2016 Copa America Centenario

[Dub Narcotic]

ELO, probably the best rating system, has the U.S. 13th, good for 6 in COMMEBOL. Mexico is tied for 16th.

[Alex]

Concacaf just tweeted this article:

Quick points, gold cup winner guaranteed spot in tournament and it's officially recognized on the fifa calendar.

I just have yet to find out what happens if either Guadeloupe or Martinique win the caribbean cup. Anybody know if they will be allowed to play in the centenario?

ZURICH (Friday, September 26, 2014)- The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and FIFA announced today that the FIFA Executive Committee has voted in favor of and officially added the centennial edition of the Copa America – the Centennial Cup America -- to the FIFA Events Calendar. The competition is set to be played June 3-26, 2016, in the United States.

“With its addition to the FIFA Calendar, the historic Centennial Cup America in 2016 is now set to be the most important full national team tournament hosted in the Americas since this year’s FIFA World Cup,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “We want to thank FIFA, all Confederations and all others involved for their unconditional support in this process, making sure that this once in a lifetime celebration was treated with the respect that the players, football fans around the world and participating countries deserve.”

The addition of the Centennial Cup America tournament to the 2016 FIFA Events Calendar means that all countries participating in the event will be able to call upon the services of their players from any club around the globe, allowing them to field the best teams possible.

“Knowing that Copa America is the oldest national team tournament in the history of football, it is an honor for us to have the event officially included in the international calendar and be able to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this event and the foundation of CONMEBOL,” expressed CONMEBOL President Juan Angel Napout.

In a 16-team field, CONMEBOL’s ten Member Associations – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela – will be joined by six competitors from CONCACAF, including host and 2013 Gold Cup champion United States, six-time Gold Cup champion Mexico and 2014 Central American Cup winner Costa Rica.

The champion of the 2014 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, the final round of which will be contested this November in Jamaica, will also earn a Centennial Cup America berth.

CONCACAF’s last pair of representatives will be determined through the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The four national teams advancing furthest in the biennial competition that had not previously confirmed their Centennial Cup America places will dispute playoff matches to decide the final two CONCACAF qualifiers to the Centennial America Cup.

The teams advancing to the playoff round will be seeded one through four according to their final Gold Cup placements. The highest seed will then face the fourth seed, and the second seed will face the third seed in a playoff doubleheader, with the winners qualifying for the Centennial Cup America.

If the winner of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup is a team not previously qualified to the 2016 Centennial Cup America, it will be awarded an automatic berth in the competition. The last CONCACAF spot would then be settled through a single-match playoff as explained above between the next two best performing teams that had not already qualified.

Argentina hosted the last Copa America in 2011, as Uruguay claimed a record fifteenth title. The next edition is set to be played in Chile in 2015.

wematch, a partnership between three international leaders in the soccer industry -- Full Play, Torneos and Traffic Sports -- holds the commercial rights for this tournament.

Copa America Centenario Participating Teams

CONMEBOL

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

Venezuela

CONCACAF

United States (host)

Mexico (seeded)

Costa Rica (2014 Central American Cup champion)

TBD (2014 CFU Caribbean Cup champion)

TBD (winner of 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup – if not one of the already qualified teams, or 2015 Gold Cup Playoff 1 winner)

TBD (2015 Gold Cup Playoff winner)

[nolando]

This is kind of exciting..dare I say the likelihood of it coming down to a one-off Honduras vs. Canada playoff seem very possible to me. That's a scary thought, but if we want to qualify for better tournaments like this or the WCQ final rounds we really should have to beat a team like Honduras, plain and simple.

[king1010]

a little confused with the last 2 spots. I was under the impression that the top 2 teams in the gold cup other than the 4 previously qualified gain entry to the copa. Is that what those last 2 qualification spots are implying?

 

or are there 2 playoffs? 

 

EDIT: Nvm i checked wikipedia. if you win the gold cup you automatically qualify. if a an already qualified team wins the gold cup then there are two playoffs as opposed to 1

 

if there are 2 playoff games are they home and away? and how do they determine who plays who?

