NEW YORK — A U.S. Soccer Federation official testified Friday that the governing body considered cancelling the 2016 Centennial Copa America after learning top executives in South American federations had been indicted. After the arrests, the USSF stopped the planning process until “we had a clear view of what was going on,” USSF chief commercial Jay Berhalter said from the witness stand in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Berhalter said the USSF moved with the tournament only after imposing conditions that included a bidding process for broadcasting and sponsorship rights. CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, the confederation that governs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, agreed with the conditions, he said. Chile won the tournament, which was played in 10 U.S. cities and included many top players such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

Source: National Post December 01, 2017 22:18 UTC