Copa Sudamericana 2014

São Paulo advances to the Copa Sul-Americana's semifinals for the 3rd straight year. Let's hope Muricy Ramalho fixes that defense and the attention. We were up 3-0 and 2-1 against Emelec in the two games before we allowed them to score 2 goals in both matches! Thankfully we scored a 4th goal in Brazil and held our defense in Ecuador.

 

Atletico Nacional advances.

 

You're an Atl.-Nacional fan? Last year, Atl.-Nacional gave SPFC a lot of work at Morumbi. The 0-0 draw in Colombia was enough for us, but I doubt Atl.-Nacional will sit back at the first match. Thankfully the return is in Brazil.

 

Hadn't thought about this: interesting point.

 

The first and only time it has ever happened.

 

They are one of the many teams I follow.
Should be a fun couple of matches.

 

What a year in South American club soccer.

2014 Copa Libertadores semifinalists: São Lourenço, Bolivar, Nacional of Paraguay, Defensor Sporting.
Total international cups before the conclusion of the tournament: 2
São Lourenço: 2 (2001 Copa Mercosul, 2002 Copa Sul-Americana)

2014 Copa Sul-Americana semifinalists: São Paulo, Atlético Nacional, Rio da Prata, Boca Júniores
Total international cups before the conclusion of the tournament: 40
São Paulo: 12
Atlético Nacional: 5
Rio da Prata: 5
Boca Júniores: 18

This adds great flavor and potential to the 2015 Libertadores. Of these 4 teams, Atlético Nacional, Rio da Prata, Boca Júniores are in, and São Paulo is nearly guaranteed thanks to its high ranking in the Campeonato Brasileiro.

 

This is a very sexy Final 4 when it comes to aesthetically pleasing futbol. All 4 teams know how to posses the ball and play with good rhythm and solid technique. IT is not going to be ugly defensive soccer with 10 guys in the penalty area defending at all times.

It will be a joy to watch.

 

It is extremely rare that in a continental semifinal round, that all 4 participants have at least 1 Libertadores title. Since 1990 and 2014, the only time this occurred was in 2009, when Grêmio, Cruzeiro, Estudantes, and Nacional reached the Libertadores semifinals. I didn't bother checking Sul-Americana, Conmebol, or Mercosul stats.

In addition, there will be extra drama.

Rio da Prata vs Boca Júniores: biggest rivalry in Argentina. On par with Corinthians vs. Palmeiras, Grêmio vs. Internacional, Peñarol vs. Nacional. Rio da Prata has a 30-match unbeaten streak, is the reigning league champion, is unbeaten in the current league (which it may well win again, extending its advantage over rivals as the biggest domestic title winner), and won convincingly against Estudantes in La Plata and at home. Boca is resurging after a bad period, and while it's got no chances now to win its league, it has history on its side. Ironically, Rio da Prata's win over Estudantes last night sealed Boca's participation in the 2015 Libertadores. And it's precisely in this tournament that both teams had historic matchups, both in the semifinal rounds, and both won by Boca (the last one in 2004 through PKs, in a Monumental stadium without Boca fans).

São Paulo and Atlético Nacional aren’t bitter rivals, but they do have a bit of a background. In 2013, São Paulo beat Atlético Nacional 3-2 in the first game of the quarterfinals only to draw 0-0 in Colombia. In the 2008 Libertadores, a 1-1 draw in Medellín and a 1-0 win in Brazil for São Paulo. This will be a matchup of two teams with solid offense (especially São Paulo: Kaká, Alan Kardec, Ganso). Atlético Nacional has a freeflowing offense and showed what it can do when it pounded Newell’s Old Boys to the ground 1-3 in Rosario in this year’s Libertadores group stage. São Paulo is worn from having played in match almost every 3.5 days in the past 3 months or so, but it didn’t get this far to simply quit. Atlético Nacional will want revenge for last year. A guarantee of two very competitive matches between Brazilian and Colombian soccer.

