Copa Libertadores 2011 (R)

Cool...too bad you didn't start last night and see INTER play. Make sure to catch them next round...2 time champs and defending the title. We have 4 National Level Argentines (D'Alessandro, Guinazu, Bolatti & Cavenaghi) plus on and off Brazilian Nat Team players like rookie Leandro Damião (called up 2 weeks ago), Rafael Sobis, Tinga, Kleber, another rookie Oscar (great player) and quite a few other interesting players.

We will also be playing the Audi Cup this summer in Germany against Bayern, Barcelona and Milan. Our coach is legendary player Paulo Roberto Falcão, back as a coach after 16 years in the booth.

Check out the "Goals from the Stands thread".

 

Ah, Oscar, el motor de la Sub-20. Será un tremendo jugador.

 

Tres partidazazazos hoy:

El 3-3 del Arsenal al Tottenham en casa, con los Spurs tratando de meterse a los Top 4 para ir a la champions y los Gunners tratando de alcanzar a los Rags por el título.

La victoria 1-0 de mi Real Madrid por la Copa del Rey en tiempo extra some el Barcelona.

Y cuando pensaba que nada podía ser mejor que esos dos partidos, el tremendo partido del Colo Colo contra el Cerro Porteño. Cerro necesitaba el triunfo de visitante y, luego de estar perdiendo 2-0, le volteó el partido al Cacique con un impresionante tercer gol de tiro libre de Fabbro en el minuto 90. Y a la última Barreto le salvo el pellejo a los Paraguayos con la salvada del día.

Que bárbaro el fútbol hoy día.

 

y todavia falta dos partidos mas.

 

Colo Colo is a great team but they choke in the first round rather frequently. They had this game 2-0, in the bag... and Cerro Porteno, not a contender IMO, comes back to take it 3-2.

In 2009, they beat Palmeiras 3-1 in Brazil and with a draw they would've advanced, in their last game... and Palmeiras beat them 1-0.

In 2008, they fell in the first stage thanks to a one-goal disadvantage vs. 2nd-place Boca Juniors in their group. One stinking goal.

And this year they were comfortably topping their group... only to see their 2011 Libertadores season end ignominiously.

Santos with a deserved and comfortable 3-1. They will probably be tougher than Cerro will be in the round of 16.

 

Santos is #9 overall. Cerro Porteno's 3rd goal has placed them against the #8 team.

This means that if both Cruzeiro and Santos advance, they will meet in the quarterfinals... a shame. I would've preferred to see them meet in the semifinals or the final match.

 

Can't tell yet. The only match we know for sure is Cruzeiro vs. Once Caldas, all the others are still in the air.

Since Cerro Porteño won the G5, they have to meet one of the teams in the 9-15 range.

IF Nacional defeats Las Wilas by a goal, and Los Bichos win over Flu by one goal too, we would have:

Cruzeiro vs. Once Caldas
Libertad vs. Peñarol
Internacional vs. Jaguares
Junior vs. Estudiantes
Cerro Porteño vs. Nacional
U. Católica vs. Gremio
Liga vs. Vélez
Arg. Juniors vs. Santos

 

Which to watch?

Nacional vs. America
or
Argentinos Juniors vs. Fluminense

I've watched Club America some in the Mexican League, but know little about the other three teams. By the way, loved the advice to catch the Colo Colo match. Amazing end to that game. Finally, I can't get over the Nacional fans before the match. Pretty damn cool seeing the whole stadium lit up with flares.

 

Nacional vs. America, but the Bichos vs. Flu is also going to be a good one.

Both Nacional and Flu MUST win to have any chance.

 

El Nacional no muestra nada. Las Wilas se los han metido al bolsillo.

The Argentinos Juniors vs. Fluminense game is a lot better.

This is the most even group of all, Grupo 3, the last one. Right now, the table is:

1. America 10/+1
2. Nacional 8/0
3. Fluminense 8/-1
4. Arg. Jrs. 7/0

At Half time: Ame 0-0 Nac; Arg. Jrs. 1-2 Flu

For Flu to classify, they need to score another goal, since they have more goals scored than Nacional (8>3).

For Arg. Jrs. to classify, they need to score another goal, and would be 8/+1.

But since all results depend on the other game, anything can happen. If Nacional scores 1 and Arg. Jrs. scores 2, America is out.

PS: Tie break criteria 1. goal diff.; 2. goals scored; 3. goals scored as visitor; 4. drawing of lots. No head-to-head results are considered.

 

Que tal final de los grupos!

América aguantó el asedio, y clasificó. Y Nacional espera, 2-3 en Buenos Aires, si el Flu o los Bichos meten gol, adiós Nacional.

Bárbaro.

PS: Faltan cinco, penal para el Flu!!!

No sé de dónde sacaron el penal, pero el Flu clasifica. El Centenario llora.

 

This Argentinos Jrs vs. Fluminense is not for the weak of heart....

 

Oh come on, how did Fluminense even managed that...now a brawl.

 

Se acabó, con bronca. La Ronda de 16 será así:

Cruzeiro vs. Once Caldas
Libertad vs. Fluminense
Internacional vs. Peñarol
Junior vs. Jaguares
Cerro Porteño vs. Estudiantes
U. Católica vs. Gremio
Liga vs. Vélez
América vs. Santos

 

To quote Mariano Closs, "una verguenza mas."

What is it with some of these Argentine sides? In 2010, Estudantes da Prata players assaulted Internacional players at the end of the match on Argentine soil which sent Estudantes packing. Tonight, Argentinos Juniors gets into a fight with Fluminense.

