Barely a week after a whole month of World Cup madness, one continent has already gotten back into the swing of things.
South America’s Copa Libertadores restarted on Tuesday night with Libertad’s 3-1 victory over River Plate in Asunción, Paraguay, a result that puts the Paraguayans into the semifinals of the competition for the first time since 1977.
As has become customary of the competition, crowd violence (this time from River supporters) led to the game’s suspension, another problem to add to the confederation’s extensive but critical list.
But what has caused the most controversy are the sudden changes teams have been forced into making due to the 70-day World Cup recess that cut right into the middle of the competition.
Many of the clubs still in contention have gotten rid of players, signed new ones or changed managers. But the South American confederation has disallowed the use of reinforcements until the semifinals, which has seriously handicapped some of the teams.
The Argentine clubs have probably suffered the most. But besides River, which was completely outplayed by Libertad on Tuesday, the two remaining Argentine clubs are in a good position to reach the final four.
For now, the top choice to win the title is still defending champion São Paulo, a side fortunate enough not to have experienced much change. Here’s a breakdown of the remaining three quarterfinal second-leg clashes, and my thoughts on who should advance.
Internacional vs. Liga Deportiva Universitaria
Internacional of Porto Alegre looks more than capable of turning around a 2-1 deficit at home against Liga de Quito. The sides come into the tie in contrasting situations — while Inter has been in fine form, and sits in third position in the Brasileirão standings (two points behind leader São Paulo), Liga’s Peruvian manager Juan Carlos Oblitas has struggled in attempting to sort out contract terms with the club directors, and has already confirmed that Wednesday night’s clash will be his last with the club.
But although Liga is in chaos, its squad consists of more than half a dozen internationals who helped Ecuador reach the World Cup round of 16, and it is clearly one of the most talented teams on the continent. But LDU must be cautious of the Brazilians, who are hoping to take advantage of their situation.
Inter by no means plays attractive soccer, at least by traditional standards, but it definitely can get the job done. O Colorado rarely drops points at home, and although it hasn’t been convincing in three of its knockout-round matches, this is a side with a solid base. Manager Abel Braga recently said that his side benefited from the break after many players had been hit by fatigue-related injuries.
But now the squad is back to its best possible condition and is ready to confront the second leg. That should help Inter outlast the experienced Ecuadorian outfit and advance. An added incentive is that if Inter fails, it’s likely to lead to a huge exodus of players abroad — Rafael Sóbis, Fernandão, Tinga and Élder Granja are contemplating moves to European clubs.
São Paulo vs. Estudiantes de La Plata
This promises to be an intriguing matchup as it brings together the best team and the most hardworking one. Although the defending champs find themselves 1-0 down after 90 minutes, they’re still the favorites to advance to the semis and win a fourth Libertadores title. São Paulo currently sits atop the Brazilian standings and extended its undefeated streak to seven matches with a 2-1 victory over Figueirense last Saturday.
Unlike most of his colleagues, manager Muricy Ramalho has the privilege of counting on his entire squad for the remainder of the competition – although defenders Diego Lugano and Andre Dias must sit out the Estudiantes match due to suspension, while left back Júnior is likely to be out injured. A bonus is the fact that former Real Betis striker Ricardo Oliveira has fully recovered from a serious injury and has already scored three times since the season restarted.
Estudiantes, on the other hand, has offloaded seven players, as well as manager Jorge Burruchaga, who was replaced by Diego Simeone. The former Argentine international is hoping to commence his reign at the club in the best possible manner — with just a draw, the team will reach the Copa semis for the first time in 23 years.
“We know that against a rival like São Paulo, if the team sits back, at any moment they will score,” Simeone says. “We are going to play more forward, with almost four attackers.”
Due to CONMEBOL regulations, Juan Sebastian Verón, who was signed from Inter Milan, will not see any action unless the side reaches the last four. Still, this is Estudiantes’ most anticipated match in more than two decades and more than 10,000 fanatics are expected to cross the border for the clash. The La Plata-based club will surely give its all, but the depth of the Brazilians is likely to lead to its elimination.
Vélez Sarsfield vs. Chivas de Guadalajara
Vélez may have picked up a huge point in the first leg in Guadalajara, but two months later, the club is in a crisis. Internal conflicts between key players — most notably involving team captain Lucas Castromán — have led to the departure of important attacking players Leonardo Gracián and Rolando Zárate.
Offensive midfielder Gracián was Vélez’s most creative player, and his absence is likely to affect the possibility of the club reaching the semis for the first time since ’94, the year in which it went on to win its only continental title. To make things worse, Castromán picked up an injury in a recent outing, and will miss the vital clash.
Still, manager Miguel Angel Russo is optimistic about his side’s chances. “We know that the point we got in Mexico was important,” he says. ”We are doing well in all sectors of the field. Although we will play at home, Chivas is a team to respect.”
Indeed, Chivas is definitely a side that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Other than Carlos Salcido, who was recently sold to Holland’s PSV Eindhoven, the Mexicans will be able to count on all their World Cup players, many of whom missed the first leg due to national-team commitments.
Chivas’ squad consists of several world-class players, including goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez and attacker Omar Bravo. They have the quality to reach the semifinals for the second successive year, but will have to survive two types of serious pressure: the onslaught Vélez is likely to throw at them early in the match and the hostile home crowd.
Chivas will be a tricky opponent, but it’s likely to be undone by a more dynamic Vélez, the only side in the competition that has yet to taste defeat.
Gregory Sica
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