Group of death Copa Libertadores 2006

Post up the teams in each group, please. Then let us decide

 

Group 1
São Paulo FC
Caracas FC
Cienciano
Colo Colo or México 3

Group 2
Sporting Cristal
Estudiantes La Plata
Bolívar
Defensor Sporting or Independiente Santa Fe

Group 3
Newell's Old Boys
The Strongest
Unión Española
Deportivo Cuenca or Goiás EC

Group 4
Corinthians
Universidad Católica
Deportivo Cali
México 2

Group 5
LDU Quito
Vélez Sarsfield
Rocha FC
Nacional or Universitario

Group 6
Nacional
Pumas UNAM
Internacional
Unión Atl. Maracaibo

Group 7
Atlético Nacional
Rosario Central
Cerro Porteño
Deportivo Táchira or Palmeiras

Group 8
El Nacional
Paulista FC
Libertad
River Plate or Oriente Petrolero

Clearly Group 4. very tough group. 1 is also competitive.

 

If Palmeiras makes it to Group 7, then that one would be the second toughest group to me.

Either way, Group 4 is definitely the toughest.

If anybody knows, I'd like to know how good is Cienciano this year? It seems Colo-Colo is again attemtping to buy high profile players (Like Celso Ayala and the Colombian Bermudez) to combine with their already decent squad. If they actually succeed, then it will be a team to watch. Group 1 also seems pretty competitive.

 

it is definitely group 4. BTW am I the only one that thinks the groups are a little weak? I see a lot of weak teams this time around.

 

i dont feel the groups are weak at all. as a matter of fact it seems to me there are some great classic style matches set up in almost every group. Many of those teams have a very long history in futbol in South America. Just because you dont see teams like Boca or Santos doesnt mean the teams are weaker.

 

1??

 

I was just looking at the list and I can safely say that 80% or even 90% of the teams don't have a chance to make it to the final. It just shows how weak copa libertadores is compared to the champions league.

São Paulo, Corinthians, river, plus 1 other team from argentina and 2 from mexico. There you have your final 6.

 

I feel we are going to have two brazilian teams at the finals again.

Specially if São Paulo and Corinthians don't cross earlier.

 

Group 7.

 

Yea, actually Group 7 is pretty tough. They all are tough. Group 5 actualy is pretty competetive. Velez, champions of Uruguay, the team with basically the most combined points in Apertura and Clausura in Peru/ or a good Paraguayan team, and LDU who is quite good at home.

They are some of the bst groups I have seen in a looong time.

 

Actually, I dont think you make a fair comparison. I could say the same thing about the UEFA Champhions League and put down three of four names and look over the rest like you just did. However I am sure there are a few more candidates for winning the Cup both in the Champions League as well as in the Libertadores. You are forgetting teams like Velez who have a great history, how about Mexican teams, every year they have chances. How about Cienciano that has been very strong and won la Sudamericana. Colo Colo, Cerro o Internacional siempre son equipos dificiles. O tal vez Newells que fue el ganador del apertura en Argentina. I dont think is among 3 or 4 clubs like you say.

 

who actually has a chance to win the champions league?

chelsea, barcelona, liverpool, bayern, juventus... maybe lyon. maybe milan if they step it up.

 

In every competition there is allways a few favorites. But as I said in my previous comments, there is a lot more to the teams in this years competition. No really big need to be out of only 3 countries.

 

exactly, that is what I am talking about.

 

Palmeiras has a fair chance. They hired some good players and have now a strong team.

Internacional is tough too.

Velez and Newells could also upset some of the favorites too.

So, IMO, we have as probable winners:

- São Paulo
- Corinthians
- Palmeiras
- Internacional
- River
- Newells
- Velez
- the mexican teams

The other teams I really dont see lifting the trophie.

 

Group 4 will be the toughest.

 

yes 1. Sao Paulo is a great team. Cienciano has the altitude in Cuzco to their favor. They'll get points there. Caracas is the best team from Venezuela IMO and if it's either Colo Colo or a mexican team as the other team in the group, they will be tough also.

 

If you go by tradition, yes. But let's remember there have been some upsets in the Libertadores and no one is a sure favourite anymore.

 

Well, I don't particularly follow Brazillian football as close as I should, but both Internacional and Pameiras didn't do as good as expected in Copa Sudamericana. Then again, seeing as how Corinthians was eliminated from the same tournament, it's arguable as to how dedicated and focused these teams were in disputing the cup.

However, the other two Brazillian teams (Sao Paulo again and Corinthians) could be said to be clear favorites to win the cup.

Either way, last year's Libertadores wasn't very competitive. If people go back 2 years ago, even a Venezuelan team made it to Quarter finals... that didn't have last year. So, in essence, I thought it lacked real competivity (if you analyze Sao Paulo's road to winning the Libertadores you can tell they had a rather easy time getting to the finals).

Compared to last year, I think this year the Cup will be a bit more competitive as far as the other countries go (the rest of South America) and to me the Argentine teams are a big question mark. Boca is obviously not in the cup, and River is not the most competitive team right now. The rest are tough teams, but I wouldn't say they are exceptional.

Personally, I'm very excited about this year's cup. I'm under the impression we'll see a lot of surprises.

 

What I meant to say is that Copa Libertadores has way too many "filler" teams compared to the champions league (teams just filling up space but without a chance of getting near the final).

I guess this is because the cup has been expanded so much to the point it is nolonger the champion and subcampeon but teams that don't even belong anywhere near the copa are getting in.

The ideal situation would be for all countries to have 2 teams each except for brazil/argentina (they get 3 teams each). Then have 2 extra spots for the countries that have a better percentage like in the champions league.

 

i owuld hardly call any teams filler teams when you keep in mind that it has been small teams like once caldas or cienciano the ones that have been putting competition to the regular teams. Unlike europeans teams where you know in each group at least 2 are not good enough, it becomes harder to tell in groups like the ones in the Libertadores, were the competition is a lot tighter among all teams. is a lot easier to tell teams that are going to go through to the second round in the Champions League than in many of these groups of Libertadores

 

group 4 is the group of death, too bad a mexican team got put there

 

yeah the champions league has no filler teams at all.

Rapid, Thun, Sparta, Club Brugge, Udinese, Panathinaikos, Lille, Schalke, Fenerbahçe, Rosenborg, Olympiacos, Anderlecht, Artmedia.

these are (your own words) teams just filling up space but without a chance of getting near the final.

there are strong teams and there are weak teams. that's how it is.