Several teams are vying for spots in the round of 16 stages of the 2010 Copa Libertadores as the tournament enters its critical stage. Each game might be crucial because only the group winners are guaranteed a position in the knockout stage (only six of the eight second-place teams also advance). As anticipated, Brazilian teams have emerged as the strongest in the competition thus far, and it is anticipated that every Brazilian team will advance to the following stage. Cruzeiro and Estudiantes de La Plata, last year’s finalists, look to be the two strongest teams right now (still, these two teams have experienced defeats in the competition).
10. Libertad (Paraguay)
Libertad’s coach was fired as a result of the team going three games without a victory after a strong start to the campaign. The Paraguayans are a strong, hard-working team as they are every year, but recently they have lacked the deadly punch. This was evident in their most recent game, in which they lost to a struggling Lanus team despite gaining an early lead and playing with an extra man for the entire first half. If Libertad wants to avoid an early elimination, they must instantly step up their game.
9. Internacional (Brazil)
After defeating Cerro on Wednesday, Colorado may have risen to the top of Group 5, but their Copa play has been far from impressive. Despite having a plethora of skills on their team, Inter hasn’t performed up to expectations. Their performance in the Gaucho championship has been nothing short of appalling, and as a result, Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati has been under intense fire and may soon lose his job. On the plus side, Inter is one of the few unbeaten clubs in the Copa and has a strong enough roster to compete well. Can they match their outstanding title run from 2006?
8. Flamengo (Brazil)
Any squad with Adriano and Vagner Love as its attacking partners will undoubtedly score a lot of goals for you, and Flamengo always presents a very serious offensive threat. Flamengo has been in great form with two victories in three games and six goals scored along the road, but like many of the other Brazilian clubs in the league, they don’t appear to have hit their peak just yet. The Mengao will pass the Chileans at the top of Group 8 with a victory over Universidad de Chile at Maracana on April 7, a result that would move them inching closer to the round of 16 stages. However, the Brazilian champs’ primary goal is to take the crown.
7. Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)
Although Velez entered the game as one of the favorites, they have since suffered several losses, including a crushing loss to Cruzeiro on Thursday in Belo Horizonte. The Brazilians utterly disregarded Ricardo Gareca’s team, but the worst part was that they hardly managed to get a shot on goal during the whole contest. Despite having a fantastic offensive duo in Rodrigo Lopez and Santiago Silva, Velez hasn’t always benefited from their presence. Even yet, Velez is a small group and seems to be the most formidable squad from the rivalry outside of Brazil. Are El Fortin contenders, though?
6. Banfield (Argentina)
The Argentine champions play a visually appealing kind of football, but even times when they’ve shown it, like their 4-0 thrashing of Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador, they also seem to have some flaws. The team lost the return leg in Buenos Aires after holding Nacional to a thrilling draw in Montevideo, which hurt their prospects of winning the group. But on Thursday, Banfield demonstrated their tenacity by salvaging a point against Morelia in Mexico with a goal in the 93rd minute. El Taladro might shock a lot of people if they make some improvements to their game.
5. Sao Paulo (Brazil)
The Tricolor Paulista, one of South America’s most powerful clubs in recent years, is attempting to carry over their domestic dominance into this year’s Copa Libertadores. Despite having several seasoned players who are getting on in years, Sao Paulo has put together a strong team. The Tricolor has the potential to go to the competition’s latter rounds when combined with the caliber of a midfielder like Hernanes and a striker like Dagoberto. The outcome of Sao Paulo’s match against Colombia’s Once Caldas on April 21 at the Morumbi stadium will determine whether they finish first or second in Group 2.
4. The Apostles (Brazil)
Timao is under a lot of pressure to succeed, not just because it is their centennial year but also because they have recently made several significant purchases. Corinthians has an exceptionally talented team that, if at its best, might be unstoppable, including Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Edu, Iarley, Matias Defederico, Dentinho, and Tcheco, to mention a few. Even though Corinthians are now in first place in Group 1, they have yet to perform to their full ability. Considering that Corinthians has never won the Copa, this may be their greatest chance to do so (the other four Brazilian representatives in the competition have won it).
3. NACIONAL (Uruguay)
Since they have never lost in the competition, the three-time Copa Libertadores champions are strong favorites to advance to the round of 16. Nacional has made significant recent improvements, much like Uruguayan football overall, and it is only a matter of time before they once again reach the summit of South American football. Their position as one of the top teams in the league was cemented by their easy victory against Banfield in Buenos Aires. With a victory over Deportivo Cuenca, the Uruguayans, who are currently in first place in Group 6, will all but guarantee themselves a spot in the next round. Currently, Los Tricolores are on fire.
2. Students (Argentina)
After a string of disappointing outcomes, Estudiantes appears to have finally realized their full potential. A shocking loss to Alianza Lima did the team a great deal of good since it made them realize that everyone wants to defeat the champs and that they must perform at their peak at all times. Mauro Boselli, Rodrigo Brana, and Jose Sosa have all been at the peak of their games in addition to captain Juan Sebastian Veron, who continues to lead the team. The return of striker Gaston Fernandez has given Estudiantes’ assault much-needed movement and enabled Boselli to revert to his all-time best.
1. Cruzeiro (Brazil)
With their decisive victory against Velez on Wednesday, Cruzeiro demonstrated that they are an even better team than the one that fell short to Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores final the year before. The Belo Horizonte giants occasionally appear to be unstoppable when Kleber, Thiago Ribeiro, and Gilberto are on the field. Cruzeiro rebounded from a discouraging loss to Velez in Buenos Aires and outperformed that performance with a decisive victory against the Argentines. Cruzeiro plays an aggressive, quick-paced brand of football, but their biggest asset is the presence of dangerous players in every area of the field. Cruzeiro appears to be a strong possibility to contend for the crown based on their performance thus far, even if it is still early to make predictions.
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