The 1979 edition of the Copa América association football tournament was played between 18 July and 12 December. It was not held in a particular country, all matches were played on a home and away basis. Defending champions Peru were given a bye into the semi-finals.

1979 Copa América
Tournament details
Dates18 July – 12 December
Teams10 (from 1 confederation)
Final positions
Champions Paraguay (2nd title)
Runners-up Chile
Tournament statistics
Matches played25
Goals scored63 (2.52 per match)
Attendance1,144,000 (45,760 per match)
Top scorer(s)Paraguay Eugenio Morel
Chile Jorge Peredo
(4 goals each)
Best player(s)Chile Carlos Caszely[1]
1975
1983

Squads

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Group stage

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The teams were drawn into three groups, consisting of three teams each. Each team played twice (home and away) against the other teams in their group, with two points for a win, one point for a draw, nil points for a loss. The winner of each group advanced to the semi-finals.


Peru qualified automatically as holders for the semifinal.


Group A

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Chile 4 2 1 1 10 2 +8 5
  Colombia 4 2 1 1 5 2 +3 5
  Venezuela 4 0 2 2 1 12 −11 2
Venezuela  0–0  Colombia
Attendance: 18,000

Venezuela  1–1  Chile
Carvajal   70' Peredo   81'
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: César Pagano (Peru)

Colombia  1–0  Chile
Díaz   21'

Colombia  4–0  Venezuela
Iguarán   17'
Valverde   53'
Chaparro   59'
Morón   86'

Chile  7–0  Venezuela
Peredo   3', 59'
Véliz   31'
Rivas   38', 54' (pen.)
Soto   80'
Yáñez   84'
Páez  
Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Enrique Labó (Peru)

Chile  2–0  Colombia
Caszely   14'
Peredo   58'
Valverde   54'
Attendance: 85,000
Referee: Wilfredo Cáceres (Paraguay)

Group B

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Brazil 4 2 1 1 7 5 +2 5
  Bolivia 4 2 0 2 4 7 −3 4
  Argentina 4 1 1 2 7 6 +1 3
Bolivia  2–1  Argentina
Reynaldo   29', 66' López   5'
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Octavio Sierra (Colombia)

Bolivia  2–1  Brazil
Aragonés   36' (pen.), 73' Report Roberto Dinamite   30' (pen.)
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Orlando Sánchez (Colombia)

Brazil  2–1  Argentina
Zico   2'
Tita   54'
Report Coscia   29'
Attendance: 130,000
Referee: Edison Pérez (Peru)

Argentina  3–0  Bolivia
Passarella   1'
Gáspari   15'
Maradona   65'
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Sergio Vázquez Sánchez (Chile)

Brazil  2–0  Bolivia
Tita   46'
Zico   90'
Report
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: José Vergara Guerrero (Venezuela)

Argentina  2–2  Brazil
Passarella   38'
Díaz   71'
Gallego   27'
Report Sócrates   17', 65' (pen.)
Zico   27'
Attendance: 68,000
Referee: Roque Cerullo (Uruguay)

Group C

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Paraguay 4 2 2 0 6 3 +3 6
  Uruguay 4 1 2 1 5 5 0 4
  Ecuador 4 1 0 3 4 7 −3 2
Ecuador  1–2  Paraguay
Torres Garcés   64' (pen.) Report Talavera   22'
Solalinde   77'

Ecuador  2–1  Uruguay
Tenorio   6'
Alarcón   9'
Report Victorino   79' (pen.)
Castillo   65'

Paraguay  2–0  Ecuador
E. Morel   27'
Osorio   48'
Report
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Abel Gnecco (Argentina)

Uruguay  2–1  Ecuador
Bica   4'
Victorino   57' (pen)
Maneiro   78'
Report Klinger   77'
Granda   57'
Ron   81'
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Oscar Scolfaro (Brazil)

Paraguay  0–0  Uruguay
Ovelar   35' Report
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Sergio Vásquez Sánchez (Chile)

Uruguay  2–2  Paraguay
Milar   54' (pen.)
Paz   83'
Report E. Morel   34', 88'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Edison Pérez (Peru)

Knockout stage

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Semi-finalsFinals
 
          
 
 
 
 
  Paraguay22
 
 
 
  Brazil12
 
  Paraguay (agg.)300
 
 
 
  Chile010
 
  Peru10
 
 
  Chile20
 

Semi-finals

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Peru  1–2  Chile
Mosquera   71' Caszely   36', 76'
Attendance: 50,000
Chile  0–0  Peru

Chile won 3–1 on points.


Paraguay  2–1  Brazil
E. Morel   16'
Talavera   35'
Report Palhinha   79'
Brazil  2–2  Paraguay
Falcão   29'
Sócrates   61' (pen.)
Report M. Morel   31'
Romero   68'
Attendance: 80,000

Paraguay won 3–1 on points.

Finals

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Paraguay  3–0  Chile
Romero   12', 85'
M. Morel   36'
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Luis Gregorio da Rosa (Uruguay)
Chile  1–0  Paraguay
Rivas   10'
Attendance: 55,000

As the teams were tied 2–2 on points, a play-off on a neutral ground was required to determine the winner.

Paraguay  0–0 (a.e.t.)  Chile
Attendance: 32,000

The play-off match finished tied after extra time expired, meaning the teams finished 3–3 on points. Paraguay won on aggregate 3–1.

Goal scorers

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With four goals, Jorge Peredo and Eugenio Morel are the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 63 goals were scored by 41 different players, with none of them credited as own goal.

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

References

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  1. ^ "Especial Copa America: Los Mejores Jugadores edición por edición" (in Spanish). Goal.com. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Oliver, Guy (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. Guinness publishing. p. 567. ISBN 0-85112-954-4.
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