More than 65,000 tickets have been sold for the opening match of Copa America Centenario on Friday night, which will see the U.S. face off "against a powerhouse Colombia team" at Levi's Stadium, and the event is a chance to grow soccer domestically "with the biggest international tournament on U.S. soil" since the '94 FIFA World Cup, according to Elliott Almond of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Copa America, the South American championships that include two guest countries, "usually is held quadrennially." However, officials "created a special event in the United States after last year's tournament to commemorate the 100th anniversary" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/3). In L.A., Kevin Baxter reports Copa America Centenario is "already on track to become the best-attended and most profitable Copa America in history," as more than 1 million tickets "have been sold across 10 venues." That is just 144,000 "shy of the tournament record" set in '79, when it had seven fewer games. Commercial inventory, mostly stadium signage, "has sold out, 15 corporate sponsors have signed on and the tournament’s 32 games will be televised in more than 160 countries," including on Fox, FS1 and Univision Deportes in the U.S. Those "are remarkable numbers, considering that just eight months ago this special 100th anniversary of the South American championships had been all but canceled" (L.A. TIMES, 6/3). Soccer United Marketing President Kathy Carter said that one of the major attractions to the event "is the sheer size of the soccer spectacle itself." Carter: "We knew that tickets for a World Cup-like tournament on U.S. soil would sell, and we’ve been very pleased with the numbers we’ve seen. We’re ahead of early projections. We also know that once the tournament begins that the media attention and buzz surrounding the event will start to draw in some of the casual sports fans" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 6/3).
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY: U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Copa America Centenario is “a once-in-lifetime opportunity for soccer in our country; a really, really big deal.” In Miami, Michelle Kaufman notes it features “five of the world’s top 10 teams" and four quarterfinalists "from the last World Cup." There also are several "marquee players” participating, including Lionel Messi (Argentina), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (Mexico), Alexis Sanchez (Chile) and Willian (Brazil). Klinsmann called hosting the event an "amazing opportunity." Klinsmann: "Having these countries and top players coming up to the U.S. is huge. It’s the biggest stage we can have other than a World Cup. This is a rehearsal for hopefully a World Cup again in the United States in 2026” (MIAMI HERALD, 6/3). U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said, “Everyone has brought the best players who are available to them and they’re taking it seriously. That’s a plus. Argentina, Messi is still without a big win for his country, so it’s special for them. It’s also important for some of the other teams because they have huge followings in certain markets in the U.S., so they’ll feel like they’re playing in front of a home crowd and they won’t want to disappoint.” Gulati said that those factors are “expected to result in an average tournament attendance of 35,000. SI’s Brian Straus noted that will be “sufficient to make the federation’s investment worthwhile” (SI.com, 6/2).
