admin | South American Futbol

Copa runneth over: My picks for Sudamericana's exciting semi matchups

Once upon a time, the Copa Libertadores was South America’s ultimate soccer competition. For many, it still is. But the much-improved Copa Sudamericana has grown in prominence so much that clubs and fans alike now lust after a tournament that has room only for pulsating knockout matches. While the expansion of the Libertadores has ballooned [...]

Aussies rule: Soccer grows slowly Down Under, but this is huge

I can hardly believe my eyes. Australia is going to the World Cup. Having lived in Australia practically my entire life, I have seen the Socceroos go from one failure to another. From being eliminated by Argentina in qualification in 1994, to a repeat performance against Iran in ’98, to a heartbreaking loss to Uruguay [...]

Half a world apart: Uruguay vs. Australia is the most intriguing matchup

The mad dash is near an end. With 27 spots in Germany secured, we’re in the final, most desperate stages of World Cup ’06 qualification: the playoff rounds for the final five berths. Win and you’re in, with a chance to mix it up with the world’s best. Lose and you go home a failure, with [...]

Challenge worthy of a champion: Big injury problems litter Vélez’s road back to the title

Just like that, things can change on a dime in Argentina. It was barely four months ago when Vélez Sársfield’s outstanding closing half to the 2004-05 campaign captured the attention of the nation. The team’s free-flowing brand of soccer had reached such a ravishing consistency, it was only natural to expect that the club from [...]

Battle for Buenos Aires: The biggest rivalry in Argentina resumes on Sunday

Buenos Aires will come to a standstill on Sunday as Argentina’s two biggest clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors, face off in another edition of the eagerly anticipated Superclásico — one of the biggest derbies in world soccer. For this face-off between the bitter enemies (their 293rd meeting), the stage is River’s intimidating El Monumental [...]

A mountain to move: Uruguay must beat its biggest rival to reach the Cup

The final round of the marathon that has been South American World Cup qualifying concludes on Wednesday night with Uruguay entertaining its biggest rival, Argentina, at the historic Centenario Stadium in Montevideo. That’s the same venue where the two countries met back in the 1930 World Cup final, where the home side defeated its River [...]