Uruguay among Copa America seeds
Reuters - Monday 18 October 2010, 23:42
ASUNCION, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Hosts Argentina, holders
Brazil and Uruguay will be the seeds for next month's draw for
the 2011 Copa America, the South American Football
Confederation (CSF) said on Monday.
Chile, although not seeded to head one of the three groups,
have been guaranteed they will play in the Andean region of
Cuyo, just across their border with Argentina.
"The only team with definite cities is Chile, who will go
to the Cuyo region," CSF general secretary Eduardo Deluca told
reporters at the body's headquarters outside Asuncion where it
held an executive committee meeting.
The draw for the 12-nation tournament to be played in
Argentina next July will be held on November 11 in the Argentine
city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires province.
Cuyo comprises the western provinces of Mendoza and San
Juan. Other venues are Salta and Jujuy in the northwest and
Santa Fe and Cordoba in the centre-north.
Each seeded team will play two matches in their venue
stadiums and one in La Plata, which is 60 km from Buenos Aires.
River Plate's Monumental, which doubles as the national stadium
in the capital, will hold the July 24 final.
"The seeded team that ends up in the same group as Chile
will have to play two matches in the area of San Juan and
Mendoza and one match at the City of La Plata stadium since all
the seeds are going to play one match there," Deluca said.
Argentina and Uruguay have won the Copa America, the South
American championship, 14 times each. Brazil, who beat
Argentina in the last two finals in 2004 and 2007, have won it
eight times.
Regular guest team Mexico and Japan have been invited to
join the 10 CSF member nations in the tournament.
The meeting also discussed the South American qualifiers
for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and Deluca said the CSF would
fight to retain its four and a half berths. The half berth is
valid for a playoff with a team from another confederation.
Brazil are automatically qualified for the next World Cup
as hosts.
"We are prepared to defend (our places) tooth and nail
because when (the World Cup) was played in Asia, the Asian
berths were respected and the same happened with Africa and
Europe."