Argentina celebrate stylish goal-fest -Photo: Terra

The 2010 World Cup has commenced in the best possible manner for South American teams, who up until now have yet to taste defeat in the group stage (5 wins and 2 draws from seven matches). Traditionally only Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have made a stand in the competition — winning 9 World Cup titles between them — but Paraguay and Chile have also started on the right foot in South Africa. Fellow Latinos Mexico have also been ontop of their game, while Honduras fell to superior South American opposition.

As was expected Brazil claimed a victory over North Korea in their World Cup opener. Brazil completely dominated opponents who played with five-men at the back — at times 10 players defended in the Korea half — but although they were by far the stronger team, after going two goals up, they conceded a late goal from the Koreans. The Selecao weren’t at their best, and will need to improve when up against much more difficult teams in Ivory Coast and Portugal. Brazil should be confident about winning their sixth World Cup.

Leading up to the tournament there were question marks as to whether Diego Maradona would be able to lead Argentina — perhaps the most talented team in the competition — in the right direction. Maradona has little experience as a coach, but his team have racked up two successive wins, over Nigeria and South Korea, and have practically been assured of a place in the round of 16 stage.

Unlike in the World Cup qualifiers, Lionel Messi — Argentina’s star — has been ontop of his game, and his inspiration has helped Los Albicelestes reach their full capacity. Argentina have the potential to go all the way, but will they crumble when they meet the better teams? This was the case in 2006 when then-hosts Germany eliminated them after a penalty shootout. On paper this Argentina side are stronger than the one that appeared four years ago, and if they continue to gel they could be unstoppable.

Like Argentina, it was unknown how Uruguay would fare, after a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, where their weaknesses were clearly revealed. Uruguay have a great deal of potential, and up until now have been in stunning form — the likes of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have been incredible. After a goalless draw with France in their opener, the Uruguayans crushed South Africa 3-0, for their first win in a World Cup match since 1990. Uruguay only need a point in their final group game against Mexico to secure top spot, but it is likely to be a difficult task because La Celeste have a poor record against Mexico.

Much is expected from Paraguay in South Africa, not only because of the fact that they count with three world-class strikers, but because they are one of the most solid sides in the whole tournament. In their 1-1 draw with world champions Italy they demonstrated their competitiveness, and had it not been for a silly error by goalkeeper Justo Villar, Los Guaranies could have escaped with a historic victory.

Even if Chile were up against a relatively weak side in Honduras, Marcelo Bielsa’s side exhibited an attractive style of football, and could have easily won the match by more goals. The Chileans will need to continue to claim positive results in their group, and their final group match with Spain could not only determine whether they return to the round of 16 stage after twelve years, but whether they avoid Brazil, who incidentally knocked them out from that stage of the tournament in 1998.

Mexico may have pulled off a draw with South Africa in the inaugural match of the World Cup, but their 2-0 win over France showed the world that this Mexico side have what it takes to make a stand in the competition. Mexico are an organised side, with very intelligent midfielders, and fast, exciting attackers. Their match with Uruguay will detemine whether Javier Aguirre’s side are the real deal or not. But perhaps not, a draw would take both teams into the knock-out stage, so maybe they will take it easy.

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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Just three of many high-profile World Cup absentees

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup set to kick-off in less than one month the national team rosters of all 32 teams are being finalised. For the South American teams it means a number of high-profile players will miss out on a place in the final 23, something which has led to much debate. While Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay have selected almost identical squads to that which featured in their respective World Cup qualifying campaigns, the surprises have come from South American heavyweights Brazil and Argentina — several big names have missed out.

Southamericanfutbol.com provides fans with the top.10 players who will miss out on South Africa, in ascending order (please note we have selected those players who were in the running — not Juan Roman Riquelme and Ronaldo .etc).

10. Neymar (Brazil) The teenage prodigy has been in stunning form for Santos this year — guiding them to the Paulista State championship — and the Brazilian press tried to pressure Dunga into selecting him. However, the Brazil coach decided to stick to his principals and didn’t even include the player in his provisional World Cup list. His reasons were that Neymar may be a huge talent, but doesn’t have sufficient experience to compete in such a demanding competition like the World Cup (Dunga admitted that in order to choose him first he had to see him in action for the Selecao). Dunga may have a point, but nevertheless Neymar is only 18 years of age, and is destined to spearhead Brazil in the 2014 World Cup.

9. Fernando Gago (Argentina) It isn’t too surprising that Gago will not feature for Argentina in South Africa. Although highly talented Gago lost his place in Real Madrid’s starting XI this season, and when he did come on he evidently lacked confidence. Afraid about possible World Cup exclusion, mid-way through the Spanish season Gago expressed his desire to return to Boca Juniors (to be provided with regular playing time) as he believed it would be the only way to convince Maradona into selecting him. But Gago remained in the Spanish capital, and his performances weren’t good enough to warrant him with a place. In the past Maradona had shown his appreciation for the player, but with the number of options he has to choose from he appears to have made the correct decision.

