It looks as if, once again, Mexican clubs have a long way to go before they can truly compete with top South American opposition.
That much looked true Tuesday night, as Pachuca and Toluca made their less-than-impressive Copa Sudamericana debuts. Both sides struggled against what were deemed “assessable opponents.”
Pachuca was fortunate to escape with a 2-1 loss against Tolima. If it wasn’t for some outstanding interventions from goalkeeper Miguel Calero, the Colombians could easily have put the series out of their reach.
Toluca, widely regarded as Mexico’s top side, edged Ecuador’s El Nacional 1-0. The Diablos Rojos may have gotten the win, but it was a poor display. Besides Zinha, their players were incapable of unsettling vulnerable opposition.
Early signs indicate that if either of these two Mexican clubs succeed in progressing to the quarterfinals, they are likely to be outshined by superior teams.
Here’s a breakdown of the rest of the round-of-16 matchups. The pick of the bunch is definitely the clash between traditional heavyweights Nacional and Boca Juniors.
River Plate vs. Atlético Paranaense
River fans haven’t had too much to cheer about in the last few years, a stark contrast to the fans of archrival Boca Juniors. A major continental title is just what the Millonarios need, especially as their last crown was the 1996 Copa Libertadores, when they were captained by the great Enzo Francescoli. River has picked up in recent weeks after a slow start to its domestic campaign, but it’s still far from its best.
This is where Atlético Paranaense may have the upper hand; the Brazilians cruised into the last 16 after a 4-1 aggregate demolition of city rivals Paraná. The Furacão pays heavy emphasis to the attack but will have to rely on a firm defense in order to overcome the Argentines, who are also particularly dangerous at front. Expect an open contest between two potential title candidates.
The pick: River.
San Lorenzo vs. Santos FC
This promises to be an intriguing matchup, as it brings together two teams that play entertaining attacking soccer. San Lorenzo, which won the inaugural Copa Sudamericana in 2002, has done well to overcome last month’s 7-1 mauling against Boca, with some confidence-boosting results. The Ciclón can be unpredictable at times but will be motivated by the fact that a victory against Santos could help put its inconsistency behind it. Although leading scorer Andrés Silvera is out injured, San Lorenzo can count on Peruvian striker Roberto Jiménez, who is equally as lethal.
Santos counters with numerous skillful players, including attacking midfielder Rodrigo Tabata, amongst the scorers in the Peixe’s 3-0 win over Flamengo last Sunday. The Brazilians are one of the most dangerous sides in the competition — much of its strength is outlined by the individual quality of its players. Vanderlei Luxemburgo is well aware that his team is more than capable of defeating the Argentines and is likely to stick to his normal game plan in order to pick up a positive result on the road before deciding the series at the Vila Belmiro.
The pick: Santos.
Corinthians vs. Lanús
It seems as if the departures of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano have rejuvenated the Brazilian champions. The Timão extended its undefeated streak to eight matches last weekend and is looking particularly strong at the moment. Emerson Leão succeeded in luring Amoroso, Magrão and César to the club as it looks to rebuild on last season’s success. But his side must definitely be at its best in order to overcome stiff opposition in Lanús.
The modest club from Buenos Aires’ south side surprised the continent with a 3-0 aggregate victory over Vélez Sársfield, justifying its second-place finish in last season’s Clausura. Like Lanús, Corinthians is hoping to continue with its positive run, and shouldn’t take its opponent lightly. One player the Brazilians should pay close attention to is Rodrigo Archubi — the Lanús striker has scored all three of his side’s goals in the competition.
The pick: Corinthians.
Fluminense vs. Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Fluminense looked down and out before Marcão came to the rescue. His stoppage-time strike forced the shootout that his club won to advance past Rio de Janeiro rival Botafogo for a spot in the last 16. Flu is most definitely motivated by that result, but unless it picks up its game, it’s likely to be destroyed by Gimnasia La Plata.
The Lobo may be struggling in the Apertura championship, but it still has enough ammunition to consolidate itself as a club with a growing reputation in Argentina. If they are able to take advantage of Fluminense’s weaknesses, particularly its lack of concentration, they will be in with a good shot of advancing to the quarterfinals. But don’t count the Cariocas out — they’re renowned for pulling off upsets.
The pick: Gimnasia La Plata.
Nacional vs. Boca Juniors
Boca is the favorite to win its third successive Copa Sudamericana, and its players are well aware that they have enough quality to do so. But the recently crowned Recopa champions should not be overconfident going into this clash. The Uruguayans have reinforced their squad with high-quality players, including Marcelo Tejera and Diego Alonso, both of whom played important roles in the convincing 4-2 aggregate victory over Libertad in the second round. There is great expectation in Montevideo, as the club looks to win its first major international title since the ’88 Copa Libertadores.
Boca hasn’t been able to defeat Nacional in more than 30 years, although it went through on the away-goals rule the last time the sides met for the ’00 Copa Mercosur after playing to a 4-4 aggregate score. This time Boca clearly has the advantage in what is expected to be the most exciting matchup of the round.
The pick: Boca.
Liga Deportiva Alajuelense vs. Colo Colo
Costa Rica will be represented for the first time in a South American club competition by ’05 UNCAF Cup champions Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. José Hernández will be looking to make the most of the privilege, although his side doesn’t come into the competition with the highest of spirits. Alajuelense has been playing well below its potential in recent domestic outings, mainly because of a series of injuries that have hit the side, especially in defense.
Chilean powerhouse Colo Colo will be looking to take advantage of this, and the fact that the Costa Ricans are inexperienced at this level. They are hot favorites to progress to the quarterfinals, although they’ve been fortunate to have reached this stage of the competition — needing to rely first on the penalty shootout to defeat Huachipato and then the away-goals rule to dispatch Coronel Bolognesi. This series may well be more closely contested than first anticipated.
The pick: Colo Colo.
Gregory Sica
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