South American Futbol - Libertadores, Sudamericana, World Cup 2010

With less than four months remaining until the opening match of the 2006 World Cup, José Pekerman is evidently in a race against time. The Argentine national team boss is yet to determine the most important part of his squad: the attack. Some may think his job can’t be too difficult when you take into [...]

A fortnight of predictable Copa Libertadores prerequisite ties came to an end Thursday, and – as expected – all Brazilian and Argentine participants qualified for the highly contested second round. The groups have all been set, and, although 32 clubs are in the hunt to be South American champions, it’s likely a Brazilian or Argentine club will be [...]

It’s back to business in Argentina, as the Clausura championship kicks off next week. This should be an intriguing season. Usually, big transfers make up the bulk of offseason news, but most of the hype leading up to kickoff has surrounded the shock resignation of River Plate manager Reinaldo Merlo. There has been relatively little movement in the [...]

Soccer managers tend to be men with limited risk-taking capacities. But when you find one with the nerve to sneak in a surprise at a decisive moment, you know he’s something special. Boca Juniors boss Alfio Basile has this rare characteristic, and he proved it once again Sunday night when he reshuffled his side’s penalty [...]

Are you a fan of drama in soccer? Then buckle up. Argentina’s Apertura Championship is going right down to the wire with two final rounds of matches, and the end result could very well be the biggest surprise of the year anywhere. Tiny Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata is one win away from the title, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]