8. Alexandre Pato (Brazil) Although incredibly talented ‘Pato’ couldn’t make as much as an impact as he would have liked with Milan this year and this led to his World Cup exclusion. Dunga has always been critical of his players, admitting that he would only chose those who are on top of their game. Pato didn’t fulfil his promise when provided with an opportunity with the Selecao and this was in clear evidence during the World Cup qualifiers. Dunga opted for Nilmar instead, a player who made the most of each opportunity he received — recall a brilliant hat-trick against Chile last September. But at only 20 years of age, Pato should be in his prime in time for the 2014 World Cup.

7. Cristian Rodriguez (Uruguay) ‘Cebolla’ played a key role for Uruguay during the World Cup qualifiers, but his fiery temper often got the better of him and is the reason why Oscar Tabarez excluded him altogether. The FC Porto attacker was sent-off (for fighting) after the defeat to rivals Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers and was hit with a hefty ban that would see him miss Uruguay’s first two World Cup group matches — against France and South Africa. With several players vying for a place in the squad, Tabarez couldn’t afford to include Rodriguez, even if he is one of Uruguay’s deadliest offensive weapons.

6. Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina) ‘Cuchu’ is one of the most consistent midfielders Argentina have produced over the last decade, but his merits with Inter Milan were not enough to seduce Maradona into selecting him. The Argentina coach never took Cambiasso into consideration, even if he has been in top form with Inter Milan this year. Cambiasso, who participated in the 2006 World Cup, could have been a beneficial addition to Argentina’s midfield, not only because he is one of the best in the business when it comes to recuperating loose balls, but also because of his instinctive eye for goal.

5. Lisandro Lopez (Argentina) The recently voted French Player of the Year didn’t even make Maradona’s provisional World Cup squad, even if he found the back of the net 14 times with Lyon in the Ligue 1. ‘Licha’ is a scoring machine, but the fact that Argentina count with so many high-profile forwards was always going to play against his chances. He could have been a good alternative for Maradona off the bench, however, players like Diego Milito, Martin Palermo and Sergio Aguero will be provided with that opportunity instead. In fairness, Lopez was never provided with an opportunity to demonstrate his quality.

4. Adriano (Brazil) His exclusion from the Brazil squad can be considered a huge surprise, but the decision was not based on Adriano’s ability, but on his antics off the field. Adriano topped the scoring charts as he guided Flamengo to the Brazilian championship last year, but this season he has been off form. Dunga has been critical of the player because often he has missed training due to his alcohol addiction. The Brazil coach seemed to have lost patience with the player and this seems a good move considering that Brazil underperformed at the ’06 World Cup due to indiscipline. Dunga decided to go with Grafite instead, even if the Wolfsburg striker has only two caps with the Selecao.

3. Javier Zanetti (Argentina) Like in ’06, once again Zanetti will miss out on the World Cup. Maradona has been critical of his playing style ever since being appointed the coach of Los Albicelestes, and overlooked the fact that the Inter Milan captain has experienced a memorable season with his club who are on course for a rare treble — Inter won the Coppa Italia, are in the final of the Champions League and are one win away from clinching Serie A. Zanetti, a recognised leader, could have added valuable experience to Argentina’s World Cup squad.

2. Salvador Cabanas (Paraguay) Paraguay’s most lethal attacking weapon will miss South Africa after being shot in the head at point-blank range in January. Cabanas has since recovered and although he is expected to return to the football field in the future, there was never a chance of him making Paraguay’s World Cup squad after the incident. His absence will be a huge blow for the Paraguayans, even if they count with an abundance of talent in their attack, with Nelson Haedo Valdez, Oscar Cardozo and Argentine-born striker Lucas Barrios (Cabanas’ likely replacement).

1. Ronaldinho (Brazil) Despite experiencing a relatively good season with AC Milan, Ronaldinho is well past his prime and this is much of the reason why Dunga decided to exclude him from his 23-man squad (Ronaldinho made the provisional 30-player list). There’s no doubt that Ronaldinho is an enormous talent, however, he was overlooked for great part of the World Cup qualifiers, because Dunga would rather count with more stable, disciplined players. Credit goes to Ronaldinho for doing his utmost with Milan in order to make Brazil’s squad, but for Dunga his change in attitude came much too late. Ronaldinho’s exclusion is without question the biggest of all 32 teams that will participate in South Africa.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11

With the 2010 World Cup just a little more than one month away Southamericanfutbol.com thought that it would be a good idea to present you with what we think the results of all 48 group matches will be. Obviously they are extremely difficult to judge, as all 32 teams haven’t had as many preparation games as they probably would have liked, considering that they are just about to enter in the biggest competition available for world sports.

More than anything we are concerned with the showings of the South American teams, and from the results we have predicted all five teams make it out of the group stage — two of them as group winners and the other three as runner-ups. Taking a look at the groups they participate in, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile shouldn’t encounter too many problems in the group stage, and even if Brazil do face a complicated group, the Selecao will surely advance to the round of 16 stage. Uruguay were placed in one of the toughest groups, but we believe  La Celeste will still make it through.

