# 1997 Copa América

The 1997 Copa America was the 38th edition of the Copa America. It was held in Bolivia from 11 to 29 June. It was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.
In this edition, Costa Rica and Mexico were the invited teams to bring up the total number of competing teams to 12.
The tournament was won by Brazil, who became the first team to hold the Copa América and the World Cup at the same time, a feat they would repeat in 2004.

## Venues

| La Paz | Santa Cruz | Cochabamba |
| Estadio Hernando Siles | Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera | Estadio Félix Capriles |
| Capacity: 51,000 | Capacity: 42,000 | Capacity: 36,000 |
| Sucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |
| Estadio Olímpico Patria | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |
| Capacity: 29,000 | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |
| Oruro | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |
| Estadio Jesús Bermúdez | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |
| Capacity: 28,000 | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre | CochabambaOruroLa PazSanta CruzSucre |

## Squads

For a complete list of participating squads: 1997 Copa América squads

## Group stage

The teams were divided into three groups of four teams each. The formation of the groups was made by CONMEBOL, in a public drawing of lots that took place on 17 December 1996.
Each team plays one match against each of the other teams within the same group. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat.
First and second placed teams, in each group, advance to the quarter-finals. The best third placed team and the second best third placed team, also advance to the quarter-finals.
* Tie-breaker
** If teams finish leveled on points, the following tie-breakers are used:
** greater goal difference in all group games;
** greater number of goals scored in all group games;
** winner of the head-to-head match between the teams in question;
** drawing of lots.
Key to colors in group tables :
* Group winners, runners-up, and best two third-placed teams advance to the quarter-finals

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Ecuador | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| Chile | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Bolivia (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 9 |
| Peru | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Venezuela | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 |

### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 9 |
| Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Colombia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 1 |

### Ranking of third-placed teams

At the end of the first stage, a comparison was made between the third-placed teams of each group. The two best third-placed teams advanced to the quarter-finals.
| Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| A | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| C | Colombia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| B | Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |

## Knockout stage

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 22 June – Santa Cruz | 22 June – Santa Cruz | | | |
| Brazil | 2 | | | |
| Brazil | 2 | 26 June – Santa Cruz | 26 June – Santa Cruz | | |
| Paraguay | 0 | 26 June – Santa Cruz | 26 June – Santa Cruz | |
| Paraguay | 0 | Brazil | 7 | |
| 21 June – Sucre | 21 June – Sucre | | Brazil | 7 | |
| 21 June – Sucre | 21 June – Sucre | Peru | 0 | |
| Peru | 2 | Peru | 0 | |
| Peru | 2 | | | | 29 June – La Paz | 29 June – La Paz |
| Argentina | 1 | | | | 29 June – La Paz | 29 June – La Paz |
| Argentina | 1 | | | | Brazil | 3 |
| 21 June – La Paz | 21 June – La Paz | | | | | Brazil | 3 |
| 21 June – La Paz | 21 June – La Paz | | | | Bolivia | 1 |
| Bolivia | 2 | | | | Bolivia | 1 |
| Bolivia | 2 | 25 June – La Paz | 25 June – La Paz | | | |
| Colombia | 1 | 25 June – La Paz | 25 June – La Paz | | | |
| Colombia | 1 | Bolivia | 3 | | | |
| 22 June – Cochabamba | 22 June – Cochabamba | | Bolivia | 3 | | | |
| 22 June – Cochabamba | 22 June – Cochabamba | Mexico | 1 | | Third place | Third place |
| Mexico | 1 (4) | Mexico | 1 | | Third place | Third place |
| Mexico | 1 (4) | | | | 28 June – Oruro | 28 June – Oruro |
| Ecuador | 1 (3) | | | | 28 June – Oruro | 28 June – Oruro |
| Ecuador | 1 (3) | | | | Peru | 0 |
| | | | | | Mexico | 1 |

### Final
## Result

* 1997 Copa América champions
* Brazil Fifth title

## Goalscorers

With six goals, Luis Hernández was the top scorer in the tournament. There were 67 goals scored in 26 matches, for an average of 2.58 goals per match.
6 goals
* Luis Hernández
5 goals
* Ronaldo
3 goals
* Marcelo Gallardo
* Erwin Sánchez
* Leonardo
* Romário
2 goals
* Julio César Baldivieso
* Marco Etcheverry
* Djalminha
* Edmundo
* Neider Morantes
* Ariel Graziani
* Paul Cominges
* Martín Hidalgo
1 goal
* Sergio Berti
* Ramiro Castillo
* Milton Coimbra
* Jaime Moreno
* Aldair
* Flávio Conceição
* Denílson
* Dunga
* Zé Roberto
* Fernando Vergara
* Víctor Aristizábal
* Wilmer Cabrera
* Hernán Gaviria
* Hámilton Ricard
* Hernán Medford
* Mauricio Wright
* Luis Capurro
* José Gavica
* Wellington Sánchez
* Cuauhtémoc Blanco
* Nicolás Ramírez
* Roberto Acuña
* José Luis Chilavert
* Eddy Carazas
* Álvaro Recoba
* Marcelo Saralegui
1 own goal
* Rónald González (against Brazil)
* Camilo Romero (against Brazil)

## Final positions

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Eff |
| 1 | Brazil | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | +19 | 18 | 100% |
| 2 | Bolivia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 15 | 83.5% |
| 3 | Mexico | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 8 | 44.4% |
| 4 | Peru | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 9 | 50% |
| Eliminated in the Quarterfinals |||||||||||
| 5 | Ecuador | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 8 | 66.7% |
| 6 | Argentina | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 5 | 41.7% |
| 7 | Paraguay | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 | 33.3% |
| 8 | Colombia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | 25% |
| Eliminated in the First Stage |||||||||||
| 9 | Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 33.3% |
| 10 | Costa Rica | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 1 | 11.1% |
| 11 | Chile | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | 0% |
| 12 | Venezuela | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 | 0% |