The Copa América 2004 was the 41st game of the South American continental championship in football and took place from July 6th to 25th for the sixth time after 1957 in Peru. As since the 1993 tournament , two non-South American visiting teams took part. Besides "permanent guest" Mexico, which took part for the sixth time, this time it was Costa Rica again with its third participation after 1997 and 2001 .
Nothing changed in terms of the competition mode. The game was played in a combination of a group phase and a subsequent knockout round . The group stage was played in three groups of four teams each. The two best teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams reached the quarter-finals. In the event of a tie, the goal difference decided. In the final round there was no extra time after 90 minutes if the score was tied, but instead a penalty shoot-out . As has been the case several times in the past, the group stage matches were played in double events on one day in the same stadium.
World champions Brazil ultimately won their seventh Copa America title somewhat happily, as they needed a penalty shoot-out in the semifinals against Uruguay and in the final against their arch-rivals. The Seleção had already qualified as world champions for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 , so finalist Argentina took part in the tournament in Germany as a representative of South America.
So it came to the dream final between the two-time world champion Argentina and the five-time and reigning world champion Brazil. The teams had never been in a joint final of the Copa America, only in 1937 there was a play-off game between the two for the title after the championship held in the league system, which Argentina won 2-0 aet. Argentina, which, like Uruguay, had already won the Copa America 14 times, now had the chance to become the sole record winner of the Copa America with 15 wins.
3rd place match
July 24, 2004 at 7:45 p.m. * in Cuzco (Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega)
Argentina took the lead in the final in the 21st minute with a penalty from Cristian "Kily" González . Brazil equalized in stoppage time in the first half with a header from Adriano . Towards the end of the second half, Argentina believed themselves to be the winners of the Copa America with a goal from striker César Delgado in the 87th minute. The joy did not last long, however, as Brazil managed to equalize in stoppage time in the second half with a goal from Adriano at the last minute and so the final was decided on penalties . Two of the Argentine shooters missed on penalties and thus Brazil, which remained without a fallacy, won the final of the 2004 Copa America 4-2.