Following this year’s Copa America in Venezuela, Peru coach Julio Cesar Uribe was dismissed and replaced by Jose Guillermo Del Solar, a former Peruvian international midfielder who is very well known in his home country as well as in Chile and Spain. Chile’s coach Nelson Acosta also left his post and the search for his successor was immediately launched.
Ricardo Terra Teixeira has been re-elected as president of the Brazilian football association (CBF) for the period 2008- 2012, which may be extended until April 2015 in the event that Brazil is designated host country of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, an announcement on which will be made on 30 October. In a general assembly held on 16 July, Teixeira, who has been in office since 17 January 1989, was voted for by the CBF’s 27 affiliate associations and received the unanimous backing of all 20 Brazilian Serie A clubs. FIFA Honorary President Joao Havelange and Brazilian sports minister Orlando Silva both served on the election committee. In his speech, Teixeira expressed thanks for the support he had received and set Brazil’s bid to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ as the main objective of his new term of office.
Costa Rica lost 6-5 to Paraguay in the bronze medal match of the 2007 Pan American Games futsal tournament at the Riocentro Pavilion Sports Complex in Rio on 28 July. In the final later in the day at the same venue, Brazil beat Argentina 4- 1. Meanwhile, in other matches, the USA overcame Cuba 5-4 on penalties to take fifth place, while Guatemala topped Ecuador 7-3 to finish seventh.