Copa Mercosur Explained

Copa Mercosur
Organiser:CONMEBOL
Founded:1998
Region:South America
Number Of Teams:20
Related Comps:Copa Merconorte
Most Successful Club: Palmeiras
Flamengo
Vasco
San Lorenzo
(1 title each)
Broadcasters:PSN
American:yes

The Copa Mercosur (pronounced as /es/, Portuguese: Copa Mercosul pronounced as /pt/, "Mercosur Cup") was a football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by the traditional top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The competition was created by CONMEBOL to generate TV money to the participating teams, but it went beyond and ended up, together with the Copa Merconorte, as natural replacement to the CONMEBOL Cup. These two, Copa Merconorte and Copa Mercosur, were replaced in 2002 by the Copa Sudamericana.

Format

Twenty teams played in the tournament. The teams were divided in five groups of four teams each and the matches were played in two legs. The group winners and the best three runners-up qualified for the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals, the semifinals were played in two legs. In 1998 and 2000 the finals were played in three legs. In 1999 and 2001 the finals were played in two legs.

Final venues

Throughout the brief history of the competition a total of five venues were used to host the final series:

Belo HorizonteSão PauloRio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBuenos Aires
MineirãoEstádio Palestra ItáliaMaracanã StadiumEstádio São JanuárioEstadio Pedro Bidegain
Capacity: 61,800Capacity: 27,600Capacity: 78,800Capacity: 24,500Capacity: 48,000

Finals

width=50pxYearCountrywidth=120pxChampionwidth=120pxRunner-upCountry1st leg1st leg
Venue
2nd leg2st leg
Venue
Playoff Playoff
Venue
BrazilPalestra Itália

Performances

By club

TeamWonRunner-upYears wonYears runner-up
Palmeiras1219981999, 2000
Flamengo1119992001
San Lorenzo102001
Vasco da Gama102000
Cruzeiro011998

By country

width=6%Countrywidth=1%Wonwidth=1%Runners-UpWinning ClubsRunners-Up
Brazil34Flamengo (1); Palmeiras (1); Vasco da Gama (1) Palmeiras (2); Flamengo (1); Cruzeiro (1)
Argentina10San Lorenzo (1)

Top scorers

YearPlayer (team)Goals
19986
19998
200011
200110

See also

References