Chile's President Michelle Bachelet during the official draw for the 2015 Copa America. (Photo : Reuters)
The 44th edition of Copa America is set to begin on Thursday, June 11, and will continue up to July 4 for the tournament finals. Twelve teams, including ten South American (CONMEBOL) nations and two invited national teams will vie for the title.
From CONMEBOL, the national teams are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and host nation Chile. Invited teams are from Mexico and Jamaica.
The winner of Copa America, or the highest placed CONMEBOL team (in case Mexico or Jamaica wins), will be eligible for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
The teams are divided into three groups of four, namely: Group A - Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, and Bolivia; Group B - Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Jamaica; Group C - Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.
Three points will be given for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. The top two teams from each group plus the top two best third-placed teams from the three groups will advance in the knockout quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will feature four matches, namely: Group A Top 1 vs Third placer Group B or C; Group A Top 2 vs Group C Top 2; Group B Top 1 vs Third placer Group A or C; and Group C Top 1 vs Group B Top 2.
From there the winners will advance to the semifinals and the finals respectively. (Source: CA2015)
As for the top three teams of this year's tournament, the favorites remain the same: Argentina, Brazil, and whoever is the host nation, which, in this case, is Chile, per ESPN.
Perhaps defending champion Uruguay will have something to say about the top three seeded teams, but of the past 11 Copa Americas, nine times it was either Argentina, Brazil or the host nation who was crowned champions.
However, the two times that a non-host or Brazilian or Argentinian team was the winner, it was both Uruguayan squads that came out on top in 1987 and 2011. Curiously, both times, the host of the games were Argentina.
Prediction: Argentina will win over Chile in the finals. But Brazil or Uruguay may crash the championship party.
