The simultaneous editions of the Copa America and Euro 2024 have put the competitions on a side-by-side display. The European Championship had the jump, as it kicked off one week before the Copa America. With five days gone in the Copa America, the tournament consisting of 16 teams from North and South America has been far less glamorous.
Empty seats, complaints about the quality of the pitch and fairly drab games have been a stark contrast to what has been going on in Germany. Energized crowds, sensational play from teams throughout the tournament and endless late goals and chances have made Euro 2024 stand out despite the group stage still happening. The winners of seeing such a great tournament have been the fans. The loser, on the other hand, has been the Copa America, which is constantly compared to the Euros.
Speaking after Argentina’s 2-0 win in the Copa America opener against Canada, Emiliano Martinez said the comparisons are clear. A shoddy pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium drew concerns from both Argentina and Canada.
“The state of the pitch was a disaster,” Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Argentina, said. “Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect, otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship.”
Poor optics at Copa America compared to Euro 2024
Indeed, appearances go a long way. There will always be inherent differences between the Euros and Copa America. Weaker teams at the bottom fail to draw the same quantity of neutral fans as several teams in Europe. Each tournament has top teams, but Europe has more candidates compared to the three or four that most expect to win the Copa America. The issues between the European Championship and Copa America go beyond the on-field product.
There have been a startling number of empty seats at each of the Copa America games so far. The United States Men’s National Team is playing a tournament on home soil. Yet, AT&T Stadium had…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/copa-america/copa-america-faces-uphill-battle-in-comparisons-to-euro-2024/
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-06-24 19:39:39
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.