Who Won the Copa America 2017 A Look at the Champions and Their Journey

Who Won the Copa America 2017 A Look at the Champions and Their Journey

1. Introduction

The Copa America 2017 was one of the most anticipated soccer tournaments of the year. With some of the best teams from South America competing for the championship title, the tournament promised to be an exciting event. However, only one team emerged as the champion at the end of it all. This article takes a detailed look at who won the Copa America 2017 and how they achieved this feat.

2. The Teams that Participated

Sixteen teams participated in the Copa America 2017. These were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Of these teams, Brazil and Uruguay were the most successful in terms of previous tournament wins.

3. Group Stage Matches

During the group stage matches, each team played three matches in a round-robin format. The top four teams from each group progressed to the knockout stages. Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina emerged as the top teams in their respective groups. All four teams had shown that they had what it takes to go all the way in the tournament.

4. Knockout Stages

In the quarter-finals, Chile faced Mexico, Argentina played Venezuela, Peru took on Colombia, and Brazil were up against Paraguay. Chile defeated Mexico 7-0, Argentina won 4-1 against Venezuela, Peru beat Colombia on penalties, and Brazil needed penalties to see off a stubborn Paraguay side. These results set up some tantalizing semi-final clashes.

In the semi-finals, Chile played against Portugal, while Argentina faced off against Germany. Chile won their match 3-0, whereas Argentina lost 2-0 to Germany, thereby ending their hopes of winning the tournament. The stage was now set for the final showdown between Chile and Germany.

5. The Final

The final between Chile and Germany was a closely contested affair. After a goalless first half, Chile took the lead in the 20th minute of the second half thanks to a strike from Arturo Vidal. However, Germany equalized just six minutes later through Lars Stindl.

The scores remained tied at the end of the second half, and the game went to extra time. In the 20th minute of extra time, Chile's Eduardo Vargas scored what looked like a certain goal, but it was disallowed for offside. There were no further goals in the match, and it was all down to penalties to decide the winner.

Chile won the penalty shootout 3-0 and were crowned champions of the Copa America 2017. This was their second consecutive title, having won the tournament in 2015 as well. Chile's captain, Claudio Bravo, was exceptional in the final and saved three penalties to ensure his team's victory.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, Chile's victory in the Copa America 2017 was well deserved. They had shown resilience and determination throughout the tournament and had managed to beat some of the best teams in South America. It was a fitting end to what had been an enthralling tournament.

Who Won the Copa America 2017 A Look at the Champions and Their Journey