The sad news for South American fans is that there is a great possibility for teams from the region to clash in the round of 16 stage (coincidence or not). It would be no surprise if Brazil were to meet Chile as they did in the 1998 World Cup in France, and also the River Plate derby between Argentina and Uruguay is a real possibility.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay and France

June 11,

South Africa 1-1 Mexico

Uruguay 0-1 France

June 16,

South Africa 0-2 Uruguay

June 17,

France 1-1 Mexico

June 22,

Mexico 2-2 Uruguay

France 2-0 South Africa

Standings: France 7, Uruguay 4, Mexico 3, South Africa 1

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece

June 12,

Korea Republic 0-0 Greece

Argentina 3-1 Nigeria

June 17,

Argentina 2-0 Korea Republic

Greece 0-1 Nigeria

June 22,

Nigeria 2-1 Korea Republic

Greece 0 – 2 Argentina

Standings: Argentina 9, Nigeria 6, Korea Republic 3, Greece 1

Group C: England, United States, Algeria and Slovenia

June 12,

England 0-0 United States

June 13,

Algeria 1-1 Slovenia

June 18,

Slovenia 1-2 United States

England 2-0 Algeria

June 23,

Slovenia 0-2 England

United States 2-4 Algeria

Standings: England 7, Algeria 4, United States 4, Slovenia 1

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana

June 13,

Serbia 1-1 Ghana

Germany 3-0 Australia

June 18,

Germany 2-0 Serbia

June 19,

Ghana 1-0 Australia

June 23,

Ghana 2-2 Germany

Australia 2-1 Serbia

Standings: Germany 7, Ghana 5, Australia 3, Serbia 1

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon

June 14,

Netherlands 1-1 Denmark

Japan 0-2 Cameroon

June 19,

Netherlands 3-0 Japan

Cameroon 0-2 Denmark

June 24,

Denmark 2-0 Japan

Cameroon 1-0 Netherlands

Standings: Denmark 7, Cameroon 6, Netherlands 4, Japan 0

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia

June 14,

Italy 1-0 Paraguay

June 15,

New Zealand 1-3 Slovakia

June 20,

Slovakia 2-2 Paraguay

Italy 4-1 New Zealand

June 24,

Slovakia 0- 2 Italy

Paraguay 3-1 New Zealand

Standings: Italy 9, Paraguay 4, Slovakia 4, New Zealand 0

Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal

June 15,

Ivory Coast 1-1 Portugal

Brazil 3- Korea DPR 0

June 20,

Brazil 2-1 Ivory Coast

June 21,

Portugal 3-1 Korea DPR

June 25,

Korea DPR 1-4 Ivory Coast

Portugal 1-1 Brazil

Standings: Brazil 7, Portugal 5, Ivory Coast 4, Korea DPR 0

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile

June 16,

Honduras 0-2 Chile

Spain 2-0 Switzerland

June 21,

Chile 1-1 Switzerland

Spain 3-0 Honduras

June 25,

Chile 2-2 Spain

Switzerland 1-2 Honduras

Standings: Spain 7, Chile 5, Honduras 3, Switzerland 1

Round of 16 Match-ups

*France vs Nigeria

England vs *Ghana

*Denmark vs Paraguay

* Brazil vs Chile

*Argentina vs Uruguay

*Germany vs Algeria

*Italy vs Cameroon

*Spain vs Portugal

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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Great things are expected from Santos prodigy Neymar

Brazilian football continues to produce highly-talented youngsters who go on to become household names in the elite leagues of European football. The latest of this crop of players is Santos striker Neymar, an incredibly skilled 18-year-old who is destined to follow in the footsteps of idol and club team-mate Robinho, or to a greater extent the footsteps of Santos and Brazilian football legend Pele. Although still very young Neymar — who is valued at €30 million — has demonstrated sufficient potential to be amongst the greatest strikers in Brazilian football history, but with the number of incredibly talented players the country has produced over the years living up to the hype will be a daunting challenge.

Neymar joined Santos at age nine, but made his professional debut with the club in 2009 when 17. Since then he has received ongoing praise for the amount of quality he possesses on the football field. The youngster is extremely skilful, and catches the attention of onlookers because of his lighting speed and technical ability. Much in the same manner as Robinho he has a cathedral of tricks up his sleeve, and his incredible dribbling skills and high scoring-rate allows him to stand apart from the rest.

Can Neymar replicate Robinho…Pele?

Because Neymar’s characteristics are identical to that of Robinho’s, the player has received ongoing comparisons with the former Real Madrid and Manchester City ace (Robinho is on loan to Santos from City). But to a much greater extent, the Brazilian press have even gone to the extreme of comparing him to Pele — it is much too early to make such a comparison. Observers are confident that a bright future with the Selecao awaits him, even if Neymar has yet to make an appearance for the five-time world champions.

