HISTORY OF THE COPA SUDAMERICANA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Copa Libertadores is indeed the most prestigious event among South American clubs. His prestige which is equivalent to the Champions League makes many people forget that there are other club events in other parts of the world that often produce these brilliant players.
But the Copa Libertadores is not the only South American club championship. There are other events that also bring together clubs in the zone. It's called Copa Sudamericana.
This championship is basically a continuation of Copa Merconorte and Copa Mercosur. When the Copa Mercosur stopped in 2001, the Copa Pan-Americana was due to be held starting the following year. However, the championship failed to be held. As an alternative, clubs in South America then staged the Copa Sudamericana.
Copa Sudamericana Trophy
Uniquely, this event was not exclusively attended by representatives from South American countries. Since 2005, US and Mexican clubs have also been included. In fact, that year, four sombrero country representatives made it to the quarterfinals.
The format used in the competition which is parallel to the UEFA Cup is a knockout system. Interestingly, in the first round, clubs from the same country will fight each other. Only in the next round will the determination of the opponent be carried out through a lottery mechanism.
source:soccer