This summer's Copa America has come to an end with Uruguay winning the competition for a record fifteenth time, following on from their impressive showing in South Africa last summer. With seven of the opening twelve games ending in draws it looked as if South America's flagship tournament wasn't going to be the goal and thrill-filled few weeks that it usually promises to be, but by the knock-out stages it was very much in full swing.
Brazil, unsurprisingly labelled as favourites once again, limped through their first two games. After being held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Venezuela, they then relied upon striker Fred to salvage them a point against Paraguay after his strike in the closing stages of the game made it 2-2.
It wasn't until their final group game against Ecuador that we saw what we all come to expect from a typical Brazil side, beating their opponents 4-2 to secure a place in the next round. However just as they seemed to be getting going it was all over. Paraguay managed another draw against the 5 time world cup winners in the Quarter Finals, and it was the Paraguayans who would have the last laugh as Brazil missed all four of their penalties in the resulting shoot-out to gift Roque Santa Cruz and his men a place in the semis.
Hosts and fellow South American giants Argentina also struggled to kick start their tournament after only managing two points from their two opening games, a 1-1 draw with Bolivia in the tournament's opener and a stalemate with Colombia. Their final group game however saw them ease past invitees Costa Rica, beating them 3-0 thanks to a brace from Manchester City new boy Sergio Agüero and a third from Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria.
But they would also find themselves leaving the tournament early along with their Brazilian rivals. Ten man Uruguay held them at 1-1 in their Quarter Final only for Carlos Tévez to miss the crucial spot kick and send through the eventual winners.
Uruguay didn't have a dream start either and were yet another country who could only manage two points heading into their final group game after 1-1 draws with Peru and eventual Group C winners Chile. It was only an early Álvaro Pereira goal; against what has been a poor Mexico side at the tournament, which earned their passage into the knock out stages as Uruguay finished runners up in their group.
Their quarter final win over hosts Argentina was followed by what seemed like relatively easy wins over Peru in the semis, 2-0, and a 3-0 win over Paraguay in the final after the always impressive Diego Forlán added a brace to Luis Suárez 's early goal.
As mentioned above, Chile were the winners of Group C but didn't make it easy on themselves. They had to come from behind in both their opening games, firstly against Mexico to beat them 2-1 and then against Uruguay to earn a point through an Alexis Sánchez equaliser, who briefly left his team mates to go complete his big money move to European Champion's Barcelona. Chile came unstuck however in a shock 2-1 defeat to surprise package Venezuela at the quarter final stage.
Venezuela were runners up to Brazil in Group B with five points, three of which came from a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, only their third victory in the tournament since joining in 1967, and the other two from draws with Brazil and a thrilling 3-3 with Paraguay to officially close the group stages. After beating Chile in the quarter finals the Venezuelans put up a valiant effort against Paraguay for a place in the final, eventually losing in a shoot out and getting beaten 4-1 by other beaten semi finalists Peru in the third place play off.
Peru also performed beyond expectation as they saw off Colombia in the quarter finals, putting two goals past the Group A winners who were yet to concede a goal by that point, and finishing a very respectable third. But the might of winners Uruguay proved too much for them and everyone else it would seem.
They saw off everyone in their path including Brazil's conquerors Paraguay and tournament hosts Argentina, despite having to play most of that game with just ten men. With a first Copa América win since 1995 and a world cup semi final to their name in the last two summers, could Uruguay be returning to somewhere they haven't been for quite a while- the top of world football?