[maccaliam]

This is kind of exciting..dare I say the likelihood of it coming down to a one-off Honduras vs. Canada playoff seem very possible to me. That's a scary thought, but if we want to qualify for better tournaments like this or the WCQ final rounds we really should have to beat a team like Honduras, plain and simple.

It scares me less if it is at a neutral venue though. I feel we could get a result if that's the situation, but I fear for any matches played in the near future in Honduras. The amount of times our players have mentioned it since it has happened, many are clearly still haunted by it and I don't think our MNT has the mental strength required to use that beating as something to spur them on.

[Alex]

The best four placed teams in the gold cup that haven't already qualified play each other 1v4 and 2v3 unless a team that hasn't qualified already wins the gold cup. I believe it's one game at a neutral venue

[canucklefan]

It scares me less if it is at a neutral venue though. I feel we could get a result if that's the situation, but I fear for any matches played in the near future in Honduras. The amount of times our players have mentioned it since it has happened, many are clearly still haunted by it and I don't think our MNT has the mental strength required to use that beating as something to spur them on.

Interesting comment on the neutral venue. I've always thought that we did better against the likes of Panama, Honduras, Jamaica, etc. in the GC rather than the WCQ.

[king1010]

Neautural venue in the states probably. Makes a big difference whether its a northern or southern state

[theaub]

Based on the new qualifying structure, the only FIFA date available would be the date in October 2015, so I would assume it would be in the south (Florida or LA)

[nolando]

Based on the new qualifying structure, the only FIFA date available would be the date in October 2015, so I would assume it would be in the south (Florida or LA)

 

What if they played the match attached to the Gold Cup, like  third-place match would?

[Raven]

After today's Caribbean Final qualification for the Gold Cup, Here is our competition in the Gold Cup for a spot in Copa America Centenario

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Panama

Cuba

Haiti

Trinidad and Tobago

[Keegan]

After today's Caribbean Final qualification for the Gold Cup, Here is our competition in the Gold Cup for a spot in Copa America Centenario

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Panama

Cuba

Haiti

Trinidad and Tobago

 

So from my understanding we need to finish top 4 of that group to be in a playoff and finish top 2 in there to go to the Copa. 

 

Honduras also still needs to beat French Guiana in a playoff to qualify for the Gold Cup.

[Raven]

So from my understanding we need to finish top 4 of that group to be in a playoff and finish top 2 in there to go to the Copa.

Honduras also still needs to beat French Guiana in a playoff to qualify for the Gold Cup.

Right...I was assuming since French Guiana is a non-FIFA member, they likely couldn't qualify for the Copa...and Honduras was in the Gold Cup. I stand corrected.

[Barthez-Battalion]

If we continue improving and some of our youngsters blossom early, we can definitely compete for a spot. We'll probably have to beat one of Panama, Honduras or Guatemala to get there though.

[king1010]

Makes a big difference if the game is played in the states vs central america

[Alex]

With all the fifa dates basically being locked up between the gold cup and copa America centenario, anybody have an idea when these playoffs matches will take place to determine the final two teams in the copa? There's a third place match this year so it's very likely a team in that game would need to qualify via a playoff so the game(s) can't be that day. This fall there's the third round of wcq then the start of the semi final group, that continues into next year and ends after this tournament is over. I really can't think of a date where these games can take place unless I'm completely missing something.

[Blackdude]

With all the fifa dates basically being locked up between the gold cup and copa America centenario, anybody have an idea when these playoffs matches will take place to determine the final two teams in the copa? There's a third place match this year so it's very likely a team in that game would need to qualify via a playoff so the game(s) can't be that day. This fall there's the third round of wcq then the start of the semi final group, that continues into next year and ends after this tournament is over. I really can't think of a date where these games can take place unless I'm completely missing something.

 

 

5-13 of October. It's one of the two windows in the  FIFA calendar  that doesn't have WCQ for CONCACAF teams between the two events and the other one overlaps with the Copa America Centenario.