Neymar clearly has what it takes to succeed in one of Europe’s top clubs, however, he intends to remain at Santos before making the big leap in order to mature and to help Santos win local and international trophies. This seems the best way to go as when representing Brazil at the U-17 World Cup in 2009, Neymar performed well below his potential as the Brazilians crashed out in the first round. A weight of expectation continues to lie on Neymar’s shoulders, but even if talented, to get the most out of the striker he can’t be rushed.

What the future holds…

Even before making his official debut for Santos, Neymar attracted the attention of several top European clubs including Spanish giants Real Madrid (club he briefly played for as a youth player) . His unique talent was clearly noticeable, but despite impressing the Spaniards Santos rejected Madrid’s offer, before presenting him with an opportunity to play for Santos’ first team. With Santos he has lived up to his potential, and even if still young, it just seems a matter of time before he signs a lucrative contract with a major European club. In April, 2010, Madrid again expressed their desire to sign the player, but he will have to weigh his options, as reportedly Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and AC Milan are also after his signature.

Neymar has been the talk of Brazilian football for several months now, and his outstanding form in the Sao Paulo State championship with Santos this year — he has scored 12 goals — has kept alive his chances of making Brazil’s 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa. Due to his performances with Santos, fans and the Brazilian press alike have pressured Dunga into selecting the talented prodigy, much like Brazil did with Kaka in ’02, Ronaldo in ’94 and Pele in ’58.

The great Pele is even in favour of his inclusion, stating: “If I were the coach, I’d take him (to the World Cup). Some say he is too young, but at 16 years of age I was already in the national team.” Whether Neymar makes the cut or not, he is destined to become an integral part of the Selecao in the near future. Expect to see a lot from Neymar in the coming years.

Player Details

Full name: Neymar da Silva Santos Junior
Position: Striker
Date of Birth: February 5, 1992 (18)
Place of Birth: Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
Height: 1.73 metres
Club: Santos

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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Four strong candidates for the Copa Libertadores title

The Copa Libertadores — South America’s biggest club competition — enters its knock-out stage, with a number of fascinating encounters taking place this week. On Tuesday defending champions Estudiantes de La Plata will be up against Mexican side San Luis, while fellow Argentines Velez Sarsfield will lock horns with another Mexican club in the always dangerous Chivas de Guadalajara. Fans will be treated to several intriguing match-ups — the pick of the bunch is without doubt the all-Brazilian showdown between rivals Corinthians and Flamengo, with the first leg taking place at the 100,000 capacity Maracana stadium on Wednesday.

We breakdown all eight match-ups, with our picks of the teams we think will progress to the quarter-finals.

Flamengo vs Corinthians

Corinthians finished the group stage as the best-ranked team — claiming 16 of the 18 points in play — but still got paired with one of the most difficult teams of the competition in Flamengo. The all-Brazilian affair promises to be one of the most passionate match-ups of the knock-out round, not only because of the stars on show (Brazilian superstars Adriano and Ronaldo will be head-to-head) but because of the fact that both teams have lots to prove. While Flamengo only once lifted the Copa Libertadores (in 1981), Corinthians have never won the title, and for a club of their prestige this title can no longer be absent from their trophy cabinet. Expect fireworks in a clash that definitely can’t be missed.

The pick: Corinthians

Alianza Lima vs Universidad de Chile

Even if considered perhaps the least attractive match-up of the round, fans are likely to be treated to exciting football between two teams who surprised many in the group stage. Due to their history Universidad de Chile come into the tie as the favourites, but they will have to be at their very best to overcome a solid Alianza Lima who are hoping to make Peru proud after several years of failure. Alianza have demonstrated a great deal of determination up until now, and boast one of the most prolific strikers of the competition in Wilmer Aguirre — the 26-year-old scored a superb hat-trick in Alianza’s 4-1 thumping of defending champions Estudiantes in February.

The pick: U de Chile

Guadalajara vs Velez Sarsfield

Chivas enter the tournament in the round of 16 stage after being granted automatic qualification by CONMEBOL after being disqualified from the competition last year due to the swine flu epidemic. The Goats will be without a few of their key players due to national team commitments with Mexico and this should affect their chances of progressing. No Mexican team has ever won the Libertadores, and although Chivas will be at a disadvantage they will still rate their chances against a Velez side who they have eliminated in the past. Velez, winners of Group 7, are one of the most dangerous teams in the competition, particularly because of the scoring rate of their Uruguayan strike-force — Santiago Silva and Rodrigo Lopez have notched up seven goals between them.

The pick: Velez

Once Caldas vs Libertad

Once Caldas made history when they beat Boca Juniors on penalties to win their first Copa Libertadores title in 2004. The Unfashionable side from Manizales, Colombia, have returned to the elite of South American football, and proved that once again they will be tough nuts to crack after performing well in the group stage, where they were only beaten to top spot by Brazilian giants Sao Paulo. Once will fancy their chances against Libertad, even if the Paraguayans are one of the most organised teams of the competition. Libertad are generally a consistent side, and although they lack talent in certain areas of the field their discipline could be a determining factor in helping them advance to the next round.

