Copa Libertadores 2014

[Wulfburk]

So the group phase of the 55th libertadores started yesterday. Will Brazil manage to win its 5th title in a roll? I sure hope so (my avatar kinda gives it away...). No Boca Juniors, River Plate, Estudiantes and Colo Colo though. But there are more than enough strong and traditional teams such as Vélez, Peñarol and Nacional, Universidad de Chile, Newell's Old Boys, San Lorenzo, besides the traditional libertadores brazilian teams such as Cruzeiro and Grêmio, current champion Atlético Mineiro still has a good team as well so its all open really.


Groups:

A
Vélez Sarsfield
The Strongest
Atlético Paranaense
Universitario

B
Botafogo
Union Española
Independiente del Valle
San Lorenzo

C
Cerro Porteño
O'Higgins
Deportivo Cali
Lanús

D
Santa Fe
Atlético Mineiro
Zamora
Nacional

E
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Defensor Sporting
Real Garcilaso
Universidad del Chile

F
Newell's Old Boys
Grêmio
Atlético Nacional
Nacional

G
Bolivar
Flamengo
Emelec
Leon

H
Santos Laguna
Peñarol
Deportivo Anzoategui
Arsenal de Sarandí

[maxi90]

The Libertadores has become a one-horse race in the past years. Brazil is just too much ahead financially from everyone else in the continent and there is no chance of anyone else winning it in the near future.

Although I would say Lanus from Argentina have a much stronger chance than Velez or San Lorenzo this year.

[Wulfburk]

Yeah Lanus is one of the contenders as well, thought i woudnt be that negative about the chances of brazil not winning. Financially yeah its a huge difference but its the libertadores, aint that easy to face even the weakest argentinian team in their home i'd say.

[maxi90]

Yes, but argentinian football has fallen a great deal from it´s glory days. There are only a handfull of teams that play even remotely competent football, and while teams like Boca and River have a certain mystic about them that make them contenders even in the direst situations, others like San Lorenzo will get chicken legs for sure. Hell, even Velez are playing horribly now. Lanus and Newell´s have a consisten group of players that have been playing in the same way for a few years, and have very competent coaches, so I would put them head and shoulders about the other argentinian teams (specially Newell´s, who haveformed some semblance of a Dream Team with Heinze, Banega, Maxi Rodriguez and Trezeguet, along with some other terrific but less-known names).

But the problem is, Brazil still has the better squads and, even if some teams underperform, there are enough competitive teams to guatantee a brazilian representative in the final.

For the rest of the continent, I honestly don´t think they have less chances than Argentina. The day they loose the respect for out legacy is the day they´ll start taking over the throne. And each year there is at least one surprise team that manages to beat the odds, like Peñarol in 2010 or Universidad de Chile a few years back, but even then winning the cup is highly improbable.

edit: on second thoughts, group F seems like it´s the toughest of them all, so I´m not so sure Newell´s will make it after all.

[Wulfburk]

on second thoughts, group F seems like it´s the toughest of them all, so I´m not so sure Newell´s will make it after all.

Its the toughest group yeah, but IMO the weakest brazilian team its Grêmio, they had the worst transfer window ever. they sold most of their good players, the team has massive debts and to handle that its even paying half salary of some players and loan them to other clubs, like Elano to Flamengo and Marcelo Moreno to Cruzeiro. Even Grêmio's mentality is different this year, they wasted money like hell in the last season Libertadores and achieved nothing, only a gigantic increase in their money problem, so now this year the club is just trying to handle the deficit, so its probably the only brazilian team that doesnt believes in their own chance of winning the trophy.

IMO Newell's will surely make it if they play just a little close to what they played last year.

Anyway, like i said, theres a certain mystic about the libertadores (at least the brazilian teams use that excuse) that always makes it exciting and unpredictable. Hell, i was fairly certain Cruzeiro would beat Real Garcilaso quite easy, and that is just a 4 year old club that wasnt even playing in their home. (and just noting we had some racist taunting from their supporters to one of our players Tinga, the guy played for four years in germany and never faced such a thing, unbelievable huh?)

[maxi90]

Man, I hear you. Some some players got to put up with on these shores.

Newell´s lost their first match. I win

[Treva ★]

Interesting results, this Cup promises to be very interesting. Hopefully, if a Brazilian team has to win it yet again, it'll be one that focuses on football and doesn't beat up the opposition, or stage blackouts and other such situations.

[Wulfburk]

Hopefully, if a Brazilian team has to win it yet again, it'll be one that focuses on football and doesn't beat up the opposition, or stage blackouts and other such situations.

I know right? That was pretty lame, but then it was Atlético Mineiro so.... First title they got in 40 years....



