Copa Libertadores 2019

Discussion in 'Copa Libertadores / Sudamericana' started by Century's Best, Dec 19, 2018.

  1. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Don’t tell me how to refer to my children! It’s none of your business!
     
  2. Century's Best

    Century's Best Member+

    Jul 29, 2003
    USA
    :p I know what you mean but slangs from your country aren't going to carry the same meaning in English. As a fellow South American, I know from experience.

    If you say "my team owns Boca Juniors," an American will understand.

    Tonight it's your team's turn to face a Brazilian squad in Brazil. Internacional isn't likely to be as fast and turbo-charged as Athletico Paranaense, but that may not be necessary given your team is quite undermanned: Armani, Casco, Palacio, Quintero, and Scocco are out. Germán Lux on goal? You guys bring this guy back from a senior retirement center? I remember him in that PK shootout vs. Boca Juniors in 2004 which had no Boca fans in your stadium.

    Andrés D'Alessandro (or "D'Alessandra" if we speak in Clossian) is with Internacional and will face your team. His heart will be torn.
     
  3. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Also known as the guy that conceded 4 vs Lanus in their historic 2017 comeback (Lux’s last copa game in goal)

    As for D’Ale, facing him is always hard for us River fans as well. He’s one of my all time favorite players and probably my favorite fruit to come from River’s academy this century thus far.

    I’m glad he was able to have a second spell at the club, even if it was way past his peak. It would have been nice to have him in 2007-08 when we had a chance if it weren’t for his personal differences with Aguilar :cautious:

    Apparently he’s being linked to a midyear move to Racing, the team he cheered on as a child. Chacho Coudet is currently coaching them and shared championship squads with Andres as a player, so that’s an added incentive. Do you think Inter would be willing to let him go (I know he’s a legend there, but isn’t he normally a sub nowadays)?
     
  4. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Missing Goulart and Scarpa which are 2 players that improved the team from the dire game play from last season. Plus we have a SF on Sunday. Guessing Felipão thought he could get a draw.
     
  5. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    Wow, I'm watching CAM vs Zamora. I had no idea Galo was so bad. Zamora are running at them as if they were at home. This 1-0 so far is no fluke.
     
  6. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    That was fun while it lasted... :(
     
  7. chaski

    chaski Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 20, 2000
    redacted
    Club:
    Lisburn Distillery FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Turks and Caicos Islands
  8. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    With Paolo Guerrero’s return, Internacional just became a whole ‘nother beast
     
  9. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    How the hell did Atletico Mineiro concede 3 goals in 5 minutes? Jesus christ, didn’t even know that was possible.

    The Brazilians got crushed by the Paraguayans tonight. No one could’ve seen this coming prior to the start of the Copa
     
  10. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    Maybe prior to the start... but after seeing them against Zamora, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

    This Atletico Mineiro team is the worst Brazilian side I've seen in my life.
     
  11. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Well, yeah.. that’s why I said prior to the copa.

    Still, conceding 3 goals in 5 minutes (and then another one 10 minutes later) is shocking for any team, especially a Brazilian one
     
  12. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    I feel like I should insert some self deprecating humor here ...
     
  13. locoxriver

    locoxriver Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 22, 2005
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Surprises so far: Libertad, Cerro Porteno, San Lorenzo

    Disappointments: Junior (0 points after 4 games in an accessible group.. wtf), Atletico Mineiro

    It's very interesting to see that all 3 Paraguayan teams lead their groups and are all undefeated.. in fact, Libertad and Cerro have nothing but wins.

    Combined track record for participating Paraguayan teams in the 2019 Libertadores thus far: 14 games played -- 11 wins, 3 ties, 0 losses. Que tal?
     
  14. pipinogol

    pipinogol Member+

    May 20, 2016
    Club:
    Cary RailHawks U23
    From my predictions on page 2 the only things that I didn't see coming at all are Mineiro being so bad and San Lorenzo being ok. Other than that everything else I said can still be more or less reality. I still think Gremio, River and Godoy Cruz will make it despite they are outside top 2 right now. And (even though they have 1 point in 4 games) Huracán still can make it because they have to host both Emelec and Lara who are as awful as them.
     
  15. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    I also think Godoy Cruz will make it through. That Universidad de Concepcion side is extremely average, and Cristal are still too disorganized despite their strong attack. Godoy Cruz has everything served right for them to make it through, given they have 2 home games.
     
  16. Century's Best

    Century's Best Member+

    Jul 29, 2003
    USA
    2019 will be the first year in the history of the Libertadores - since 1960 - during which the champion will not compete against either the champion of Europe or in a "world cup" with the European champion and other regional champions.

    2019 and 2020 will be "skipped" in lieu of the 2021 Club World Cup, expanded to 24 teams, and given that 4 of the 6 CONMEBOL berths for 2021 will be taken by the most recent Libertadores winners, Grêmio e River Plate would be in plus 2019's and 2020's champions. This year's winner and next year's winner will also attend, plus 2 other teams.


    Brazil's online portal UOL (which has a large sports page) published the text of an interview conducted in Switzerland with Sepp Blatter. Whatever you personally think of Blatter, he made some predictions concerning international club football which do not bode well for teams outside UEFA.

    The following is my translation of the interview's parts covering club competitions.

    Europe is dominating world football, with its national teams having won the last four World Cups and its clubs repeating year after year the conquest of the Club World Cup. What happened to South Amreican football?

    About the clubs, it's true that while there were home and away matches between South Americans and Europeans, the advantage belonged to South America. But once we created a Club World Cup, there was practically no further South American champion (note: Sepp knows there was, but very few times since 2005). Let's not even speak about CONCACAF clubs. It's easy to understand. The best players from South America are in Europe. Therefore, for the clubs, it's obvious that they are not on the same level as the Europeans. And this is not going to change.

