European clubs like to moan about South America's marathon World Cup qualification campaign.
They could be accused of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. The truth is that it is proving a wonderful contest, full of drama and surprise, which is certainly grooming players who in the future will make their way across the Atlantic. Also, in the true spirit of football, the competition is helping the weak to become stronger. Unlike in Europe there is no tradition of South American national teams playing a game per month. The Copa America has no qualifying matches or countries from outside the continent have to be invited to make up the numbers.