The Merconorte Cup ( Spanish: Copa Merconorte ) is an international football tournament among clubs in northern South America . It was played annually in 1998 - 2001 (a total of four raffles). The idea of the tournament was copied from the Mercosur Cup - a tournament held among clubs in the countries of southern South America.
| Merconorte Cup | |
|---|---|
| Copa merconorte | |
| Based | 1998 |
| Abolished | 2001 |
| Region | South America ( CONMEBOL ) North America ( CONCACAF ) |
| Most titled |  Atletico Nacional (2) |
| Site | conmebol.com |
Format
Clubs from Bolivia , Venezuela , Colombia , Peru and Ecuador participated in the tournament, subsequently clubs from leading CONCACAF countries — Mexico , the USA , and Costa Rica — were invited to participate.
In the first draw of 1998, in addition to South American teams, teams from Mexico and the USA were to participate. However, the organizers could not agree with the Mexican Football Association which teams from this country should participate in the tournament. Then it was decided to exclude teams from the USA from the draw. Thus, in 1998 and 1999 , 12 teams played in the tournament. Clubs were divided into 3 groups of 4 in each. The winners of the groups and the best second team went to the semifinals.
In subsequent draws, North American teams were again included in the composition of the participants. So, in 2000 and 2001 , 16 teams participated. Clubs were divided into 4 groups. The winners of the groups reached the semifinals.
Finals
| Season | Winner | Score | Finalist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Overview | Atletico Nacional ( Medellin ) | 3: 1 , 1: 0 | Deportivo Cali ( Kali ) |
| 1999 Overview | America ( Kali ) | 1: 2 , 1: 0 ( paragraph 5: 3) | Independente Santa Fe ( Bogotá ) |
| 2000 Overview | Atletico Nacional ( Medellin ) | 2: 1 , 0: 0 | Millionarios ( Bogotá ) |
| 2001 Overview | Millionarios ( Bogotá ) | 1: 1 , 1: 1 ( paragraph 3: 1) | Emelek ( Guayaquil ) |
Winners and Finalists
Clubs from Colombia won all 4 draws; moreover, only once a non-Colombian team played in the finals; in the 2001 draw, the Ecuadorian Emelek reached the finals.
| Club | P | F | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atletico Nacional ( Medellin ) | 2 | 2 | 1998 , 2000 |
| Millionarios ( Bogotá ) | one | 2 | 2000, 2001 |
| America ( Cali ) | one | one | 1999 |
| Deportivo Cali ( Cali ) | one | 1998 | |
| Independente Santa Fe ( Bogotá ) | one | 1999 | |
| Emelek ( Guayaquil ) | one | 2001 |
By country
| A country | P | F |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | four | 7 |
| Ecuador | one |
See also
- Mercosur Cup
- South American Cup