Copa Libertadores 2010 discussion - part 2 [R]

Awesome article I came acrosss SAfutbol is just about the best site I have seen......check it out the NO10 Copa Libs teams of ´10!

My choice is Estudiantes this yr! No2 is pretty good for us.


The 2010 Copa Libertadores is entering its decisive phase, with several teams fighting for a place in the round of 16 stage. With the winners of each group only guaranteed of a spot in the knockout stage (only 6 of the 8 second-placed teams qualify as well) each and every match could prove decisive. As we thought the Brazilian teams have proved to be the strongest of the competition so far, and each and every Brazilian team is expected to reach the next phase. For now it appears that the strongest two teams are last year´s finalists Cruzeiro and Estudiantes de La Plata (still, these two teams have experienced defeats inthe competition).

10. Libertad (Paraguay)

After a brilliant start to the competition, Libertad have gone three matches without a victory, something that led to the sacking of their coach. As is the case each year the Paraguayans are a solid hard-working unit, but in recent matches they have lacked the killer´s punch, and this was in clear evidence in their last game, when they couldn´t beat a struggling Lanus side despite taking an early lead and playing with an extra-man for an entire half. Libertad will need to improve their game immediately, if they don´t want to experience an early elimination.


9. Internacional (Brazil)


The Colorado may have moved atop Group 5 after their victory over Cerro on Wednesday, but their performance during the Copa has left a lot to be desired. Inter count with an abundance of talent in their squad, however, they haven´t lived up to expectation. Their form in the Gaucho championship has been no less than disastrous, and this has mounted heavy pressure on Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati, who could soon be out of a job. On the bright side, Inter are one of few undefeated teams in the Copa and they have a good enough squad to go far in the competition. Can they repeat their incredible title run of 2006?


8. Flamengo (Brazil)

Any team which comprises of an attacking duo of Adriano and Vagner Love will definitely provide you with plenty of goals, and each time Flamengo take the field they look extremely dangerous in the attack. With two wins in three matches, scoring six goals along the way, Flamengo have been in decent form, but like many of the big Brazilian teams inthe competition they don´t seem to have reached their peak as of yet. With a win over Universidad de Chile at Maracana on April 7 the Mengao will overtake the Chileans at the top of Group 8, a result that would steer them ever so close to the round of 16 stage. But the only objective of the Brazilian champions is to win the title.


7. Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)

Velez came into the competition as one of the favourites, but since then they have experienced a number of setbacks, including Thursday´s heavy defeat to Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte. Ricardo Gareca´s side were completely brushed aside by the Brazilians, but the worst thing was that they could barely get a shot on target in the whole game. Velez count with an incredible attacking partnership, that of Rodrigo Lopez and Santiago Silva, but their impact hasn´t always given results. Still, Velez are a compact unit and appear to be the strongest team fromthe competition outside of Brazil. But are El Fortin championship material?



6. Banfield (Argentina)

The Argentine champions play an attractive style of football, but although they have demonstrated this in certain matches, like their 4-0 drubbing of Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador, they also appear to have some weaknesses. After holding Nacional to an exciting draw in Montevideo, they went on to lose the return leg in Buenos Aires, a result which decreased their chances of winnning the group. But on Thursday Banfield showed their fighting spirit when they rescued a point against Morelia in Mexico with a 93rd minute equaliser. If El Taladro improve certain aspects of their game they could surprise a lot of people.


5. Sao Paulo (Brazil)

The Tricolor Paulista have become one of the most dominant clubs in South America in recent years, and they are hoping to translate their domestic success into theCopa Libertadores this year. Sao Paulo have assembled a solid squad, and although they count with a number of aging individuals, they have a great deal of experience. Add this to the quality of a midfielder like Hernanes and a striker like Dagoberto and the Tricolor promise to reach the later stages ofthe competition . Whether Sao Paulo top Group 2 depends on the result of their clash with Colombia´s Once Caldas at the Morumbi stadium on April 21.


4. Corinthians (Brazil)


There is much pressure for the Timao to perform, not only because it is their centennary year but because they have made a number of big purchases in recent years. With Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Edu, Iarley, Matias Defederico, Dentinho and Tcheco, just to name a few, Corinthians count with an incredibly talented squad, that if ontop of their game could be unstoppable. But until now, however, Corinthians have struggled to reach their full potential, even if they lead Group 1. Corinthians have never won the Copa before, and this is perhaps their best opportunity of achieving this (the other four Brazilian representatives inthe competition have won it).



3. Nacional (Uruguay)

The three-time Copa Libertadores champions are unbeaten in the competition and are hot candidates to progress to the round of 16 stage. Like Uruguayan football on the whole Nacional have improved heaps in recent years and it is only a matter of time before they reach the pinnacle of South American football once again. Their comfortable victory over Banfield in Buenos Aires consolidated their status as one of the leading teams ofthe competition. The Uruguayans lead Group 6 and will practically assure themselves of a place in the next round with a win over Deportivo Cuenca. Los Tricolores are currently on fire.



