The US Soccer Federation (USSF) confirmed on Wednesday that it would not be represented at a key meeting regarding the 2016 Copa America Centenario, fueling uncertainty about the venue for the scandal-tainted tournament.
A USSF source confirmed that no US representatives would be present for yesterday’s meeting in Mexico City, where officials from North, Central and South America were to discuss the tournament, initially planned to take place in the US next June.
“We will not have a US Soccer representative at the meeting,” the source said in an e-mail to AFP.
The fate of the Copa America Centenario, a 16-team tournament being held to mark the centenary of the Copa America, has been hanging in the balance since May, when several officials from the region were named in the US-led corruption inquiry which plunged soccer into crisis.
The New York Times reported that the absence of US officials pointed to US Soccer withdrawing as host of the tournament. The New York Times report said the US might also decide not to enter a team in the event.
The tournament was due to showcase the cream of South American soccer as well as teams from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF).
However, the New York Times said US Soccer was now poised to withdraw over legal concerns stemming from the arrests of officials involved in planning for the tournament.
On Saturday, CONCACAF issued a statement saying it was working closely with US Soccer officials and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) with a view to pressing ahead with the tournament.
“We are continuing to work with CONMEBOL, the US Soccer Federation and all other stakeholders on hosting the Copa America Centenario tournament in the US,” CONCACAF said. “CONCACAF is committed to continue working with all parties to address the operational, format and financial issues relating to the tournament in order to ensure greater transparency to this event.”
On Friday last week, CONMEBOL chief Juan Angel Napout also told a Paraguayan radio station that the Copa America Centenario would go ahead in the US as planned.
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