Football is coming to Venezuela from June 26 to July 15 in the form of the 42nd edition of the Copa America. Expect some upsets, this could the best tournament yet.

Heads up football fans, with the 2006/2007 season drawing to a close and the miserable prospect of a long summer without a World or European Cup to carry you through the off-season, think again, all is not lost, for this year is the 42nd Copa America hosted for the first time by Venezuela.

While baseball is quite openly the host country’s national sport, football may be exactly the tonic to improve Venezuela’s image abroad. It is a phenomenal country of contrasts and for the football fan, there is a bit of everything to keep one occupied between matches, white sandy beaches, plains, jungles, deserts and the shoulder of the Andes.

This year’s event is a mouth watering prospect with perennial favourites Argentina and Brazil set to blood younger and no less terrifyingly effective squads. This tournament could be the most well-balanced Copa America of them all. Uruguay, Colombia and Chile have been undergoing a period of restructuring and will travel to Venezuela with quiet confidence and much to prove. Paraguay and Ecuador can never be written off and perhaps the Peruvian and Bolivian sides can spring a surprise. The hosts Venezuela have been steadily climbing the FIFA rankings with respectable performances, don’t expect them to win, but on home turf they could better their record best in the competition of 5th place…in 1967!

The two invitation teams to the tournament are the United States and Mexico, both powerhouses with substantial mileage and ability from the Concacaf region (Central American and Caribbean).

Taking place every two years but is deferred if it falls in a World Cup year, the Copa America is the platform to show how much South American football has progressed. One can never really predict the outcome of this tournament since there is usually a little more to each match than meets the eye, so often do these teams meet, both in this competition and the long and very drawn out World Cup qualifying rounds.

Can Bolivia use their matches at altitude in Merida to topple Peru, and can Colombia, playing in Maracaibo and Barquisimeto, close to the motherland, bring with them a fan base to unnerve even the most resolute opposition such as the United States, Argentina and Paraguay?

A number of European based players such as Kaka and Ronaldhino have requested exemption from the tournament but this does nothing to diminish the tantalising line up of nations. The importance of the Copa America has grown beyond the big Continent, players know that this is another ideal stage upon which to market their wares and secure a big money transfer to the European domestic leagues.

Groups and Matches

Group A – Venezuela, Bolivia, Uruguay, Perú.

26/6 – Mérida: Uruguay vs. Perú

26/6 – San Cristóbal: Venezuela vs. Bolivia

30/6 – San Cristóbal: Bolivia vs. Uruguay

30/6 – San Cristóbal: Venezuela vs. Perú

03/7 – Mérida: Perú vs. Bolivia

03/7 – Mérida: Venezuela vs. Uruguay

Group B – Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador (The group of death)

27/6 – Puerto Ordaz: Ecuador vs. Chile

27/6 – Puerto Ordaz: Brazil vs. México

01/7 – Maturin: Brazil vs. Chile

01/7 – Maturín: México vs. Ecuador

04/7 – Puerto La Cruz: México vs. Chile

04/7 – Puerto La Cruz: Brazil vs. Ecuador

Group C – Argentina, United States, Paraguay, Colombia

28/6 – Maracaibo: Paraguay vs. Colombia

28/6 – Maracaibo: Argentina vs. United Status

02/7 – Barinas: United Status vs. Paraguay

02/7 – Maracaibo: Argentina vs. Colombia

05/7 – Barquisimeto: Colombia vs. United Status

05/7 – Barquisimeto: Argentina vs. Paraguay

Quarter-Finals

07/7 – San Cristóbal: Winner A vs. 2nd Best Third –S1

07/7 – Barinas: Best Third vs. Runner up B – S2

08/7 – Maturin: Winner B vs. Runner up C – S3

08/7 – Barquisimeto: Winner C vs. Runner up A – S4

Semi-Finals

10/7 – Caracas: Winner S1 vs. Winner S2

11/7 – Puerto Ordaz: Winner S3 vs. Winner S4

Third Place

14/7 – Caracas

Final

15/7 – Maracaibo (see the final write up here)

See the summary of the Group pahse and write up for the Quarter Finals here