Uruguay among Copa America seeds
ASUNCION, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Hosts Argentina, holders Brazil and Uruguay will be the seeds for next month's draw for the 2011 Copa America, the South American Football Confederation (CSF) said on Monday.
Chile, although not seeded to head one of the three groups, have been guaranteed they will play in the Andean region of Cuyo, just across their border with Argentina.
"The only team with definite cities is Chile, who will go to the Cuyo region," CSF general secretary Eduardo Deluca told reporters at the body's headquarters outside Asuncion where it held an executive committee meeting.
The draw for the 12-nation tournament to be played in Argentina next July will be held on November 11 in the Argentine city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires province.
Cuyo comprises the western provinces of Mendoza and San Juan. Other venues are Salta and Jujuy in the northwest and Santa Fe and Cordoba in the centre-north.
Each seeded team will play two matches in their venue stadiums and one in La Plata, which is 60 km from Buenos Aires. River Plate's Monumental, which doubles as the national stadium in the capital, will hold the July 24 final.
"The seeded team that ends up in the same group as Chile will have to play two matches in the area of San Juan and Mendoza and one match at the City of La Plata stadium since all the seeds are going to play one match there," Deluca said.
Argentina and Uruguay have won the Copa America, the South American championship, 14 times each. Brazil, who beat Argentina in the last two finals in 2004 and 2007, have won it eight times.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Regular guest team Mexico and Japan have been invited to join the 10 CSF member nations in the tournament.
The meeting also discussed the South American qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and Deluca said the CSF would fight to retain its four and a half berths. The half berth is valid for a playoff with a team from another confederation.
Brazil are automatically qualified for the next World Cup as hosts.
"We are prepared to defend (our places) tooth and nail because when (the World Cup) was played in Asia, the Asian berths were respected and the same happened with Africa and Europe."