The pick: Once Caldas

Universitario vs Sao Paulo

Three-time winners Sao Paulo were presented with the easiest match-up of the lot, but Peruvian teams have shown that they don’t intend to continue to be the slouches of the continent and are determined to reach the decisive stages of the competition. Universitario finished the group stage undefeated — two wins and four draws — and will treat their match-up with Sao Paulo as if it were the grand final itself. They count with a compact squad, but still are not likely to match the strength of the Brazilians. Sao Paulo are eager to return to the pinnacle of South American football and have the necessary depth to get there this year. If the likes of Hernanes, Dagoberto, Miranda and Washington reach their peak there’s no doubt they will overcome Universitario without breaking a sweat.

The pick: Sao Paulo

Cruzeiro vs Nacional

The most historical clash of the round of 16 stage brings together Nacional and Cruzeiro — combined they have won five Copa Libertadores titles. Cruzeiro have kept the backbone of the squad that reached the final of the competition last year, but they have strengthened it with immense talent, and proved their worth with a number of strong displays in the first round, including crushing victories over Velez, Colo Colo and Deportivo Italia (Cruzeiro are the tournament’s highest scoring team with 20 goals in eight matches). Nacional may not have been as effective when in front of goal, but nevertheless they are always a threat and finished the group stage undefeated. Los Tricolores may lack depth in certain areas, but their never-say-die attitude — typical of Uruguayan teams — could increase their possibilities of ousting the Brazilians.

The pick: Cruzeiro

San Luis vs Estudiantes

Defending champions Estudiantes are hoping to win what would be a fifth Copa Libertadores, and after a slow start to the competition underlined their strength with a number of positive results. Led by the inspiration of captain Juan Sebastian Veron, Los Pincharratas are overwhelming favourites to overcome San Luis — like fellow Mexicans Chivas, San Luis were guaranteed of direct entry into the knock-out phase. Estudiantes, who are on course to win the Argentine Clausura championship, know that they have everything in their favour to reach the quarter-finals, but still they must be weary of what could be a strong challenge from a hungry Mexican side.

The pick: Estudiantes

Banfield vs Internacional

As the champions of Argentina Banfield have a great responsibility to live up to, and up until now the Taladro haven’t let their fans down. Despite the absence of last year’s top scorer Silva (the Uruguayan returned to Velez) Banfield have continued to be a dominant unit, but they know that they must be at their all-time best to get the better of a determined Internacional. The Colorado, who started slowly in the competition, have demonstrated that if their stars manage to gel they can be one of the deadliest teams on the continent. Argentine midfielders Andres D’Alessandro and Pablo Guinazu inspired Inter into the round of 16 stage, and if they stay focused on the task ahead they could repeat their historical title run of 2006.

The pick: Inter

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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Two-time world champions Uruguay have seen better days but qualification for the 2010 World Cup has boosted the confidence of the national team. Uruguay were very inconsistent during World Cup qualifying, but are destined to reach their peak in South Africa. Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez has a lot of material to work with, but it seems that he has already practically decided which 23 players will travel to South Africa. While the goal, defense and midfield have pretty much been confirmed, Tabarez will encounter great difficulty when deciding his attack. Uruguay have plenty of options in this area, and the fact that most of their strikers are on top of their game means that there could be some interesting surprises (Alvaro Recoba has been outstanding since joining Danubio). We asks fans to determine the strongest Uruguay starting XI for their World Cup opener against France on June 11.

Here´s what Southamericanfutbol.com believes Uruguay´s starting XI should look like:

Muslera

M. Pereira, Lugano, Godin, Caceres

Eguren, Gargano, Perez

Lodeiro

Forlan, Suarez

*Note: Cristian Rodriguez is suspended for Uruguay´s first 2 World Cup matches*

Goalkeeper: Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Juan Castillo (Deportivo Cali), Rodrigo Munoz (Nacional), Martin Silva (Defensor Sporting)

Defender: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Sebastian Coates (Nacional), Jorge Fucile (FC Porto), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Andres Scotti (Colo Colo), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Juan Diaz (River Plate), Bruno Silva (Internacional), Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), Carlos Valdez (Reggina)

Midfielder: Walter Gargano (Napoli), Sebastian Eguren (AIK), Diego Perez (Monaco), Cristian Rodriguez (FC Porto), Alvaro Pereira (FC Porto), Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax Amsterdam), Jorge Rodriguez (River Plate), Egidio Rios (Penarol), Jorge Martinez (Catania), Ignacio Gonzalez (Levadiakos), Alvaro Gonzalez (Nacional), Juan Albin (Getafe)

Forward: Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Luis Suarez (Ajax Amsterdam), Sebastian Abreu (Botafogo), Edinson Cavani (Palermo), Joaquin Boghossian (Newell´s Old Boys), Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield), Santiago Silva (Velez Sarsfield), Rodrigo Lopez (Velez Sarsfield), Gonzalo Castro (Mallorca), Javier Chevanton (Atalanta), Walter Pandiani (Osasuna), Alvaro Recoba (Danubio)

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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The 2010 Copa Libertadores is entering its decisive phase, with several teams fighting for a place in the round of 16 stage. With the winners of each group only guaranteed of a spot in the knockout stage (only 6 of the 8 second-placed teams qualify as well) each and every match could prove decisive. As we thought the Brazilian teams have proved to be the strongest of the competition so far, and each and every Brazilian team is expected to reach the next phase. For now it appears that the strongest two teams are last year´s finalists Cruzeiro and Estudiantes de La Plata (still, these two teams have experienced defeats in the competition).

