Highly-rated Brazilian attacker Kleber extended his stay at Cruzeiro for a further year, and will remain at the Belo Horizonte giants until February of 2015. Kleber had attracted the attention of several top European clubs, but decided that it was in his best interests to continue to play in Brazil and to help Cruzeiro in their attempts to win the Copa Libertadores.

Fellow Brazilians Palmeiras were hoping to count with the return of the player, but were left with no options, as Kleber will remain at Cruzeiro until he is transferred to a European club.

“Kleber says that Palmeiras´ proposal was good for him, but not for Cruzeiro. The directors of both clubs didn´t come to an agreement,” explained Giuseppe Dioguardi, the player´s agent.

At the end of January Kleber travelled to Portugal in an attempt to sign for FC Porto, however, Porto and Cruzeiro didn´t come to an agreement and he returned to Brazil.

Kleber, 26, scored once as Cruzeiro thumped Real Potosi 7-0, a result that qualified them for the group stage of the 2010 Copa Libertadores.

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

The 50th edition of South America’s Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, is set for a thrilling climax, with the return legs of both semifinals scheduled for this week. With Nacional of Uruguay taking on Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata and an all-Brazilian affair of Grêmio up against Cruzeiro, fans will be treated to two matches embroidered with history and still wide open after the first-leg results. Between them, the four semifinalists have won the competition 10 times (Cruzeiro was the last, 12 years ago).

With a place in the finals in touching distance, all four clubs will be desperate to produce their best soccer, and it’s in these kinds of instances when stars are born. South America continues to produce players of the highest caliber, and in this edition of the Libertadores, several players have emerged as possible stars of the future, while others have cemented their status as world-class players.Due to the wealth of talent on display, many will sign lucrative deals with top European clubs at the tournament’s conclusion, if they have not already. It’s no secret: The Copa Libertadores is the perfect platform for the top players of the region to showcase their skills in an attempt to cash in with the big boys of world soccer. Here are the top 10 performers in this year’s edition of the Libertadores:

1. Kléber (Cruzeiro)

A serious contender to be player of the tournament, Kléber has been key to Cruzeiro’s impressive campaign. Having ended the the Mineiro state tournament (which Cruzeiro won earlier in the year) as the leading marksman, Kléber has managed to transmit that success into the Copa. Not only has the striker found the back of the net four times, but he has been the club’s main inspiration in the attack. His performances have quickly made him a fan favorite, and he will be hoping to repay the club’s fans with the Libertadores title.

Kléber, who won the Ukrainian Super League twice with Dynamo Kiev before returning to Brazil, has attracted envious glances from several top European clubs, including Liverpool. But first, he wants to put Cruzeiro into the history books with a third Copa title triumph. His Cruzeiro teammate Ramires has been equally impressive, and will return to the side after helping Brazil win the Confederations Cup for a third time.

2. Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes)

Since returning to his beloved Estudiantes after 10 years in Europe, Verón has been in incredible form. The South American Footballer of The Year continues to be one of the most intelligent playmakers in the game, and he has been instrumental in Estudiantes’ amazing Libertadores run. Los Pincharratas haven’t lifted South America’s biggest prize in 39 years, but have a great shot of winning their fourth title now that they’re only a step away from reaching the finals.

The 34-year-old Verón has shown he still has plenty to offer to Estudiantes, or any other club for that matter, and it was his quick free-kick that led to Diego Galván‘s winner in the first leg against Nacional last week. Unfortunately for Estudiantes, “La Brujita” was injured later on in the match and will have to watch the second leg in Montevideo from the dugout. Will Estudiantes be able to cope without their leader?

3. Keirrison (Palmeiras)

Only hours away from completing a big-money transfer to European champion Barcelona, Keirrison promises to take European soccer by storm. Last season, he finished in a three-way tie as the top scorer of the Brazilian Championship with 21 goals and he has scored six times in the Libertadores. “K9″ was the standout of a Palmeiras side that didn’t live up to expectations in the tournament and was sent crashing out by Nacional in the quarterfinals.

