THE CENTENARIO  PROLOGUE TO COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INAUGURAL COPA AMERICA TOURNAMENT ( HELD IN BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA IN 1916, WHICH FEATURED BRAZIL, CHILE, URUGUAY, AND ARGENTINA ), THE COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO IS A FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT HELD JUNE 3 - 26 2016 WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ( FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTSIDE OF SOUTH AMERICA ), COMBINING THE 10 SOUTH AMERICAN TEAMS OF CONMEBOL WITH 6 TEAMS FROM THE NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN NATIONS OF CONCACAF. ONLY THE WORLD CUP AND THE 2016 EURO FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT ( NOW EXPANDED TO 24 TEAMS PARTICIPATING ) ECLIPSE THE CENTENARIO IN GRAVITY AND IMPORTANCE WITHIN NATIONAL TEAM FOOTBALL ; IT MUST BE REMEMBERED HOWEVER, THAT WHILE THE WORLD CUP AND THE EUROS OCCUR ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS, THE COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO OCCURS ONLY ONCE A CENTURY ! BUILDING UPON THE NINE PROPOSALS INTRODUCED IN THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ( 2014 ) TO BRING MORE JUSTICE TO WORLD CUP FOOTBALL, WE HERE WITNESS " LA MANO DE DIOS " AND HER JUDGEMENT UPON FIVE MATCHES FROM THE 2016 COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO, AND AT ONCE PROPOSE A NEW TOURNAMENT, BORN FROM THIS 2016 COMMEMORATIVE COPA AMERICA AS A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE NEW WORLD, HELD OPPOSITE THE EUROS EVERY FOUR YEARS AS THE SUPREME CONTEST FOR THE AMERICAS, AND KNOWN SIMPLY AS THE CENTENARIO ACTE I - LA MANO DE DIOS [ FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF " LA MANO DE DIOS ", OR THE HAND OF GOD, PLEASE VISIT ACTE I OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ] MATCH # 1 - BRAZIL vs ECUADOR AT 65:26 IN THIS GROUP B OPENING MATCH AT THE PASADENA ROSE BOWL, MILLER BOLANOS ( #23 ) OF ECUADOR SHOOTS AND SCORES FROM THE ENDLINE AS THE BALL RICOCHETS OFF THE BRAZILIAN GOALKEEPER ALISSON AND INTO THE NET. THE ASSISTANT REFEREE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD RAISES A FLAG HOWEVER TO SIGNAL THAT THE FOOTBALL HAD COMPLETELY MOVED OVER THE ENDLINE BEFORE BOLANOS KICKED IT AND THUS WAS OUT OF PLAY. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, THE HAND OF GOD REVERSES THE DECISION OF THE ASSISTANT REFEREE ( AS THE BALL HAD NOT COMPLETELY CROSSED OVER THE ENDLINE AS VERIFIED BY INSTANT REPLAY ) TO DECLARE GOAL ECUADOR, WITH THE FOURTH OFFICIAL RACING ONTO THE FIELD WITH A " GOAL FLAG " OF BLACK AND WHITE SQUARES. THIS RESULT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE COMPLEXION OF THE TOURNAMENT, AS ECUADOR COULD HAVE ADVANCED WITH A 1 - 0 WIN TO FIRST PLACE IN GROUP B. MATCH # 2 - CHILE vs BOLIVIA AT 83:22, THE HAND OF GOD ISSUES GARY MEDEL ( #17 ) OF CHILE A YELLOW CARD FOR UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT WITHIN THE PENALTY BOX AGAINST LUIS GUTIERREZ ( #3 ) OF BOLIVIA. AT 97:00 IN THIS MATCH, THE HEAD REFEREE CALLS A HANDBALL AGAINST LUIS GUTIERREZ ( #3 ) OF BOLIVIA WITHIN THE PENALTY BOX, AND SIGNALS FOR A PENALTY KICK TO TAKE PLACE. