Japan pull out
Asian champions Japan on Monday withdrew from the Copa America after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) spokesman Nestor Benitez said.
Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji Ogura had earlier travelled to CONMEBOL's Paraguayan headquarters to update the confederation on the situation with the quake and tsunami having halted action in the domestic J-League, creating a fixture backlog now set to be resolved in July.
"Our priority is to save lives and rebuild our nation. We regret we cannot participate at the Copa America," said Ogura, who was due later to convey Japan's decision likewise to the Argentinian Federation, Argentina being the host nation of this year's Copa from July 1 to 24.
Amid unconfirmed media reports that world champions Spain might be invited to step into the breach Ogura told CONMEBOL head Nicolas Leoz that Japanese football was "facing an unprecedented crisis" after a catastrophe which has left the country reeling.
He added that the JFA had intended to suspend the J-League during the Copa America, but "now we have to use this period to finish our domestic championship as the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics are approaching.”
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