10. Libertad (Paraguay)

After a brilliant start to the competition, Libertad have gone three matches without a victory, something that led to the sacking of their coach. As is the case each year the Paraguayans are a solid hard-working unit, but in recent matches they have lacked the killer´s punch, and this was in clear evidence in their last game, when they couldn´t beat a struggling Lanus side despite taking an early lead and playing with an extra-man for an entire half. Libertad will need to improve their game immediately, if they don´t want to experience an early elimination.

9. Internacional (Brazil)

The Colorado may have moved atop Group 5 after their victory over Cerro on Wednesday, but their performance during the Copa has left a lot to be desired. Inter count with an abundance of talent in their squad, however, they haven´t lived up to expectation. Their form in the Gaucho championship has been no less than disastrous, and this has mounted heavy pressure on Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati, who could soon be out of a job. On the bright side, Inter are one of few undefeated teams in the Copa and they have a good enough squad to go far in the competition. Can they repeat their incredible title run of 2006?

8. Flamengo (Brazil)

Any team which comprises of an attacking duo of Adriano and Vagner Love will definitely provide you with plenty of goals, and each time Flamengo take the field they look extremely dangerous in the attack. With two wins in three matches, scoring six goals along the way, Flamengo have been in decent form, but like many of the big Brazilian teams in the competition they don´t seem to have reached their peak as of yet. With a win over Universidad de Chile at Maracana on April 7 the Mengao will overtake the Chileans at the top of Group 8, a result that would steer them ever so close to the round of 16 stage. But the only objective of the Brazilian champions is to win the title.

7. Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)

Velez came into the competition as one of the favourites, but since then they have experienced a number of setbacks, including Thursday´s heavy defeat to Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte. Ricardo Gareca´s side were completely brushed aside by the Brazilians, but the worst thing was that they could barely get a shot on target in the whole game. Velez count with an incredible attacking partnership, that of Rodrigo Lopez and Santiago Silva, but their impact hasn´t always given results. Still, Velez are a compact unit and appear to be the strongest team from the competition outside of Brazil. But are El Fortin championship material?

6. Banfield (Argentina)

The Argentine champions play an attractive style of football, but although they have demonstrated this in certain matches, like their 4-0 drubbing of Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador, they also appear to have some weaknesses. After holding Nacional to an exciting draw in Montevideo, they went on to lose the return leg in Buenos Aires, a result which decreased their chances of winnning the group. But on Thursday Banfield showed their fighting spirit when they rescued a point against Morelia in Mexico with a 93rd minute equaliser. If El Taladro improve certain aspects of their game they could surprise a lot of people.

5.  Sao Paulo (Brazil)

The Tricolor Paulista have become one of the most dominant clubs in South America in recent years, and they are hoping to translate their domestic success into the Copa Libertadores this year. Sao Paulo have assembled a solid squad, and although they count with a number of aging individuals, they have a great deal of experience. Add this to the quality of a midfielder like Hernanes and a striker like Dagoberto and the Tricolor promise to reach the later stages of the competition. Whether Sao Paulo top Group 2 depends on the result of their clash with Colombia´s Once Caldas at the Morumbi stadium on April 21.

4. Corinthians (Brazil)

There is much pressure for the Timao to perform, not only because it is their centennary year but because they have made a number of big purchases in recent years. With Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Edu, Iarley, Matias Defederico, Dentinho and Tcheco, just to name a few, Corinthians count with an incredibly talented squad, that if ontop of their game could be unstoppable. But until now, however, Corinthians have struggled to reach their full potential, even if they lead Group 1. Corinthians have never won the Copa before, and this is perhaps their best opportunity of achieving this (the other four Brazilian representatives in the competition have won it).

3. Nacional (Uruguay)

The three-time Copa Libertadores champions are unbeaten in the competition and are hot candidates to progress to the round of 16 stage. Like Uruguayan football on the whole Nacional have improved heaps in recent years and it is only a matter of time before they reach the pinnacle of South American football once again. Their comfortable victory over Banfield in Buenos Aires consolidated their status as one of the leading teams of the competition. The Uruguayans lead Group 6 and will practically assure themselves of a place in the next round with a win over Deportivo Cuenca. Los Tricolores are currently on fire.

2. Estudiantes (Argentina)

After a number of negative results Estudiantes finally seem to have reached their full potential. An unexpected thrashing to Alianza Lima did a wealth of good to the side, as it allowed them to realise that everybody wants to beat the champions, and that they must be at their best at all moments. Captain Juan Sebastian Veron continues to spearhead the side, but a number of other players like Mauro Boselli, Rodrigo Brana and Jose Sosa have been ontop of their game as well. The return of striker Gaston Fernandez has added much-needed mobility to Estudiantes´ attack, and it has allowed Boselli to return to his all-time best.

