay or Bolivia could replace Colombia was even considered. But, a few weeks before the tournament begins, Conmebol is studying the offer that came from the north of the continent: the United States wants to take over the organization of the competition.

For the South American institution the project is tempting. A tournament played entirely in North America, with top-of-the-line stadiums, the pandemic under control from a massive vaccination plan and, fundamentally, public in the stands, which translates into revenue... and dollars. The proposal came from the MLS and is being analyzed, although some Conmebol sources indicate that it will be rejected.

It should be noted that the United States hosted the Copa América Centenario, the special edition that was played in 2016 and that had Chile as champion, after beating the Argentine National Team on penalties, in the remembered final played at the MetLife Stadium.

Many demands

For the moment, Argentina is popping up and was willing to organize the event in a comprehensive manner, although the demands drew much attention to the entity chaired by Alejandro Domínguez: it is that Argentina requested a stricter protocol than that of the very same Eurocopa, in which the massive vaccination of all the delegations and the reduction of these to the indispensable minimum stand out.

In the next few hours there will be a formal definition, but just in case Conmebol is already analyzing plan B: is it being played in our country or is it moving to the United States? In fact, yesterday on social networks many were surprised not to see the original logo of the Copa América, because, given the possibility of changing the venue, the names of Argentina or Colombia are no longer displayed. Will the Copa América United States 2021 come?