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, THE HAND OF GOD REVERSES THE PENALTY CALL, AS THE BALL STRUCK GUTIERREZ ON THE UPPER ARM ( WITH HIS HAND TUCKED BEHIND HIS BACK ) AND NOT ON HIS WRIST - FOREARM AS THE REFEREE MOTIONED. THIS RESULT COULD HAVE PRESERVED THE 1 - 1 TIE, AND LEFT CHILE AND BOLIVIA WITH ONE POINT EACH GOING INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF GROUP PLAY. MATCH #3 - PERU VS BRAZIL AT 43:46, EDISON FLORES ( #20 ) OF PERU IS FOULED WITHIN THE PENALTY BOX BY THE UPLIFTED RIGHT FOOT OF THE BRAZILIAN DEFENDER RENATO AGOSTO ( #18 ). ALTHOUGH THE HEAD REFEREE ALLOWED PLAY TO CONTINUE, WITHIN 30 SECONDS LA MANO DE DIOS WOULD HAVE CALLED THE FOUL AGAINST FLORES AND SIGNALED FOR A PENALTY KICK TO TAKE PLACE. AT 73:40, A YELLOW CARD IS ISSUED TO THE BRAZILIAN AGOSTO FOR AN UNSPORTSMANLIKE FOUL AGAINST THE PERUVIAN DEFENDER ALDO CORZO ( #3 ). FINALLY AT 74:42, RAUL RUIDIAZ OF PERU KNOCKS THE BALL INTO THE NET PAST THE BRAZILIAN GOALKEEPER ALISSON FOR THE FIRST ( AND ONLY ) GOAL OF THE MATCH. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS DECLARES A HANDBALL AGAINST RUIDIAZ ( THE BALL WAS GATHERED BY HIS FOREARM ON THE PASS FROM ANDY POLO, AND THEN PROPELLED BY HIS RIGHT THIGH INTO THE NET ), WITH NO GOAL AND A YELLOW CARD FOR RUIDIAZ. WITH THE MATCH ENDING IN A 0 - 0 TIE, ( AND PROVIDED THE GOAL AWARDED ECUADOR IN THEIR OPENING MATCH AGAINST BRAZIL LED TO A 1 - 0 WIN ), PERU NEVERTHELESS WOULD HAVE ADVANCED TO A QUARTERFINAL MATCH AGAINST THE USA. MATCH #4 - COLOMBIA vs CHILE AT 46:48 IN THIS SEMIFINAL MATCH, DANIEL TORRES ( #16 ) OF COLOMBIA GOES DOWN IN THE PENALTY BOX OVER THE OUTSTRETCHED LEG OF CHILEAN DEFENDER GONZALO JARA ( #18 ). WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS SIGNALS FOR A PENALTY KICK IN FAVOR OF COLOMBIA, AS THIS WAS A CLEAR FOUL WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A GOAL ( TORRES HAVING GOTTEN TO THE BALL FIRST, WITH A TOUCH PAST JARA INTO THE BOX ). AT 56:04, THE OUTSTRETCHED LEFT LEG OF THE COLOMBIAN CARLOS SANCHEZ ( #6 ) BRUSHES THE CHILEAN CHARLES ARANGUIZ WHO FALLS DRAMATICALLY TO THE GROUND. AT 56:12, THE HEAD REFEREE SHOWS A YELLOW CARD TO SANCHEZ; NOT REALIZING HOWEVER THAT HE ALREADY GAVE A YELLOW CARD TO SANCHEZ IN THE FIRST HALF ( WITH A TWO HOUR PLUS RAIN DELAY SEPARATING THE HALVES ), EIGHTEEN SECONDS TRANSPIRE BEFORE THE HEAD REFEREE FINALLY LIFTS THE RED CARD TO SIGNAL THAT COLOMBIA WILL BE PLAYING WITH TEN MEN FOR THE REST OF THE MATCH. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS ISSUES SANCHEZ A BLACK CARD ( REVERSING THE SECOND YELLOW / RED CARD ), AS THIS FOUL WAS NOT A YELLOW CARD OFFENSE ( AND PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN THE FIRST PLACE HAD THE HEAD REFEREE REMEMBERED THE EARLIER YELLOW ). THESE TWO REVERSALS OF MISSED CALLS BY THE HEAD REFEREE COULD HAVE DRAMATICALLY ALTERED THE OUTCOME OF THIS MATCH, GIVING COLOMBIA A SERIOUS CHANCE TO EVEN THE SCORE AND ADVANCE TO THE FINALS AGAINST ARGENTINA. ACTE II - EL JUEGO BONITO I ECUADOR vs PERU       UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM JUNE 8, 2016 ACTE III - 7 - 0 WITH THE GREATEST OF RESPECT TO JUAN CARLOS OSORIO, THE NEW MANAGER OF THE MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM WHO HAS OVERSEEN THE RESURGENCE OF A MEXICO UNBEATEN THRU 22 MATCHES UNTIL THE 7 - 0 TRASHING BY CHILE IN THE QUARTERFINALS ON JUNE 18 2016, WE HERE DREAM WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN WITH A LINEUP WHICH TAKES A CUE FROM BOLIVIA'S 5 - 3 - 2 FORMATION ( WHICH HELD CHILE TO A SINGLE GOAL THRU 97 MINUTES ), AND INCLUDES RAFAEL MARQUEZ, THE MEXICAN DEFENDER