1. Cruzeiro (Brazil)

Cruzeiro´s massive win over Velez on Wednesday proved that they are an even better side than the one that lost to Estudiantes in the final of the past edition of the Copa Libertadores. With Kleber, Thiago Ribeiro and Gilberto on the field, at times the Belo Horizonte giants seem to be unstoppable. After a frustrating defeat to Velez in Buenos Aires, Cruzeiro regrouped and surpassed that experience with a categorical victory over the Argentines. Cruzeiro play a swift attacking style of football, but their greatest strength is the fact that they count with dangerous players on every sector of the field. Although it is still quite early to predict, from what they have done up until now Cruzeiro seem to be firm candidates to close in on the title.

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

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Diego Maradona, the coach of the Argentine national team, continues to test out players ahead of the World Cup as he tries his best to find the ideal blend before Argentina´s debut against Nigeria in June. Argentina counts with an abundance of talent, and Maradona will encounter a number of difficulties before confirming his 23-man squad for the finals. Los Albicelestes simply have too much talent to choose from, and due to the pressure back home can´t afford to disappoint like they have done in recent World Cups. We asks fans to determine the strongest Argentina starting XI for their World Cup opener against South Korea on June 12.

Here´s what Southamericanfutbol.com believes Argentina´s starting XI should look like:

Romero

Otamendi, Demichelis, Samuel, Heinze

Veron, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Di Maria

Messi, Higuain

Goalkeeper: Mariano Adujar (Catania), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Diego Pozo (Colon de Santa Fe), Juan Pablo Carrizo (Real Zaragoza)

Defender: Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille), Rolando Schiavi (Newell´s Old Boys), Emiliano Insua (Liverpool), Daniel Diaz (Getafe), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Emiliano Papa (Velez Sarsfield)

Midfielder: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United), Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Sebastian Battaglia (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Luis Gonzalez (Marseille)

Forward: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Lisandro Lopez (Lyon), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid)

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

With just three months until the commencement of the 2010 World Cup Dunga faces a race against time to select his 23-man squad for the finals. Brazil count with an abundance of talent that plys its trade in some of the biggest clubs in the world. There´s a wealth of options in every position, and Dunga will have a difficult choice to make before deciding his final squad. Players with the caliber of Ronaldinho aren´t even promised a place in the squad, but there´s still time for players like him to warrant themselves a place. We asks fans to determine their strongest Brazil starting XI for their World Cup opener against Korea on June 15.

Here´s what Southamericanfutbol.com believes should be Brazil´s starting XI:

Julio Cesar

Michel Bastos, Juan, Lucio, Maicon

Elano, Felipe Melo, Gilberto Silva, Kaka

Robinho, Luis Fabiano

Goalkeeper: Doni (Roma), Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio)

Left back: Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Kleber (Internacional), Michel Bastos (Lyon), Roberto Carlos (Corinthians)

Right back: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Leonardo Moura (Flamengo), Maicon (Inter Milan), Rafinha (Schalke 04)

Left centre back: Juan (Roma), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Naldo (Werder Bremen), Thiago Silva (Milan)

Right centre back: Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Alex (Chelsea), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica)

Left defensive midfield: Felipe Melo (Juventus), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Kleberson (Flamengo)

Right defensive midfield: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Denilson (Arsenal), Sandro (Internacional)

Left midfield: Diego (Juventus), Kaka (Real Madrid), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Ronaldinho (Milan)

Right midfield: Diego Souza (Palmeiras), Elano (Galatasaray), Julio Baptista (Roma), Ramires (Benfica)

Forward: Neymar (Santos), Nilmar (Villarreal), Pato (Milan), Robinho (Santos)

Centre forward: Adriano (Flamengo), Fred (Fluminense), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Ronaldo (Corinthians)

Southamericanfutbol.com asks fans to choose their strongest Brazil starting XI…

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

It’s no secret that without the top South American players, European soccer’s biggest club competition — the UEFA Champions League — wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. With the amount of South American talent integrated into the competition in recent years, the quality of play has reached a level never imagined before.

Notwithstanding Stuttgart, each of the 16 teams in the knockout stage this season has at least one South American player (Stuttgart’s Cacau was born in Brazil but is now a nationalized German international). This underscores the amount of influence South American soccer has had on the European game, and because of their success, the demand for top-quality players from the region increases each year.

Few clubs can afford a player of the caliber of Lionel Messi — who is undoubtedly one of the greatest South Americans to ever play in Europe — but Barcelona beat out the competition by taking an interest in his undisputed talent at a young age, and is now being rewarded for its efforts. The production pipeline in South America is extraordinary — ambitious clubs like Barça just have to discover it.

