At The Copa

Whether it’s a sign of “moral decay,” as conservative columnist Ann Coulter thoughtlessly argued last month, or nationalistic fanaticism, America’s budding love affair with soccer — not only the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams but also the sport in general — is only strengthening. And in recent years, Miami-Dade has emerged as one of the beautiful game’s biggest proponents, hosting a plethora of international friendlies and club soccer tournaments throughout el 305.
Now with the 2014 FIFA World Cup behind them, the city’s diehard fútbol fans are shifting their focus to DirecTV’s 2014 Copa EuroAmericana, a tournament that runs from July 20 through August 2 across North and South America and crowns a winning continent. Competition is stiff, and Colombia’s Atlético Nacional, that country’s current league and cup champion club, will square off against French soccer’s AS Monaco in an all-or-nothing match, the first of only two Copa EuroAmericana games being played on American soil.

Wed., July 23, 8 p.m., 2014