 

This will be a difficult match. Atlético Nacional is the Colombian Apertura champion. SPFC has faced them in continental cups in the past, as recently as in 2013, and they were tough. Plus, SPFC has been enduring a marathon of traveling and games, mixing Copa and Campeonato Brasileiro. Minus the 2-3 defeat at Emelec, we've done well, defeating teams like Palmeiras, Emelec at home, Huachipato home and away, Bahia, and Grêmio. Minus the aforementioned loss at Emelec, we have not lost since October 12th.

If we can return to Brazil will a non-goalless draw, it'll be a great result. A win, however, is very feasible.

As for the CABJ vs. CARP matchup, I hope the Buenos Aires police is ready for any possible disturbances. I hope CARP takes it - it'd be nice revenge for 2004, and frankly, CARP is the better team at the moment.

 

LOL the Buenos Aires police being prepared... But in reality, there will be no away fans in either stadium, so there shouldn't be any major problems. It is a Thursday night, which is a big night for going out in BsAs, just as big as friday or saturday, so there will be lots of drinking and combined with the passion of a superclasico, theres bound to be a few problems, but with no away fans nothing on a large scale should happen.

The River-Boca match up will be tough to predict. River is by far the better team, but we are hitting a slump at the worst possible time, part of it is the physical strain of trying to win competitions, not to mention the copa argentina that we were only eliminated on penalties in the quarterfinals.

Part of it has also been the call-ups to national teams which has cost us in various games this season, and just last night- Carlos Sanchez, our top assist man and most important midfielder- had to play a meaningless friendly for Uruguay (providing the assist on uruguay's 1st goal) so we will have to see what kind of shape he is in. Not surprisingly, the coach who made him play this friendly jut 2 days before the Clasico is Oscar Washington Tabarez, a boca juniors fanatic who coached Boca on not one but two different occasions.

We are also missing terribly Matias Kranevitter, our defensive midfielder, who has been out of over a month now, but the team has not been able to repeat our form without him. Either Ponzio, a veteran who has been in bad form for over a year now, or Guido Rodriguez, a youngster who has proved he's just not quite ready for the top level yet, will start in la bombonera.

Boca on the other hand, was eliminated in the 1st round of the copa argentina to a 2nd division team and has been out of the league title race since the first few weeks thanks to their horrendous start under Bianchi. So Boca has been resting their starters in the league for a while now.

From the other leg, I'm not quite sure who i'd like to see go through. From a prestige point of view, i'd rather face Sao Paulo, although we have knocked them out of the Sudamericana before and beat them in a Final in 1997 super copa, i'd like to face them and get revenge for the 2005 libertadores semifinal. It would also be nice to see the great Rogerio play one last final before his career ends.

On the other hand, it would be good for colombian football and football in south america on a whole if Nacional makes the final. I can't remember the last time there was a colombian team that really made big waves on the continental level. It would be nice to have a bit of diversity, especially since colombian teams play nice football, unlike nacional and olimpia in the last two libertadores finals who were completely rubbish sides in terms of football, just had the usual garra guarani.

 

There's another reason I'd like your team to advance. CABJ has had cup success over the past several years, but on a few occasions, the way it advanced was quite a turnoff. The refereeing robbed Corinthians (I team I dislike) in last year's Libertadores, but thankfully Newell's Old Boys took them out in the next round. And besides, given how much CABJ and its fans mocked your team when your team was relegated in 2011, a cup victory against you would only make them mock you further. I have no personal interest in a soccer rivalry from a country I have zero affiliation with, but looking at the whole picture, I'd say it's about time that your team's fans get to laugh at them.

The circumstances you mentioned notwithstanding, your team has been the overall better side in recent time. It doesn't deserve to go through based on that - but it should be the favorite to advance.

 

1-0 Nacional.

 

Atletico Nacional advances!

 

Congrats.

 

Atletico Nacional - Rive Plate in the Final.

Should be a great spectacle. The beautiful game to the ultimate degree.