It wasn't every player, but why pick a fight?

When was the last time a Brazilian side picked a fight with an Argentine side (or a Colombian, Uruguayan, or Paraguayan, or Chilean side) on Brazilian soil when the said Brazilian side lost? Did Cruzeiro players pick a fight with Estudantes after the 2009 return leg ended?

I like a lot of the Argentine posters here and I know that this is not always the case, but I just don't get it. So you lose sometimes. Is this a reason to start a brawl?

EDIT: here's what some Argentines have written on Canchallena.com:

"Siempre pasa lo mismo, los argentinos no sabemos perder."

"bueno, tipico de equipo chico, no saben perder y a las piñas"

I'm glad Fluminense pulled it off. They deserved it - they played better. 4-2 in Argentina, a week after Cruzeiro won in La Plata, 3-0.

All 5 Brazilians in the round of 16.

 

Which means:

- a possible Cruzeiro vs. Santos in the quarterfinals
- a possible rematch of the 2008 final (Fluminense vs. LDU) in the quarterfinals
- a possible Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre showdown in the quarters: Internacional vs. Gremio

I'm calling this right now: Estudantes da Prata will eliminate Cerro Porteno; LDU will get past Velez; Internacional looks very good vs. Penarol, and it'll be easy on them as Porto Alegre is not very far from Montevideo.

Let the round of 16 begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

What a way to end the round wow!

Nacional deserved to get elimanated horrible horrible against America...

So Cruzeiro and Santos are on one side of the bracket while Inter, Gremio and Flu on the other.....

Wow!

 

Suyuntuy's Country Power Ratings

1. Brazil 5/5
2. Paraguay 2/2, both group winners
3. Colombia, 2/3, 20/+1 total
4. Mexico, 2/3, 19/-1 total
5. Argentina, 2/5, both second best
6. Chile, 1/3, 11/+2
7. Ecuador, 1/2, 10/+8
8. Uruguay, 1/2, second best
9. Peru, 0/2, 11/-8
10. Venezuela, 0/2, 11/-10
11. Bolivia, 0/2, 10/-9

 

Peñarol gets to play Inter in the Round of 16. Our fault for not winning our last game at home. Without Golivera the first leg nonetheless.

But we are Peñarol after all, and ANYTHING can happen

 

BY the way the Conmebol rule of 2 teams from same country not playing a final is rediculous and will hurt Brazilian teams...great for Estudiantes which may avoid a Brazilian till the final because of it.

 

IMO, the biggest loser here has been the Primera Division Argentina, three of the five eliminated, that's an awful record. It shows a certain regression of Argentinian futbol.

Peru also had a bad Copa, showing regression with respect to what they achieved last time around. Bolivia continues at the bottom, and Venezuelan clubs have not advanced as much as their NT.

Biggest winners: Brazil and Paraguay. Impressive showing by the Brazilian teams, placing the Brasilerao as the best league in the Americans beyond any shadow of a doubt.

The brackets:

Code:

Cruzeiro--------|
Once Caldas-----|
 
America---------|
Santos----------|
 
Junior----------|
Jaguares--------|
 
Cerro Porteno---|
Estudiantes-----|
 
Libertad--------|
Fluminense------|
 
Liga DUQ--------|
Velez Sarfield--|
 
Internacional---|
Penarol---------|
 
U. Catolica-----|
Gremio----------|

My prediction:

Code:

Cruzeiro--------|Cruzeiro-----|
Once Caldas-----|             |
                              |---Cruzeiro
America---------|             | 
Santos----------|Santos-------|
 
Junior----------|Junior-------| 
Jaguares--------|             | 
                              |---Junior
Cerro Porteno---|             |
Estudiantes-----|Estudiantes--|
 
Libertad--------|Libertad-----|
Fluminense------|             |
                              |---Liga
Liga DUQ--------|Liga---------|
Velez Sarfield--|
 
Internacional---|Internacional| 
Penarol---------|             |
                              |---Internacional
U. Catolica-----|U. Catolica--|
Gremio----------|

Of course they'll pair Inter x Cruzeiro (Cruzeiro wins) and Junior x Liga (Junior wins).

With Cruzeiro winning the final versus Junior.

We'll see.

 

No the rule says that if there're two of the same country they'll meet in the semi-final if there're three it could be possible for a final with two teams of the same country.

What a pity for Argentinos Juniors they started fine and blew it in the recent matches, I think their loss at home with Nacional was fatal. But oh well, the most important thing of this round is to make qualify and they couldn't get it done.

Also Jaguares should really feel ashamed, losing to Wilstermann... And they made it throught..

Also Vélez-Liga, that's going to be a bloodbath Vélez was the last argentine team to defeat Liga in Quito actually.

Cerro may not be a contender, but by the time being they have the top scorer, also it seems that was an interesting duel between Gallego and Astrada.

 

That would be a F'ing CRIME matching INTER x Cruzeiro in a SEMI ! Rediculous rule!!

 

The only way that there can be an all-Brazil final is if Fluminense, Internacional or Gremio, and Cruzeiro or Santos all reach the semifinals and the non-Brazilian semifinalist is ousted. I would love this, but I find it unlikely.

The dream Brazilian final this year would be:
- Fluminense vs. Santos, due to the Muricy Ramalho saga
- Cruzeiro or Santos vs. Inter.... beautiful jogo bonito vs. rugged Porto Alegre style soccer (and Inter is the defending champion)