As regards the Copa América, there is a big difference in victories
between Brazil and its historic rivals Argentina and Uruguay. The last
ones won in all 14 titles each, while the Verdeoros gained only seven
times the trophy of the oldest competition (starting in 1916) for
national teams, which sounds quite strange if you think that the
Brazilian national team won the World Cup five times (no other team can
boast this record). It is even stranger that Brazil never won the Copa
out of Brazil before 1997, when in Bolivia they beat the hosting team by
3 to 1 in La Paz with a team in which the star of a certain Ronaldo, who
eventually became a Brazilian football legend, had started to shine more
and more. Ever since the Seleção has overcome its block; in fact, they
won also in Paraguay (1999) and in Peru (2004). |