WF: US to Host Copa America
 

U.S. to host and play in 2016 Copa America with Mexico and four other CONCACAF teams

Dirty Tackle, 25 October 2012

Dubbed the Copa America Centennial, the special tournament will include the U.S. and Mexico as fixed participants along with four other CONCACAF teams, which will be decided through the Gold Cup, and 10 CONMEBOL teams.

The Copa America Centennial take place between the already scheduled 2015 Copa America in Chile and 2019 tournament in Brazil and will mark the first time the tournament has been held outside of South America. As unique as this event will be, it's far from the first time CONCACAF teams have taken part. Costa Rica (best finish: quarterfinals in 2001 and 2004), Honduras (3rd in 2001), Mexico (2nd in 1993 and 2001) and the U.S. (4th in 1995) have all participated as invited nations in the past (Canada was invited in 2001 but withdrew). Costa Rica and Mexico both played in 2011, but failed to make it out of the group stage.

It's hard not to see the decision to hold this tournament in the U.S. as CONMEBOL's attempt to cash in (and maybe distract from the expanded 24-team Euro 2016) with a bunch of B-squads, but it still sounds like a really fun idea. It could also be the first step towards CONMEBOL and CONCACAF joining forces with UEFA to put together a "World Cup II: Don't Tell Sepp" as an even bigger cash grab.