WHO TRAVELED TO GUADALAJARA TO WITNESS THE BIRTH OF HIS SON BUT WHO WAS PRESENT AND AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUARTERFINAL. THIS 5 - 2 - 3 FORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN YUYANAPAQ'S STARTING ELEVEN FOR MEXICO IN THEIR QUARTERFINAL MATCH AGAINST CHILE, WITH RAUL JIMENEZ ( #9 ) AND ORIBE PERALTA ( #19 ) IN RESERVE AS SUBSTITUTES. ( IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN THIS FORMATION, THE FAR LEFT AND RIGHT FULLBACKS LAYUN AND AGUILAR WOULD ALTERNATE IN JOINING HERRERA AND GUARDADO FOR TEMPORARY 4 - 3 - 3 FORMATIONS ) TALAVERA ( GK ) AGUILAR ( #22 ) MORENO ( #15 ) MARQUEZ ( #4 ) ARAUJO ( #2 ) LAYUN ( #7 ) HERRERA ( #16 ) GUARDADO ( #18 ) LOZANO ( #17 ) CHICHARITO ( #14 ) TECATITO ( #10 ) ACTE IV - EL JUEGO BONITO II ARGENTINA vs BOLIVIA          CENTURYLINK FIELD SEATTLE JUNE 14, 2016 ACTE V - SPANNING THE CENTURIES AS A FIRST OF ITS KIND TOURNAMENT, UNITING THE CONCACAF AND CONMEBOL FOOTBALL FEDERATIONS IN A CONTEST THAT WAS AT ONCE INAUGURAL AND COMMEMORATIVE, THE 2016 COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS. FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, THE STADIUMS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND DOLLARS OF AN AMERICAN PUBLIC READY TO SEE THE GREAT TEAMS AND PLAYERS OF SOUTH AMERICA DREW FUNDS AND EXCITEMENT ON A LEVEL UNEQUALLED IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE 1994 WORLD CUP. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THIS TOURNAMENT WHICH COULD BE DEVELOPED ( INCLUDING THE CLEARANCE OF YELLOW CARD ACCUMULATION AT THE END OF THE GROUP STAGE, AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF FIELD CONDITIONS IN STADIUMS SUCH AS NRG STADIUM ( WHICH WAS SOD PLACED OVER TURF ) AND SOLDIER FIELD ( WHICH WAS UNPREPARED FOR THE RAINS AT HALFTIME OF THE COLOMBIA - CHILE SEMIFINAL ) ), THE MAJORITY OF ELEMENTS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THIS COPA LED TO AN ATMOSPHERE THAT WAS FESTIVE YET SAFE, AND FREE FROM THE UNRULINESS EXHIBITED IN SOME OF THE 2016 EURO MATCHES. THE BLACK EYE HOWEVER THAT THE 2016 COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR IS THE POOR OFFICIATING WHICH MARRED THE 0 - 0 DRAW OF THE FINAL MATCH BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND CHILE. THE HEAD REFEREE HEBER LOPEZ INSERTED HIMSELF INTO THE GAME IN A MANNER WHICH WAS BOTH DISRUPTIVE AND UNJUST. WHILE IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A EQUITABLE AND PERCEPTIVE HEAD REFEREE ( AND PARTICULARLY AT THE KNOCKOUT STAGES OF A MAJOR TOURNAMENT ), IT IS HERE THAT WE WITNESS LA MANO DE DIOS AND HER JUDGEMENT UPON THIS FINAL MATCH OF THE ONE AND ONLY COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO. MATCH #5 - ARGENTINA VS CHILE AT 27:47, THE HEAD REFEREE ISSUES MARCELO DIAZ HIS SECOND YELLOW CARD OF THE MATCH FOR BODY BLOCKING THE FORWARD RUN OF LIONEL MESSI. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS ISSUES DIAZ A BLACK CARD ( REVERSING THE CALL AND RESULTANT EXPULSION OF DIAZ ) AS THIS WAS A FOUL BUT NOT A YELLOW CARD OFFENSE. AT 34:07, MAURICIO ISLA AND MARCOS ROJO BATTLE FOR THE BALL IN THE CORNER, WITH ISLA KICKING THE BALL OUT OF PLAY BUT CONVINCING THE HEAD REFEREE IT LAST WENT OFF OF ROJO. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS AWARDS ARGENTINA A CORNER KICK ; THIS PLAY WAS IMPORTANT IN THAT IT RESULTED IN ROJO REACHING ANGRY WORDS WITH REFEREE LOPEZ ( WHICH MAY HAVE BIASED LOPEZ' LATER DECISION TO EXPEL ROJO WITH A STRAIGHT RED CARD. AT 39:57, THE HEAD REFEREE ISSUES MESSI A YELLOW CARD FOR DIVING. