Copa America 1979

Copa America 1979
Soccer South American Championship 1979
Number of nations	10
South American champions	Paraguay (2nd title)
venue	no tournament in one country (each leg up and back to the final)
Opening game	July 10, 1979
Endgame	December 11, 1979 (playoff)
Games	25th
Gates	63  (⌀: 2.52 per game)
spectator	1,144,000  (⌀: 45,760 per game)
Top scorer	Jorge Peredo Eugenio Morel (4 goals each)
Red cards	13  (⌀: 0.52 per game)

The Copa América 1979 was the 31st edition of the South American continental championship in football and took place from July 10th to December 12th.

The mode of competition was identical to 1975 . There was no tournament in the league system in a country, but it was played in a combination of group stage and knockout system with a return leg. The preliminary round was made up of three groups with three participants each. The three group winners reached the semifinals, while defending champions Peru were automatically qualified for the semifinals. In the event of a tie, the goal difference decided, this was the lot. In the final, if there was a tie after the return leg, a playoff was played on a neutral pitch, which was also necessary this time. Since this game also ended 0-0 afterwards, Paraguay became South American champions thanks to the better goal difference from the two previous games. For Paraguay it was the second Copa America title after 1953 . The playoff in Buenos Aires , however, took place in front of only 6,000 spectators. Overall, however, for the fifth time in the history of the competition, an audience of over a million was achieved, but without breaking the record of 1945 .

World champion Argentina surprisingly came in third in his group.

Group stage

Group A

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Chile	4th	2	1	1	010: 200	+8	05: 30
2.	Colombia	4th	2	1	1	005: 200	+3	05: 30
3.	Venezuela	4th	1	0	3	001:120	−11	02: 60

August 1, 1979 in San Cristóbal ( Estadio Pueblo Nuevo )
Venezuela	-	Colombia	0-0
August 8, 1979 in San Cristóbal (Estadio Pueblo Nuevo)
Venezuela	-	Chile	1: 1 (0: 0)
August 15, 1979 in Bogotá ( El Campín )
Colombia	-	Chile	1: 0 (1: 0)
August 22, 1979 in Bogotá (El Campín)
Colombia	-	Venezuela	4: 0 (1: 0)
August 29, 1979 in Santiago ( Estadio Nacional de Chile )
Chile	-	Venezuela	7: 0 (2: 0)
September 5, 1979 in Santiago (Estadio Nacional de Chile)
Chile	-	Colombia	2: 0 (1: 0)

Group B

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Brazil	4th	2	1	1	007: 500	+2	05: 30
2.	Bolivia	4th	2	0	2	004: 700	−3	04: 40
3.	Argentina	4th	1	1	2	007: 600	+1	03: 50

July 18, 1979 in La Paz ( Estadio Hernando Siles )
Bolivia	-	Argentina	2: 1 (1: 1)
July 26, 1979 in La Paz (Estadio Hernando Siles)
Bolivia	-	Brazil	2: 1 (1: 1)
August 2, 1979 in Rio de Janeiro ( Estádio do Maracanã )
Brazil	-	Argentina	2: 1 (1: 1)
August 8, 1979 in Buenos Aires ( Estadio José Amalfitani )
Argentina	-	Bolivia	3: 0 (2: 0)
August 16, 1979 in São Paulo ( Estádio do Morumbi )
Brazil	-	Bolivia	2: 0 (0: 0)
August 23, 1979 in Buenos Aires ( Estadio Monumental )
Argentina	-	Brazil	2: 2 (1: 1)

Group C

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Paraguay	4th	3	0	1	006: 300	+3	06: 20
2.	Uruguay	4th	2	0	2	005: 500	± 0	04: 40
3.	Ecuador	4th	1	0	3	004: 700	−3	02: 60

29 August 1979 in Quito ( Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa )
Ecuador	-	Paraguay	1: 2 (0: 1)
September 5, 1979 in Quito (Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa)
Ecuador	-	Uruguay	2: 1 (2: 0)
September 13, 1979 in Asunción ( Estadio Defensores del Chaco )
Paraguay	-	Ecuador	2: 0 (1: 0)
September 16, 1979 in Montevideo ( Estadio Centenario )
Uruguay	-	Ecuador	2: 1 (1: 0)
September 20, 1979 in Asunción (Estadio Defensores del Chaco)
Paraguay	-	Uruguay	0-0
September 26, 1979 in Montevideo (Estadio Centenario)
Uruguay	-	Paraguay	2: 2 (0: 1)

Semifinals

October 17, 1979 in Lima ( Estadio Nacional )
Peru	-	Chile	1: 2 (0: 1)
October 24, 1979 in Santiago ( Estadio Nacional de Chile )
Chile	-	Peru	0-0

October 24, 1979 in Asunción ( Estadio Defensores del Chaco )
Paraguay	-	Brazil	2: 1 (2: 0)
October 31, 1979 in Rio de Janeiro ( Estádio do Maracanã )
Brazil	-	Paraguay	2: 2 (1: 1)

final

November 28, 1979 in Asunción ( Estadio Defensores del Chaco )
Paraguay	-	Chile	3: 0 (2: 0)
December 5, 1979 in Santiago ( Estadio Nacional de Chile )
Chile	-	Paraguay	1: 0 (1: 0)

Playoff

December 11, 1979 in Buenos Aires ( Estadio José Amalfitani )
Paraguay	-	Chile	0: 0 a.d.

• Paraguay were the winners because of the better goal difference from the two finals.

Best goal scorers

rank	player	Gates
1	Jorge Peredo | 4
	Eugenio Morel | 4
3	Sócrates | 3
	Carlos Humberto Cazsely | 3
	Carlos Humberto Rivas | 3
	Julio César Romero | 3

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Player from Paraguay with the trophy

Web links

• Tournament website 1979 at rsssf.com (English)