Matches for the 2016 Copa America Centenario were announced last night at the Official Draw in New York City. Houston’s own NRG Stadium will host two group stage matches, as well as a semifinal.
This is the 100th anniversary of the Copa America tournament, and the first time that it is being held outside of South America. Sixteen teams from North, Central, and South America will play 32 matches across 10 US cities from June 3 – 26. The tournament will showcase the largest international stars; including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, David Luiz, James Rodriguez, Kaka, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and more, in what really is a once-in-a-generation tournament.
NRG Stadium will host Colombia vs. Costa Rica on June 11 in Group A action, and June 13 will see Mexico face off against Venezuela in the final match of Group C. The semifinal on June 21 will feature the winners of the quarterfinal on June 16 between 1A and 2B, and the June 18 quarterfinal between 1D and 2C. The full tournament match schedule is available on CA2016.com. Official match times will be announced in the near future.
Group C, which will be featured in Houston’s June 13 match, includes Mexico, Uruguay, Jamaica and Venezuela. The Dynamo will have a little intra-team rivalry going on in this group with Mexico and Jamaica.
"The group stage won't be easy but Mexico has very capable players, talented players to advance from the group stage and reach the final," said Dynamo forward Erick Torres, who has four caps for the Mexico senior team. "They are managed by a very good coach and I'm confident that the players selected will represent Mexico well. I'm glad this tournament will take place in the United States and specifically in Houston. We will host a few games and I wish the players well. I am confident they will represent the national team to the best of their ability and we will do well."
Teammate Giles Barnes, who represents Jamaica, is similarly confident in his squad's chances in Group C.
"They're teams we feel we can beat. We are really happy with the draw," Barnes said. "I was speaking with coach this morning actually and he's been formulating our approach and we will see after that. I'm looking forward to it but they're definitely teams we can beat."
Argentine playmaker Cristian ‘Chaco’ Maidana is excited for his nation to be playing on American soil. Argentina will be playing in Group D and could potentially be in Houston for the semifinal on June 21.
"The group is manageable for Argentina. It is a good group and Chile is a contender," Maidana said. "This is a group you expect to win and I hope Argentina has a good tournament. It starts in the group stage and we will see how it goes after that."
Tickets to the Copa America Centenario are available by visiting CA2016.com. To ensure the best seats, venue passes grant you access to every game at NRG Stadium this summer. Get yours today!