2. Estudiantes (Argentina)

After a number of negative results Estudiantes finally seem to have reached their full potential. An unexpected thrashing to Alianza Lima did a wealth of good to the side, as it allowed them to realise that everybody wants to beat the champions, and that they must be at their best at all moments. Captain Juan Sebastian Veron continues to spearhead the side, but a number of other players like Mauro Boselli, Rodrigo Brana and Jose Sosa have been ontop of their game as well. The return of striker Gaston Fernandez has added much-needed mobility to Estudiantes´ attack, and it has allowed Boselli to return to his all-time best.


1. Cruzeiro (Brazil)

Cruzeiro´s massive win over Velez on Wednesday proved that they are an even better side than the one that lost to Estudiantes in the final of the past edition of theCopa Libertadores . With Kleber, Thiago Ribeiro and Gilberto on the field, at times the Belo Horizonte giants seem to be unstoppable. After a frustrating defeat to Velez in Buenos Aires, Cruzeiro regrouped and surpassed that experience with a categorical victory over the Argentines. Cruzeiro play a swift attacking style of football, but their greatest strength is the fact that they count with dangerous players on every sector of the field. Although it is still quite early to predict, from what they have done up until now Cruzeiro seem to be firm candidates to close in on the title.


Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com
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What's the cutoff point for secure qualification to the next round? 10 points? Because the geniuses at ESPNDeportes were saying that Once Caldas was already in the round of 16, but there are still scenarios where a 2nd-place team can be eliminated with only 11 points.

 

Here's a link so you can have some fun with all the possible matchups for the second round:

http://globoesporte.globo.com/Esportes/0,,GEH1497-9851,00.html

 

Bacan.

Hice mis pronosticos, con total seriedad, y me salio lo siguiente....

 

olele olala nos vamos a matute q xuxa va pasar!!!

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

a mi me salio igual clasico peruano en octavos!!

 

What the.....!!!!!

Transfers: Internacional to sign Martin Palermo?

Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, who recently joined Internacional of Porto Alegre from Boca Juniors, affirmed that his new club are keen on securing the services of former Boca team-mate Martin Palermo. Abbondanzieri and Palermo played together at Boca for a number of years, and although towards the end of his career Palermo continues to prove decisive when presented with a goal-scoring opportunity, and will certainly travel to South Africa to confront the World Cup with the Argentine delegation.

“We are all looking forward to it. He is also interested in us continuing in the Copa Libertadores. We will see if we can bring him here. After the World Cup he will analyse it,” Abbondanzieri told the Argentine press from Porto Alegre, Brazil.


“For me it would be fantastic. It started as a joke but it could become reality, but it all depends on whether we reach the semi-finals of the Libertadores,” he added.


In reference to Boca, club who he helped win six national titles and eight international trophies, Abbondanzieri said: “The only thing I want from Boca is for Martin to score one more goal to become the highest goal-scorer of the history of the club. Nothing more. For the rest, for things to go as well as possible.”


Abbondanzieri, who was Argentina´s first choice goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup, said he is grateful to Inter for taking an interest in him, because he never thought that he would experience anotherCopa Libertadores campaign.



The goalkeeper kept a clean sheet as Inter defeated Cerro of Uruguay 2-0 in the Copa Libertadores group stage on Wednesday, a result that allowed the Brazilians to climb to the top of their respective group.


Gregory Sica
Southamericanfutbol.com
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I assume you are affiliated with aforementioned website?

 

I've heard about that too, it'd be the 6th foreigner they get, they all being either argentine or uruguayan. It'd seem Porto Alegre(or at least a part of it) wants to get closer to the river plate area...

 

internacional is not starting to look like internzionale

 

To me, its amazing, how different the Uruguayan teams play in the local league and in the Libertadores.

All Uruguayan clubs are either 1st or 2nd in their groups, but Cerro is quietly having a good campaign in 3rd place, which is pretty good for them, nacioMAL IS 4th but going downhill and playing horribly, and Racing is 10th out of 15th. I understand that their rosters aren't deep enough to play both cups, but nacioMAL does have one and their style of play with the same players for both competitions is so different.

Is this happenning in other countries too?

 

In Chile, la U is first in the standings of the local tourney (in addition to topping their group in the Libertadores). Both Colo Colo and U. Católica are virtually eliminated from the Libertadores and have been very inconsistent in local comp. Curiously, the latter 2 teams practially had 2 solid starting lineups to be able to compete well enough both locally and continentally and only la U has been able to make some noise.

 

So I guess it is only Uruguay

 

alianza lima and la U are currently in seventh and eighth place in Peru.

 

empato la U 0-0 contra el blooming! jugar bien si importa.

 

Me c@go en la madre.

Que decepcion.

 

csm pobres hinchas de la U porque seria feo quedarse fuera de octavos por segunda vez consecutiva......

tienen que ganar a lanus en argentina algo dificil porque fueron uds los que los dejaron con vida

 

If we can't beat the worst team of this Copa at home, then we don't deserve to go into the next round.

Sometimes the truth hurts.