The Absolute Female Albirroja awaits its debut in the Copa América 2022 with great anticipation, against the host team Colombia tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the América de Cali stadium, Pascual Guerrero.
With ten teams and Brazil as the top favorite, the Copa América Femenina begins in Colombia, a tournament that also grants three direct quota places for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, two for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and another three for the Games Pan American Games in 2023. A lot of loot at stake.
The teams from Bolivia and Ecuador will be in charge of raising the curtain at the Pascual Guerrero Stadium, in Cali, to then give way to the local team, Colombia, who will face Paraguay on the same stage.
On Saturday, July 9, at the Centenario Stadium, in Armenia, Uruguay and Venezuela will go first to the field, a match that will be the appetizer of a South American classic in which the only two teams that have lifted the Copa América Femenina trophy will measure strength. since its creation: Argentina -once- and Brazil -which has been the best seven times.
Due to its status as host, the eyes of the first day will fall on Colombia, whose references are midfielder Leicy Santos, who went from playing clean on foot in her native Lorica, a town in the Colombian Caribbean, to Atlético de Madrid.
Santos is one of the eight Colombian players who play in the Spanish league and who will be looking for the Copa América for which they will be backed by three who show their talent in Brazil, one in the United States and another in Mexico, in addition to those of the local teams.
In addition to Leicy Santos, Catalina Pérez (Real Betis), Daniela Caracas (Espanyol), Manuela Vanegas (Real Sociedad), Angie Castañeda (Cáceres), Gisela Robledo (Tenerife), Mayra Ramírez (Levante) and Elexa Bahr (Racing Santander).
Meanwhile, the Paraguayans will be led by midfielder Fany Gauto who has played in Colombia and also in Brazil and even in Israel.
«These competitions are always important to show off, from now on just thinking about fulfilling the dream of qualifying for the World Cup, I think all of us who are in this Copa América dream of that and obviously, we would go down in history, we dream and we believe we can achieve it, give such great joy to an entire country”, said midfielder Fany Gauto.
The women’s coach of Paraguay, Marcello Frigéiro, has said that beyond the title, what the team is looking for is “to qualify for the World Cup” in 2023, that is why he trusts the performance of goalkeeper Cristina Recalde, defenders Daysi Bareiro and Tania Riso, attacker Jessica Martínez, as well as midfielders Dulce Quintana, Lice Chamorro and Fanny Godoy, who play in Spanish soccer.
THE TOURNAMENT
In this edition, the 10 teams affiliated with Conmebol will participate, which are divided into two leagues: in Group A are: Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay and Bolivia. Group B is made up of Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay.
In each group they will play all against all, that is, at least four games each team.
The first three teams from each group will qualify for the next phase and the teams that remain in third place in the group phase will play for fifth place in the tournament.
For its part, the first of each group will play in the semifinals at the Alfonso López stadium, in Bucaramanga, against the second of the other group to define passage to the final.
The teams in first, second and third place will qualify directly for the Women’s World Cup, while those in fourth and fifth place will go to a playoff.
Cali, with the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium; Armenia, with the Centenario, and Bucaramanga, with the Alfonso López, will be the three cities that will host the 25 matches of the tournament.
One of the novelties by Conmebol is that the champions of the Copa América Femenina 2022 will face their peers from the Women’s Euro Cup organized by UEFA and which takes place in England this month.
This will be the first edition of the Women’s Finalissima, a tournament whose champion in the men’s branch is Argentina after defeating Italy 3-0. The women’s match will be held on a date to be defined and will be in Europe.
