Streamed to more than 50 countries around the world, the 2011 Copa America - the South American national soccer tournament that comes around every 4 years - will be broadcast live from Argentina on YouTube, July 1 - 24. Arguably the most important global sporting event of the year, the 2011 Copa will feature the 10 South American national teams and two guest teams, Mexico and Costa Rica, battling for continental soccer supremacy.
On the Copa America channel at youtube.com/copaamerica, soccer fans will have access to all 26 matches including pool play, semi-finals, quarter-finals and the championship match, live streaming as they happen with exclusive-to-YouTube commentary, as well as a highlights from all the matches, goal compilations, full-game uploads and more.
Taking place across eight Argentine host cities, this year's tournament will prominently feature Brazil and Argentina, soccer-mad nations who have won seven of the 19 FIFA World Cups and are talent factories of the best players in the world. Uruguay, Paraguay and Mexico are also stalwarts of the international soccer landscape, with an enviable pool of young talents. The list of players expected to compete is an all-star roster representing household-name professional teams, including Diego Milito (Argentina, Inter Milan), Robinho (Brazil, AC Milan), Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Athletico Madrid), and dozens more world class footballers.
Not to mention the player Argentines call "la pulga" ("the flea') - Lionel Messi. Messi is the two-time FIFA Player of the Year who has a list of honors and trophies, including this year's UEFA Champions League title. He is still only 23 years old (!) and looking to add a Copa to his résumé.
The three week competition starts on July 1, with Messi and Argentina meeting Bolivia in La Plata. To whet your appetite for great soccer, starting today on www.youtube.com/copaamerica you can find video from past tournaments, including great goals from the 2007 edition.
Precise touch passing, perfectly-weighted crosses, ball-glued-to-the-foot dribbling, artistic creativity and flair, thumping mid-air collisions, astonishing displays of speed and skill, and likely some controversial moments: all facets of the planet's most popular sport will be on display on Copa America 2011 on YouTube: don't miss it!
Andrew Bangs, YouTube Sports, recently watched "El Clasico Animation Barcelona vs Real Madrid."