I quit

It was indeed Deja-vu in New Jersey, much more than I, or any Argentina fan had dared hope for. 0-0 in ordinary time, only for Chile to take the title on penalty kicks. The third final loss for Argentina in three years, they seem unable to take a title (and Higuain to score in a final....).
I have to admit that this was another hard hit after a week with many hard hits.
Lionel Messi missed a penalty, and after the match announced that he is retiring from international football at the realtively young age of 29, and with what is a World Cup ahead in 2018.
I respect Messi's choice, although I wish he would wait until after the World Cup. He is quitting, and the message I get, is that I should quit too. If a man who has won everything is quitting after an admittedly great disappointment, why should I not quit too? Why should we all not quit our disappointing lives of dreading in a threadmill of everyday life, just awaiting for next weeks' 90 minute escape from reality's boredom?
I gotta quit football, and focus on... nothing....

Deja vu in New Jersey

Chile defeated Colombia 2-0 to make it to the final of the 2016 Copa America Centenario. They will face Argentina in what is a repeat of last year's "normal" Copa America, which was won by Chile at home in Santiago on penalty kicks.
But things point to a different outcome this Sunday in . Argentina has looked awesome, and in fact already played Chile in their opening match, winning 2-1 in a match where their superstar, Lionel Messi, did not even play. Messi has since been on fire, and Argentina seem eager to both get revenge for last years' final defeat, and for getting their first major international title since 1993.

Argentina in the final

Argentina, led by a splendid Lionel Messi, are looking more and more unbeatable just as they reach the final of the Copa America Centenario.
Despite improvements and a big home support USA stood no chance of challenging Argentina, who won 4-0 with goals by Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lionel Messi, and two by Gonzalo Higuain.
Colombia or Chile will play for the honour to face Argentina in the final.

The semifinals of Copa America

Every single of the semifinals of the Copa America will be special for me:

• USA-Argentina: Two countries I am very fond of, with my football heart being unapologetically Argentine. Argentina has been fantastic in this tournament, defeating Venezuela 4-1 in the quarterfinals. They will surely be favourites against the hosts, but if USA has ever showed anything, it is that they must never be underestimated; they have the quality to defeat anyone!
• Colombia-Chile: The country of my mother, against the country of my birth, I will be supporting Colombia, who has nevertheless not been looking that good. They defeated Peru on penalties after a boring 0-0 match, and they seem to lack spirit. Chile are the defending champions, and are in the semifinals after a historic 0-7 trashing of Mexico in what must be the worst result in Mexican football history (their worse defeat ever in a tournament, and first defeat in 22 games).

If things go as predicted, we will see a repeat of the 2015 Copa America final, although all four teams have the quality to make it.

Copa America Quarterfinals

We are now at the quarterfinals stage at the Copa America. These are as follows:

• USA-Ecuador: The hosts won their group ahead of Colombia despite losing their first match to the South Americans. They will of course have an advantage with home support, but never underestimate Ecuador!
• Peru-Colombia: Peru sensationally won their group after their controversial win against Brazil. They are surely a strong side, if inconsistent. Inconsistency can also be applied to Colombia, who started with two victories before losing their final match to Costa Rica, although with a team full of subs. Colombia will probably be slight favourites when playing with all their superstars.
• Argentina-Venezuela: Personally I look very much forward to this match between two countries I am personally attached to. That said, I support Argentina, and they have won all their matches, even only playing Messi in one. They will surely be favourites, but Venezuela has shown they are difficult to defeat, and also, they have the confidence that they have lacked for a long time.
• Mexico-Chile: Mexico won their group ahead of Venezuela on goal difference, and will now be facing the defending Copa America champions, who were runner-ups to Argentina. Both teams are strong, with Mexico playing with a big home-crowd, but the Chileans should probably prevail, also knowing they are defending their title!

This is the real football starting!

Brazil is out

Brazil lost 0-1 to Peru, and is out of the Copa America Centenario after 0-0 with Ecuador and a useless 7-1 victory over Haiti (Ecuador beat Haiti 4-0 in the other group match).
Despite the controversial nature of Peru's goal, in remains an inescapable fact that Brazil were poor, lacked teeth and strength  all over. It does not bode well for Brazil's World Cup qualification, where Brazil is currently not in one of the qualifying spots.
But what is Brazil's problem? For years now they have been sleeping on their former glory and not following all the changes happening in modern football. Dunga is certainly not the man to take Brazil into the 21st century football world, and it does not seem that the Brazilian FA is aware of the dire state of Brazilian football.
I hope Brazil gets back to being a footballing super-power, because they have given so much to football. But in the meantime, I congratulate Peru and Ecuador, who certainly deserve to be in the quarterfinals much more than Brazil.

Champions of 100 Years and out

Uruguay has been the most winning team in the 100 years of the Copa America, and as one of the best teams in the World, expectations were justifiably high as they entered the 100 anniversary tournament in the USA. But after two defeats Uruguay is out.
Last night Venezuela, one of the few team never to have won a Copa America, defeated Uruguay 1-0, Uruguay's second defeat after losing 1-3 to Mexico.
Mexico defeated Jamaica, and incredibly, Venezuela and Mexico will now be playing for the honour of group winners, while Uruguay goes home, 100 years after they were the first winners of the tournament.

Copa America Centenario

The extraordinary Copa America (recall one was celebrated in Chile last year) celebrating the 100 anniversary of the oldest national team tournament in the world started this weekend in USA.
This tournament is the first held outside South America, and I guess it is truly American, in the sense it includes the 10 teams from South America, and adds the six best teams from the North American and Caribbean region.
That said, it is a strange tournament in the sense it comes between years, in the middle of World Cup qualifications, and previous to an Olympic tournament that Brazil has decided to prioritize (that is why Neymar will be playing the Olympics and not the Copa America). It seems the tournament is more aimed at spreading the interest of football to the North American and Caribbean, and capitalize on an expanding market.
The priority seems to be money rather than football...

The 4 groups are as follows:

Groups A:

• Costa Rica
• Paraguay
• Colombia
• USA

Group B:

• Brazil
• Ecuador
• Haiti
• Peru

Group C:

• Mexico
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Jamaica

Group D:

• Argentina
• Chile
• Paraguay
• Bolivia

As is becoming more and more often the case with these national tournaments (including the Euro 2016), the expansion of teams does not augur for better football, but rather more mediocre first round matches. The first four matches of the tournament seems to confirm this: while Colombia started out with an important 0-2 victory against the US hosts, there have been two boring 0-0 matches with Paraguay-Costa Rica and Ecuador-Brazil, and a meager 1-0 victory of Peru over Haiti.
The most interesting match in the first round will undoubtedly be Argentina-Chile on Tuesday. This will be a repeat of the 2015 Copa America final, and both teams are going to the tournament with their strongest teams, and are thus two of the favourites to go all the way.

While it is hard to get fully excited about this tournament, it will probably have some very interesting matches to watch.