| US gets tough Copa soccer draw
The United States accepted a guest entry into the Copa America, South America's biennial men's soccer championship, because it wanted more competitive matches between World Cups. It's about to get some. The Americans drew into Group C with Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay, and on paper, at least, will not be favored against any of them. Mexico, the 12-team tournament's other guest entry, is in Group B with defending champion Brazil, Ecuador and Chile. Host Venezuela got the obligatory cushy group with Bolivia, Uruguay and Peru. "Obviously we have been put in a quite competitive group," said interim U.S. coach Bob Bradley, who may or may not coach the June 26-July 15 tournament, depending on the wishes of U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. "I certainly expect the environment to be tough." – MARK ZEIGLER
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Paraguay's Cerro and Brazil's Gremio play in soccer's Copa ...
Paraguay league soccer team Cerro Porteno and Brazilian rival Gremio will begin playing in Group Three of the Copa Libertadores, at 21:45 local time (00:45 GMT) on Thursday in Asuncion's La Olla (The Saucepan) Stadium. Argentina's Hector Baldassi will referee, with the help of compatriots Pablo Lunatti and Walther Valaz. It will be Cerro Porteno's 31st participation in Latin America's top competition for soccer clubs, but the team has never won the trophy. The Paraguay team includes Bolivia's Lorgio Alvarez and Brazil's Rodrigo Costa, brand-new transfers in defense. In the last two games the Paraguay team played its derby rival Olympia twice, beating it 4-0 the first time and tieing 0-0 the second time. Gremio, managed by Mano Menezes, comes from a winning run in Brazil, which sees it leading the local league with seven victories in a row, during which it scored 17 goals without conceding a single one.
Pele Gets Private Equity, Swiss Backing for Brazil Soccer Camp
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Pele, who helped Brazil to win three World Cups, is teaming up with a European private equity fund and a Swiss soccer club to help develop talent in his home country. Campus Pele in the Brazilian town of Jundiai is backed by $30 million from Luxembourg-based Sport Investment SCA, executives overseeing the project told reporters in Geneva today. The school will train and educate as many as 100 soccer hopefuls a year from the age of 14. They'll spend a year or two at Swiss tier-two team Lausanne Sport when they're 17 or 18. ``The chance to spend a year at a European club like Lausanne will give them a chance to play against top European clubs,'' Lausanne Director Francois Laydu said. Soccer is drawing private equity investors and hedge funds eager for the chance to own a piece of the next Ronaldinho or David Beckham.
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