[nfitz]

With all the fifa dates basically being locked up between the gold cup and copa America centenario, anybody have an idea when these playoffs matches will take place to determine the final two teams in the copa? There's a third place match this year so it's very likely a team in that game would need to qualify via a playoff so the game(s) can't be that day. This fall there's the third round of wcq then the start of the semi final group, that continues into next year and ends after this tournament is over. I really can't think of a date where these games can take place unless I'm completely missing something.

 

As far as I understand, the 2015 Gold Cup is the qualification mechanism for the 2 remaining spots.  If one or both of the 8 or 9 remaining teams don't make the Gold Cup Semis, and a playoff game is needed, then presumably teams are available on July 19 to July 26 for games ... and as noted above in October 2015.

[xcalibre]

As far as I understand, the 2015 Gold Cup is the qualification mechanism for the 2 remaining spots.  If one or both of the 8 or 9 remaining teams don't make the Gold Cup Semis, and a playoff game is needed, then presumably teams are available on July 19 to July 26 for games ... and as noted above in October 2015.

I believe playoffs are happening no matter what with the 4 best teams who haven't already qualified (ie. CR, Jamaica, Mex and US)

[king1010]

Ya i think playoffs are happening no matter what. Unless one of the 4 teams who hasnt already qualified wins the gold cup. Then they get automatic entry and there is only one playoff between 2 teams.

[nfitz]

Ya i think playoffs are happening no matter what. Unless one of the 4 teams who hasnt already qualified wins the gold cup. Then they get automatic entry and there is only one playoff between 2 teams.

 

Hmm.  The Gold Cup winner goes though.  Reading the bottom of http://www.concacaf.com/article/central-american-cup-tigo-2014-usa-championship-third-and-fifth-place-matchups-set - it's not very clear."Gold Cup Playoff Winner".

 

Though http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/05/01/copa-america-will-be-held-us-soil-in-2016 seems very clear "two teams determined by a playoff among the top four non-qualified teams at the 2015 Gold Cup."  So I guess that would have to be September then.  I wonder what the format will - home and away?

[Tuscan]

Quite frankly, and this is pessimism born our of how awful the U20s were yesterday, I don't see us making this, but the thought is nice. Yes the U20s aren't the ones who will be playing in these games, but we haven't seen much success from the senior side yet either. Just not in a good place here fellas.

[Shway]

Quite frankly, and this is pessimism born our of how awful the U20s were yesterday, I don't see us making this, but the thought is nice. Yes the U20s aren't the ones who will be playing in these games, but we haven't seen much success from the senior side yet either. Just not in a good place here fellas.

 

I understand your doubt in qualifying for this tourney, for me it will be really sad if Canada doesn't participate in it. I think we need a few of those fence sitters to join the team at the Gold Cup in order to qualify. Other than that.... with the current crop we have it will be difficult. 

 

2 spots up for grabs, but we have to beat the likely candidates of Honduras, Panama.

[Keegan]

Reasons why we have a good chance:

 

1) We are going to be in a group with Costa Rica and I assume Jamaica will be in our group as well (both have qualified and both are teams we have beat at the Gold Cup in the past 10 years)

2) Reaching the quarters of the Gold Cup will in all likelihood put us in the playoff

3) Playoff will be on neutral ground, where we are traditionally at our best

 

 

My only real fear is who the 4th team in the group is.  Safe to assume it's a Central American country so is it Panama or Honduras?  That is trouble, so let's hope for Guatemala or El Salvador. 

 

If the CONCACAF powers that be are smiling on us (how is it still a hand picked draw in this region?) we will see a group similar to 2007 (CR, 2 small islands and us).. if not and it's 2009 it will be (CR, Jamaica, El Salvador).  I'm thinking it will be the latter as we've fallen off so much lately that a group with us and CR as top dogs would be too weak. 

[king1010]

Quite frankly, and this is pessimism born our of how awful the U20s were yesterday, I don't see us making this, but the thought is nice. Yes the U20s aren't the ones who will be playing in these games, but we haven't seen much success from the senior side yet either. Just not in a good place here fellas.

 

Well to be fair we don't really need success. We need to finish top 6 lol.