Here are the top 10 South American players (still active) of the 2009-10 edition of the UEFA Champions League:

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona): The Argentine superstar was named FIFA World Player of the Year in December, thanks in large part to a memorable Champions League campaign in which he not only led Barcelona to the title but also scored a competition-high nine goals, including Barça’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the final. “La Pulga” has yet to reach his top form in the current edition of the competition, but will need to be at his best to inspire Barça past Stuttgart after the teams tied 1-1 in the first leg of the round of 16 matchup in Germany on Tuesday. If his incredible La Liga form is any indication (Messi has scored 16 goals), Barcelona will have good chances of winning back-to-back titles.

2. Kaká (Real Madrid): After emptying the bank to assemble the most intimidating squad in Europe, Real Madrid is expected to win the Champions League. While the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have added plenty of quality, Madrid’s success depends on the impact made by Kaká, even if his performances have been questioned since he arrived. After some difficulty in adapting to life in the Spanish capital, the Brazilian has gradually picked up his game and become responsible for orchestrating his team’s best attacking moves. Kaká, who scored twice in Madrid’s 6-2 hammering of Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, was helpless as his side lost 1-0 to Lyon in France last week. But los Galácticos are more than capable of turning the round-of-16 matchup in their favor during the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu as they try to avoid elimination in this stage of the competition for the sixth consecutive year.

3. Maicon (Inter Milan): Arguably the best right back in the world, Maicon is not only solid in defense but he’s also dangerous when moving to the attack. The defender is so confident in his role that he rarely makes mistakes, providing his team with the necessary assurance to concentrate completely on attack. This is one reason why Inter Milan has dominated Italian soccer in recent years. The fact that Dunga prefers Maicon to Barcelona’s Daniel Alves (another exceptional right back) on the Brazilian national team is the reason he gets the nod on this list. Inter defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 on Wednesday.

4. Radamel Falcao García (FC Porto): The Colombian has been in electrifying form since moving to Porto from River Plate, transforming himself into one of the most feared strikers in Europe. Falcao’s scoring rate is up there with the very best, and he converted Porto’s controversial game-winner in a 2-1 victory against Arsenal that boosted its chances of reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League. After such an impressive introduction to European soccer, Falcao, one of Porto’s 14 South Americans, has the potential to follow Faustino Asprilla in becoming one of the most successful Colombians to play on the continent.

5. Ronaldinho (AC Milan): It seemed that Ronaldinho had lost his magic since leaving Barcelona for AC Milan in 2008, but he has rejuvenated his career this season. Not wanting to miss out on the World Cup with Brazil, he has lifted his game in an attempt to remain in Dunga’s plans. Ronaldinho, who leads Serie A with 12 assists, has a team-high three goals in the Champions League. He scored against Manchester United last week, but the Rossoneri are on the verge of elimination after falling 3-2 at the San Siro.

6. Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid): Higuaín’s future at the Bernabéu looked in doubt with the flurry of superstars who joined the club in the offseason, but “Pipita” hasn’t allowed the added pressure and intrasquad competition to rattle him, as evidenced by his 14 goals in league play. If provided with adequate service, Higuaín rarely fails when presented with an opportunity in front of goal. Higuaín earns his place in the top 10 at the expense of compatriot and Inter Milan scoring machine Diego Milito.

7. Luís Fabiano (Sevilla): Despite being considered one of the deadliest strikers in Europe for a while now, Fabiano has continually rejected lucrative offers from top European clubs to remain loyal to ever-improving Sevilla. This has allowed him to stay focused on what he does best — few players possess his goal-scoring prowess — and helped him improve another aspect of his game: Fabiano leads the Champions League in assists. “O Fabuloso,” however, missed Wednesday’s 1-1 tie at CSKA Moscow with a chest injury.

8. Antonio Valencia (Manchester United): The explosive winger knew he had big shoes to fill when he was brought to Old Trafford as the replacement of Ronaldo. And even though he hasn’t always been a first-team regular, he has demonstrated sufficient potential to warrant a permanent role. When called upon by Sir Alex Ferguson, Valencia has taken full advantage of the responsibility. He scored United’s late game-winner against CSKA Moscow in Russia in the group phase, and repeated the feat with United’s equalizer when the sides tied 3-3 in Manchester days later. His big-game temperament could be crucial as United continues to progress in the competition.

9. Julio César (Inter Milan): Widely regarded the best goalkeeper in Europe, César is one of the main reasons why Inter Milan will rate its chances of winning the Champions League for the first time in 45 years. Inter may have won the Italian Scudetto for the past four seasons, but it has underachieved in Europe. Defense has been a weakness, but after being reinforced with experience in the back line, including the presence of Brazil captain Lúcio, there’s now more help in front of César. On Wednesday, César helped Inter hold off Chelsea.

10. Juan Vargas (Fiorentina): The versatile Peruvian has earned a reputation for rising to the occasion. It was his penalty conversion against Lyon that earned Fiorentina a place in the round of 16 for the first time in 10 years. Though not considered a realistic threat to win the title, Fiorentina was just a minute away from claiming a draw on its visit to Bayern Munich last week. The fact that La Viola scored a valuable away goal in the 2-1 defeat means that it still has good chances of reaching the quarterfinals.

Gregory Sica

Article at Si.com

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