The 48th edition of Copa Am\u00e9rica is right around the corner. Holders Argentina take on debutants Canada in the opening match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ahead of this summer’s highly-anticipated opener in Atlanta, we look back at the three biggest upsets in Copa Am\u00e9rica history – limiting ourselves to games that have taken place since the start of the new millennium.<\/p>\n
The build-up to the 2001 Copa Am\u00e9rica was chaotic, to say the least.<\/p>\n
Due to security concerns in Colombia, CONMEBOL announced on July 1, ten days before the opening game, that the tournament had been cancelled. They then reversed their decision on July 6, confirming that the competition would go ahead as initially advertised after all.<\/p>\n
Reigning CONCACAF champions Canada were set to make their Copa debut. However, during this five-day period, their training camp was disbanded with Canada Soccer confirming that they would not be able to reconfigure the squad in time. Costa Rica took their place.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/strong>: Argentina Predicted Lineup Vs. Canada For June 20<\/a><\/p>\n At the same time, due to the aforementioned security issues, Argentina withdrew from the tournament after many of their players had received death threats. Honduras accepted the invitation to replace them, doing so on the same day as the opening game, arriving with barely enough players to field a team. They unsurprisingly lost 1-0 to the other 11th-hour stand-in team, Costa Rica, merely 48 hours later.<\/p>\n However, against all odds, Los Catrachos then beat Bolivia 2-0 and Uruguay 1-0 with Amado Guevara the scorer of all three goals, seeing them go through in second place.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, no one gave Honduras a prayer against back-to-back holders Brazil, who’d also reached the last two World Cup Finals. They beat Italy in 1994 before losing to France in 1998.<\/p>\n Read More:<\/strong> Copa America 2024 Week 1 Predictions Including Mexico Vs Jamaica<\/a><\/p>\n Between 1995 and 2009, Brazil would feature in five Copa Finals as well as three successive World Cup Finals and four Confederations Cup Finals. This really was a period of dominance for the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o<\/em>, although that was not reflected here.<\/p>\n Those inside Estadio Palogrande on July 23 2001 witnessed an upset for the ages, as an own goal from Juliano Belletti followed by a stoppage-time clincher from Sa\u00fal Mart\u00ednez saw debutants Honduras dump out heavyweights Brazil 2-0 in Manizales.<\/p>\n La H’s<\/em> fairytale run would come to an end three days later as they were beaten 2-0 by hosts and eventual winners Colombia in the semi-finals. This was still a remarkable debut appearance at the Copa for Honduras, reminiscent of Denmark at Euro ’92, even if Ram\u00f3n Maradiaga’s side couldn’t go all the way.<\/p>\n This remains Honduras’ one and only Copa Am\u00e9rica appearance, with a play-off defeat<\/a> to Costa Rica earlier this year, but they certainly made the most of it.<\/p>\n Fast forward a decade and we’re in Argentina, with Brazil seeking to win a third successive Copa Am\u00e9rica title for the very first time. They beat their fiercest rivals La Albiceleste<\/em> in the finals of both 2004 and 2007.<\/p>\n Led by Mano Menezes, the holders topped their group unbeaten, with a teenager by the name of Neymar Junior scoring a brace (his first two competitive international goals) during a 4-2 win over Ecuador in C\u00f3rdoba.<\/p>\n This meant that the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o<\/em> would face Paraguay in the quarter-finals. They were overwhelming favourites to prevail considering Los Guaran\u00edes<\/em> had failed to win any of their three group games.<\/p>\n2011: Brazil 0-0 Paraguay – 0-2 On Penalties<\/h3>\n