Well, my own team is two victories away from classifying, at least it depends on itself only, BUT it is an away match against La U and a home against Garcilaso... soooooooooo IDK............. In all 14 Cruzeiro's participations it NEVER got disclassified in the group stage, VERY lame if it happens at this time, since we have one of the strongest teams in the latest years (MUCH stronger than the 2009 team that was runner up, as well as the teams in 07, 08, 10, and 11)

[Treva ★]

Paranaense being beaten by São Paulo was a disgrace.

Who knows, maybe the Strongest will chuck Paranaense out of the cup, to great laughter.

[maxi90]

So, no brazilian teams left, and San Lorenzo is the big candidate to win the throphy now. Me and my big mouth.

[Wulfburk]

Got that right D:

Cruzeiro deserved to lose (after all... giving an away goal in the 9nth minute..... COMON?? Damn you Ceará, freaking the worse side back i ever seen) but we got 2 clear penalties not given (I guess its pretty obvious Conmebol would do anything to keep Cruzeiro from going, like what they did to Corinthians against Boca last year, now they got a non brazilian champion for a change) and that ball that hit both posts in the last minute of the 1st half, almost had a heart attack.

San Lorenzo has got it, and i hope they do... Not cause of the pope, but more because of Aragorn lulz


And slightly off topic but... man what the heck does the referees got against Cruzeiro. Seriously, we are at round five in Brazil, and in literally all those rounds Cruzeiro was hindered, clear penalties not given, fouls switching sides constantly, the most retarded offsides i have ever seen where our player is LITERALLY 6 meters behind their last defender... Even with that we are 2nd place as of now...

[maxi90]

Well, I can´t say I am fond of San Lorenzo, and I certanly didn´t see the match, but I did see Romagnoli being sent off after some overacting by Moreno, so I guess that evens things out?

I actualy have been told that Bolivar are quite decent. It would be amazing if they could win it. Atletico in Europe and Bolivar in Southamerica. The year of the underdogs.

[Treva ★]

Interesting getup:

San Lorenzo (Buenos Aires) - Bolívar (La Paz)
Nacional (Asunción) - Defensor Sporting (Montevideo)

None of those teams have ever won it, or even played a final match. No Brazilians, too. That makes it even more interesting.

[Wulfburk]

I heard you argentinians mock San Lorenzo as the "Clube argentino sem libertadores", they must be dying to win this one. From those 4 i'd say that the big surprise is Defensor, really underestimated them, they gave a hell of a trouble in the group phase. About time it returns to Uruguay, how long has it been anyway?


And i saw Bolivar's matches in the quarter finals, they got the altitude but i gotta say i dont see it in them.

[maxi90]

They sure are. Which is why the rest of us are doing everything we can to jinx them.

"Come on, you can do it! The cup is practicaly yours. Bolivar? Defensor? Piece of cake."

[Facupay]

This is the saddest Libertadores semifinals I have seen in my life. That Defensor has a chance of winning it speaks volumes of how terrible South American football is.

The last game with Atletico Nacional was in the Centenariom, I went with some friends because Defensor is desperate for public and put the tickets at 50 pesos (2 dollars) to avoid the international embarrassment of an empty stadium in quarter finals. 80% of the audience was either Peñarol or Nacional neutral fans kinda cheering for Defensor because they are Uruguayans after all and there is no rivalry with them.

[Treva ★]

I heard you argentinians mock San Lorenzo as the "Clube argentino sem libertadores", they must be dying to win this one. From those 4 i'd say that the big surprise is Defensor, really underestimated them, they gave a hell of a trouble in the group phase. About time it returns to Uruguay, how long has it been anyway?

Atlético Nacional were a big surprise, too.

And i saw Bolivar's matches in the quarter finals, they got the altitude but i gotta say i dont see it in them.

They play very well, for the local medium.

This is the saddest Libertadores semifinals I have seen in my life. That Defensor has a chance of winning it speaks volumes of how terrible South American football is.

Botafogo, Newell's, Flamengo, Independiente Santa Fe, Universidad de Chile, Peñarol, nacional, all flopped out spectacularly.

The last game with Atletico Nacional was in the Centenariom, I went with some friends because Defensor is desperate for public and put the tickets at 50 pesos (2 dollars) to avoid the international embarrassment of an empty stadium in quarter finals. 80% of the audience was either Peñarol or Nacional neutral fans kinda cheering for Defensor because they are Uruguayans after all and there is no rivalry with them.

The looting of South American football continueth…

[Facupay]

The worst Libertadores ever marches on.

San Lorenzo 5 - Bolivar 0
Nacional (Paraguay) 2 - Defensor 0

Bolivar without the typical Bolivian altitude cheat is nothing and is basically done, Defensor will have to play a very tough match In Montevideo.

Most likely a San Lorenzo - Nacional final.

Football has died.

[Wulfburk]

All bets on San Lorenzo.


I knew if Cruzeiro had passed them we'd have a hand on the title... Guess its for next year hopefully.

[chilon]

oops