Peru enjoys Copa America revival

LIMA, July 26 (Reuters) -- The Copa America, written off as a competition in decline and a poor relation to the European championship, enjoyed a revival in Peru to prove there is football life outside Europe.

Although the tournament lacked the ultra-modern infrastructure and travelling fans of Euro 2004, the quality of football was just as good, if not better, and the organisers got the basics right.

Pitches were good, stadiums were tidy and none of the teams, not even the Brazilians who can often be fussy about facilities at any sporting events, had any major complaints about the facilities.

"We felt at home and it was wonderful to have the Peruvians supporting us," said coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.

There was not a single goalless draw in the tournament, which ended in spectacular style on Sunday with Brazil scoring in the last kick of the final to draw 2-2 before going on to win 4-2 on penalties. Argentina had gone 2-1 ahead in the 87th minute.

Some of the goals were truly spectacular, including Roberto Palacios's ball-juggling equaliser for Peru against Bolivia and an astonishing long-range effort by Paraguay's Ernesto Cristaldo against Chile.

"It doesn't have the glamour of the European championship, where the stadiums were fantastic," said Parreira, who saw Euro 2004 as an observer.

"But the standard of football here was in no way inferior."

STRUGGLING COPA

The Copa has been struggling for years to find its place in the international fixture list.

The first problems is that the competition has to compete against another tournament in the same continent, the World Cup qualifying competition in which the 10 nations play each other home-and-away over 2-1/2 years in what is a genuine South American championship.

Another is that it fell in the middle of this contest and was also held in the month when European-based players would normally expect to be on holiday.

When Brazil opened their campaign against Chile in Arequipa, they were facing the same team who they had played in a World Cup qualifier in Santiago barely one month earlier.

As a result, Brazil brought a second-string team, Argentina were without Hernan Crespo and Juan Sebastian Veron, Uruguay were missing Alvaro Recoba and Colombia came minus defenders Mario Yepes and Ivan Cordoba.

Yet the contest was a huge improvement on the dismal effort in 2001, which was dogged by security fears in the host nation Colombia.

The 2001 tournament was first postponed, then went ahead at five days notice under pressure from sponsors and the Colombian government.

Argentina pulled out and virtually every country, including the hosts, fielded a reserve side.

The next edition will be in 2007 in Venezuela, when it will not have to compete with either the World Cup qualifiers or the European championship.

There are already hopes that all countries will field full-strength teams and organisers are studying the possiblity of increasing its size to include more teams from CONCACAF, who this year sent Mexico and Costa Rica as guests.

The Copa America is already the oldest of the world's continental tournaments for national sides, having kicked off back in 1916.

If its potential can be fulfilled, it could also turn into the best, even if facilities are more rustic than in Europe.

"We should remember that the Copa America is a beautiful tournament," said Parreira.

"There are three World Cup-winning nations here who can boast nine (World Cup) wins between them. Thats even more than Europe."

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