    Including if the idea of a 24-team Club World Cup?

    It will be worse.


    Time alone will tell if Blatter's predictions will be right, especially as UEFA clubs said they will boycott the tournament. But if UEFA's most recent champions do change their minds and participate, it is not easy to see anyone outside UEFA winning it all.

    I know soccer has changed and times are not the same, but at time I do yearn for the good old days of the Mundial Interclubes in Japan.
     
    unclesox repped this.
  17. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Big win from Gremio today.
     
  18. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    He skips the years that it was played in 1 game in Japan on neutral ground. From 80s to mid 90s SA teams held the edge. From mid 90s on, Europe took over.
     
  19. Century's Best

    Century's Best Member+

    Jul 29, 2003
    USA
    But essentially his point holds. From 2005 to 2018, once the Copa Intercontinental was abolished in favor of the Club World Cup, UEFA domination has held but for 4 years - all occasions, I might add, when the Libertadores/CWC champion was from Brazil. Every other time, UEFA has won.

    As you and I know quite well, before the exodus of CONMEBOL's best to UEFA started, CONMEBOL clubs were not inferior to UEFA's best. Flamengo in 1981 after all had Zico. The SPFC of 1992/1993 had Cafu, Müller, Ronaldão, and Toninho Cerezo - Brazil internationals, some of who won the World Cup. And so forth.

    Since the best of CONMEBOL started to play for UEFA, it's been harder for CONMEBOL to challenge UEFA. This is why whenever the Libertadores champion defeats the Champions' League winner, it is truly a huge accomplishment.
     
  20. Century's Best

    Century's Best Member+

    Jul 29, 2003
    USA
    Grêmio's campaign thus far is a bit reminiscent of San Lorenzo in 2014 and River Plate in 2015. The former had 5 points going into the final match vs. Botafogo and the latter had only 4 as it went up vs. San José in the final match. In fact, River needed not only to win, but for Tigres to defeat Juan Aurich by enough goals or for them to draw at a score with a total group GD favoring River. This is why River fans wildly celebrated Tigres' goals as they were announced in their own stadium (final score: Juan Aurich 4, Tigres 5).

    If therefore Rosario Central and Universidad Católica draw tonight, a draw at home in its final match (vs. Universidad Católica) would get Grêmio through on GD (each would have a final tally of 8 points). But given their two-game win streak in the Libertadores - including their win at what was until last night one of this Copa's best teams, Libertad - and their momentum following the Campeonato Gaúcho win, I speculate Grêmio will go for the kill from the opening whistle.
     
  21. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    From 95 to 04 it was 8 to 2 for Europe . Although games were still competitive with some of those going to PKs
     
  22. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    Today is Miguel Angel Russo's final game with Alianza Lima. He's been a complete disappointment at the club so far, and a club with that squad really should be doing better,

    It's also Paolo Guerrero's first ever game against a Peruvian club. He's never played against one of us before, left to Germany before he debuted in the Primera and avoided them in the draw consistently with Flamengo and Corinthians.

    Against his childhood club...
     
    unclesox repped this.
  23. chaski

    chaski Moderator
    Staff Member

    Mar 20, 2000
    redacted
    Club:
    Lisburn Distillery FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Turks and Caicos Islands
  24. SiempreCrema

    SiempreCrema Moderator
    Staff Member

    Deportivo Independiente Miraflores
    Peru
    Feb 4, 2015
    Club:
    Universitario de Deportes
    Nat'l Team:
    Peru
    Melgar had a much better campaign than I was expecting. 7 points in that group is very decent including an away win which is rare for Peruvian teams.

    On the other hand, the Colombian league seems to have gotten much worse. We haven't had a good Colombian team since Nacional won their title. Junior last night were embarrassing.
     
  25. Century's Best

    Century's Best Member+

    Jul 29, 2003
    USA
    The draw for the round of 16 will take place on Monday. Had the old format been retained, these would have been the matchups:

    1 Palmeiras
    6 Emelec

    8 Olimpia
    9 Nacional

    5 Libertad
    12 Grêmio

    4 Cerro Porteño
    13 San Lorenzo

    6 Boca Juniors
    11 Liga de Quito

    3 Internacional
    14 Athletico Paranaense

    7 Flamengo
    10 River Plate

    2 Cruzeiro
    15 Godoy Cruz

    Libertad and Grêmio would have repeated their group stage matchup (although there's a chance it will happen anyway). Only one same-country matchup (Internacional vs. Athletico Paranaense), and four matchups involving previous champions: Olimpia vs. Nacional, Boca Juniors vs. Liga de Quito, Internacional vs. Athletico Paranaense, and Flamengo vs. River Plate.

    A hypothetical Palmeiras vs. Grêmio semifinal on one sidewith a possible 3 of 4 Brazilian quarterfinalists, or Boca vs. River in the semifinal, on the other.

    With two pots to draw from, there could be several very interesting matchups:

    Palmeiras vs. Grêmio (Scolari, Palmeiras coach, is a hero at Grêmio)
    Internacional vs. Grêmio (Gre-Nal)
    Boca Juniors vs. San Lorenzo (the latter has a historical edge in head-to-head matchups in domestic play)
    Boca Juniors vs. River Plate (no panaderos and no eye-irritant sprays, please)

    Not to mention several possible all-Brazil confrontations and confrontations between Boca or River & Brazilian teams.

    Too bad there'll be a break due to the 2019 Copa América.
     

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