USA draws Colombia to launch Copa America Centenario

The Americans’ Group A is full of demanding challenges, with 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists Colombia and Costa Rica as well as 2015 Copa America semi-finalists Paraguay.

Argentina’s World Cup champion Mario Kempes, Colombian playmaker Carlos Valderrama, former Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos and former USA global and FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas will participate as draw assistants.

Three-time Latin Grammy nominated pop singer Diego Torres and Grammy victor reggaeton vocalist and songwriter Yandel will perform at the Copa America Centenario Official Draw Sunday.

So to recap…#usmnt vs. Colombia in Santa Clara on 6/3, Costa Rica in Chicago on 6/7, and Paraguay in Philly on 6/11.

Orlando will have a tough sell after learning its match-ups for this summer’s Copa America Centenario, while the USA found itself playing in the Group of Death.

The tournament concludes on June 26 with the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Brazil were given a far kinder draw and are set to face Ecuador, Haiti and Peru in Group B.

Orlando will also host a sneaky-good Panama team against Bolivia, which advanced out of its group at last summer’s Copa America before falling to Peru in the quarterfinals.

As the host, the USA was a seeded team, which allowed the Americans to avoid Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

The draw for teams out of pot one has been pre-assigned and will not be formally drawn Sunday night. But the Jamaicans have slowed down since then, and Venezuela is in last place in CONMEBOL qualifying for World Cup 2018. It is the first time the tournament is being held outside of South America, and the first time it will feature six teams from CONCACAF, the federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.