For the fifth time in its 103 year history, the Copa will take place in Brazil, featuring the ten South American nations – plus Japan and Qatar.
This might seem a strange mix. But for ten tournaments – in over a quarter of a century, the number has been bumped up, usually to 12. This enables three groups of four, with the best eight teams going through to the quarter finals.
The two ringers have usually been Mexico plus one other, normally from CONCACAF, the region compromising North and Central America plus the Caribbean.
There were grandiose plans this year to up the number to 16, and bring over the likes of Spain and Portugal, the continent’s colonisers.
But Europe came up with its new Nations League. The CONCACAF countries are busy with their Gold Cup, while Africa is staging its Cup of Nations.
Asia, whose continental tournament is taking place at the moment, were the only option.
And so in come Japan – who took part in the Copa back in 1999, and debutants Qatar, warming up for their own World Cup in 2022.
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Mexico have reached a couple of finals. Usually, though, the guests are expected to take their leave early; bring their audience and TV money, and then fail to make the last eight, as happened to Japan in 1999.
Twenty years on, however, the Japanese are much stronger, with a succession of World Cup appearances behind them.
And Qatar won a 4-3 victory over Ecuador as recently as last October. Moreover, the two invited teams will arrive in Brazil battle hardened after their exploits in the Asian Cup.
They should be much better prepared than some of their opponents. The role of the Copa in recent times has been to kick start the next phase of competitive action in South America.
Since the World Cup there have been nothing but friendlies. The sides who failed to qualify for Russia have not played a competitive game since October 2017.
Usually the next set of qualifiers get going straight after the Copa – and so, hosts apart, many sides see the tournament primarily as a warm up preparing a team to fight for a place in the next World Cup.
But Qatar 2022 will not be played until the end of the year. This has pushed back the start of the qualification campaign.
Instead of this September or October, the qualifiers will not get underway until March of next year.
There is, then, a marked lack of urgency about some of the South American national teams.
Colombia are still without a coach. Bolivia appointed theirs less than two weeks ago.
Copa America Draw
The 2019 Copa America will be played between June 14th to July 7th
Group A: Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru
Group B: Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Qatar
Group C: Uruguay, Ecuador, Japan, Chile
Argentina will go to the Copa under the command of former West Ham right back Lionel Scaloni, an inexperienced caretaker boss unlikely to be handed the job on a long term basis.
Paraguay have played a grand total of one game under their new coach.
And there are only the March FIFA dates before the Copa squads are announced.
There is a chance, then that some of the South American sides will be seriously undercooked when June comes round – and an opportunity for Japan and Qatar to spring a surprise or two.
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