With its elimination, the pressure built — in particular coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo. On his blog, the former Brazil boss threatened to not play Keirrison in protest to his transfer to Barcelona, which led to his immediate firing. Keirrison will hope to experience a memorable season with Barça, as it could well be worth a 2010 World Cup place with the Seleção.

4. Nicolás Lodeiro (Nacional)

Lodeiro is the most exciting talent to have emerged from Uruguay in recent years, and his acceleration, combined with dribbling skills, have earned him comparisons with Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. The Nacional attacker is world-class and, with four goals to his name in the Copa, he has proven to be the difference for Nacional. At only 20 years of age, a bright future awaits him, but Lodeiro will be hoping to help Nacional lift what would be a fourth Libertadores title before packing his bags for Europe. Some possible destinations include Barcelona (where he could team up with Messi) and Liverpool.

5. Pablo Pintos (Defensor Sporting)

Dubbed the “Uruguayan Maicon” because of his ability to get forward in the attack (like the famed Inter Milan fullback), Pintos is one of the most sought-after defenders in South America. He was outstanding as Defensor reached the quarterfinals of the Copa, and was particularly impressive as the Uruguayan underdogs eliminated continental heavyweight Boca Juniors. Although he has attracted interest from a couple of Italian clubs, his future lies with either Boca or River Plate of Argentina, two massive clubs which would provide him with plenty of experience before heading to Europe.

6. Mauro Boselli (Estudiantes)

With five of Estudiantes’ 15 goals in the Libertadores, Boselli has proven to be his team’s biggest threat. The former Boca striker has reached his top form with Estudiantes, and his smart positioning and goal-scoring prowess has been much of the reason why his team is still in the hunt for the title. Having learned from the likes of Martín Palermo and Rodrigo Palacio while at Boca, Boselli has managed to make a name for himself at Estudiantes.

7. Sebastián Coates (Nacional)

Coates only recently emerged on the continental scene, but the center back already promises to be a star of the future. At 6-foot-5, it’s no wonder the 19-year-old is almost impossible to beat in the air, which is much of the reason why Nacional has conceded the fewest amount of goals in the tournament. Coates is also strong in dead-ball situations and found the back of the net with a powerful header in the group phase against Nacional of Paraguay.

His potential hasn’t gone unnoticed, and he has been targeted by several foreign clubs, including Juventus. The Italian club has sent scouts to Uruguay to observe the player in action, and is expected to make an offer for him at the conclusion of the Copa.

8. Hernanes (São Paulo)

Three-time Libertadores champion São Paulo didn’t perform up to its usual high standards this year, but the tournament reinforced the status of its latest gem. The midfielder is perhaps the biggest star in South America, and his undisputed quality means it is just a matter of time before he becomes a household name in Europe.
Having played a key role as São Paulo clinched a fourth successive Brazilian Championship last season,

Hernanes was rewarded as Brazilian Footballer of the Year. He was on the verge of completing a high-profile transfer to Barcelona earlier in the year, but São Paulo’s Libertadores commitment was the priority. With time to reflect on a tournament that could have gone better, Hernanes may be forced to part ways with São Paulo. The Brazilians would surely cash in on the 24-year-old.

9. Maxi López (Grêmio)

With few opportunities at Barcelona and in Russia, López’s career has been rejuvenated at Grêmio. The tall, blonde striker finally found a team tha
t knows how to take full advantage of his heading ability — three of his four goals in the tournament came off his noggin. The former River Plate striker has adapted to Brazilian soccer quickly, but had he converted an easy opportunity against Cruzeiro last week, his team would sit in a better position heading into the return leg of the semifinals in Porto Alegre.

What reduces the chances of a return to Europe, however, is that Maxi also makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Not only is he married to Argentine bombshell Wanda Nara (who has achieved some Paris Hilton-like infamy for a sex tape), but last week he was accused of racially abusing Cruzeiro midfielder Elicarlos (López denies the charges).

10. Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)

Boca may have been eliminated in the quarterfinals, but nevertheless Palacio was able to produce the kind of soccer that has characterized him over the years. After a couple of frustrating seasons, the injury-prone winger was able to show that he is still a class act and scored five times in the tournament.

For years, Palacio has been on the agenda of several top European clubs, but only until now has the high-paid attacker considered a move abroad. Palacio has said he’s comfortable at Boca, but knows that a good season in Spain, Italy or England would provide him with greater possibilities of participating in the World Cup with Argentina for a second time. Such a delayed transfer could mean that Palacio could end up at a second-tier European club like Deportivo La Coruña, Real Betis or Panathinaikos instead of a power like Juventus, Barcelona or Arsenal. His future is likely to be decided in the coming weeks.

Gregory Sica

Article at SI.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Rise To Prominence

Brazil continues to produce some of the finest footballers in the world and the latest prospect of a new crop of talent to emerge from the football-mad nation is exciting attacking midfielder Ramires. Since switching from little-known Joinville to Belo Horizonte giants Cruzeiro in 2007 the Rio de Janeiro-born player has demonstrated his undisputed quality, and such impressive performances meant that it was just a matter of time before he would earn himself a call-up to the Brazilian national team.

After featuring four times for Brazil as they claimed the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, only earlier in June did Ramires make his first appearance for the senior national team. Under the guidance of Carlos Dunga Ramires came on as substitute in the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in Montevideo and proved his worth as the Selecao thumped the locals 4-0.

Ramires For The World To See

In the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Ramires has been as impressive, and although little was known about him outside of South America prior to the tournament, his performances have caught the imagination of the world.

Ramires featured in all three of Brazil’s group games, and was particularly impressive in the 3-0 win over the United States. The midfielder displayed his quality during this game, and many believe he may have cemented himself a starting role in Dunga’s strong starting XI for the future. With the 2010 World Cup just around the corner Ramires has the opportunity to fight for a place in Brazil’s squad for the tournament. But first he will be hoping to help the five-time World Champions triumph at the Confederations Cup.

South American football fans had already been provided with a glimpse of his talent during the 2009 Copa Libertadores, South America’s biggest club competition. Ramires was in top-form as Cruzeiro reached the knock-out phase in style, as not only did he demonstrate his agility, speed and determination, but his unique eye for goal. As well as this Ramires showed that he is strong in the tackle, and his defensive skills make him a complete midfielder.

The fact that he was called up to the Selecao for the Confederations Cup means he hasn’t been able to help Cruzeiro in the decisive stages of the Copa Libertadores, but The Fox have reached the semi-finals of the competition where they will face fellow Brazilians Gremio on Wednesday. If Cruzeiro manage to progress to the final, Ramires is likely to return to the side and will surely be hoping to leave Cruzeiro as a continental champion.

What The Future Holds

Ramires agreed to join Portuguese super club Benfica for €7.5 million in May, a transfer that will surely be a huge investment for the club. His quality and the likelihood of him becoming an integral part of the Brazilian national team for many years to come suggests that when he moves to an even bigger European club he will be sold for a much greater value. Ramires promises to make an impact in European football, because of his temperament and his rare characteristics.

Nicknamed both “The Blue Bugs Bunny” and the “Blue Kenyan” by Cruzeiro fans for his fragile build and electrifying speed, Ramires is destined for world-wide stardom. One factor that might affect his adaptation to European football once he arrives there however, is his lack of physical presence, but the midfielder has already been working on this and as the months go by he is likely to be bigger and stronger. Essentially this will further increase his ability on the football field.

Ramires may only have just arrived on the world stage, but the midfielder is destined for great things with both club and country. The possibility to play in Europe next season will undoubtedly help the player mature and if he is able to turn on the style with Benfica he is likely to be rewarded with a World Cup place. At only 22 it is fair to say that Ramires has the world at his feet.

Player Details

Full name: Ramires Santos do Nascimento
Position: Midfielder
Date of Birth: March 24, 1987 (22)
Place of Birth: Barra do Pirai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 1.79m
Weight: 65 kg
Clubs: Joinville, Cruzeiro, Benfica

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com