So I put together some thoughts on the United States' participation in Copa America for The Press-Enterprise in my weekly column. It's difficult sometimes trying to balance the readers for my internet stories versus my print stories. Readers of the Press-Enterprise, for instance, might actually not have been aware of the Copa America draw but will want to read about it. Internet readers, of course, knew the day of the draw or at the latest the following day. So while this seems kinda stale on the one hand, it is still fresh for a whole batch of people.
It's a fine line, though, between keeping the soccer fans who aren't scouring the net for soccer news informed as well as the ones who are.
I was going to write some about Mexico in this column but I figured it best to focus on the USMNT because they hadn't played in Copa America since 95 and then all of a sudden we all understood how great and challenging and honorable this tournament is when the US is paired with Paraguay/Argentina/Colombia right off the bat.
As far as my accompanying top 10 list, it wasn't put in with the story (sometimes it is, sometimes it isnt) so here's what I got as the top 10 US results of ALL-TIME against South American nations.
1. US 2, Colombia 1 WC 94 (no-brainer); 2. US 3, Argentina o, CA 95; 3. US 1, Brazil 0, GC 98 (Preki!!!); 4. US 2, Chile 1 CA 95 (slight drop off between 3 and 4); 5. US 3, Venezuela 3 CA 93 (a draw?!?); 6. US 3 Paraguay WC 30 (holy crap!); 7. US 1, Peru 0 (I listened to this game on internetsoccer.com!!!!!); 8. US 1, Argentina 0 99 (a friendly?!?!?!); 9. US 2, Chile 1 2000 (another friendly?!?!). 10 U.S. 2, Uruguay 1 02 (another stinking friendly?!?).
Needless to say, the U.S. doesn't have many wins at all against South American nations. Six, I think, all time in tournaments. There may have been some wins between 1950 and 1980something but I figured those were insignificant to a point because they didn't build on something or didn't usher in a new era. The draw in Copa America 93 gave the US promise that they could compete with a South American team in South America. It's not like they got blitzed 5-0 in all three games it played.
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