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS ISSUES MESSI A BLACK CARD, AS MESSI DID NOT DIVE BUT LOST HIS BALANCE GOING AROUND THE OUTSTRETCHED LEFT LEG OF THE CHILEAN DEFENDER FUENZALIDA. AT 41:56, MARCOS ROJO ( #16 ) CHALLENGES VIDAL FOR A LOOSE BALL, WHICH WITHIN SECONDS HAS THE HEAD REFEREE WAVING A STRAIGHT RED CARD FURIOSLY TO ROJO. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS ISSUES ROJO A BLACK CARD, AS ROJO GOT TO THE BALL FIRST, DID NOT STRIKE VIDAL WITH ANY PART OF HIS BOOT, AND WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF VIDAL'S LEG GETTING TANGLED UP BENEATH HIM. AT 93:41 IN EXTRA TIME, RAMIRO FUNES MORI ( #13 ) OF ARGENTINA DIGS HIS CLEATS INTO THE RIGHT LEG OF CHILEAN DEFENDER ISLA IN AN UNINTENTIONAL BUT CLUMSY CHALLENGE. WITHIN 30 SECONDS, LA MANO DE DIOS ISSUES FUNES MORI A YELLOW CARD FOR THE DANGEROUS PLAY. THE JUDGEMENTS OF LA MANO DE DIOS UPON THIS FINAL MATCH COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED THE COURSE OF PLAY, REVERSING THE POOR JUDGEMENTS OF THE HEAD REFEREE AND INCREASING THE ODDS THAT THE 82,026 SPECTATORS WHO PACKED INTO METLIFE STADIUM IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY WOULD HAVE SEEN A MATCH LESS OBSCURED BY UNNECESSARY DRAMA. DESPITE THE FLAWS OF THE 2016 COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO, AND DESPITE THE MISTAKES MADE BY HUMAN ERROR BOTH ON AND OFF THE PITCH, IT IS HOPED THAT THE 2016 CENTENARIO IS NOT A ONE - OFF CHAMPIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NORTH, CENTRAL, AND SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEAMS, BUT THE BEGINNING OF A QUADRENNIAL EVENT, TO BE REPEATED AGAIN IN THE YEAR 2020. AS THE TOP PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE ALREADY RELEASED BY FIFA TO PLAY IN THE EURO CHAMPIONSHIP, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO USE THAT SAME TIME PERIOD FOR A CONCACAF / CONMEBOL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE AMERICAS. WHILE SOME MIGHT PROPOSE " THE NEW WORLD CUP " OR " THE AMERICAS CUP " AS THE TITLE FOR THIS CONTEST OPPOSITE THE EURO CUP, WE HERE PROPOSE TO CONTINUE WITH THE NAME OF THE TOURNAMENT WHICH BIRTHED THIS EVENT : THE CENTENARIO. ALTHOUGH SOME MIGHT ARGUE THAT SUCH A TITLE WOULD BE CONFUSING, WE SUGGEST THAT IN A SPORT AS TIMELESS AS FOOTBALL, AND IN A GAME RICH IN MEMORY WHICH UNITES DISPARATE GENERATIONS OF PLAYERS AND FANS ALIKE, THAT THERE IS HARDLY A MORE FITTING TITLE FOR A TOURNAMENT OF THIS LEVEL. GREAT STADIUMS SUCH AS THE ESTADIO CENTENARIO IN URUGUAY AND CENTURYLINK FIELD IN SEATTLE MAKE REFERENCE TO THE CENTURY AND THE FACTOR OF TIME ; SO ALSO DO THE RUINS OF COPAN IN WESTERN HONDURAS, WHERE TO ENTER THE GREAT BALLCOURT OF COPAN WAS TO ENGAGE UPON AN ARENA WHERE TIME STOOD STILL AND ALL PASTS AND FUTURES MERGED. LET US HOPE THAT YEARS AND EVEN CENTURIES FROM NOW, GREAT FOOTBALL MATCHES ARE STILL PLAYED, IN TOURNAMENTS WHERE JUSTICE PREVAILS AND WHERE GREAT ARTIST - ATHLETES DISPLAY THEIR SKILLS, IN A SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP AMIDST DIVERSITY, TOLERANCE AND BROTHERHOOD AMIDST THE REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS NATIONS, UNITED IN A SHARED AND DEEP LOVE FOR FOOTBALL, WHICH IS TRULY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME.  |