South America’s Top Clubs – August 2015

Starting today, I am implementing a new monthly feature to the blog which took a lot of work to get done in the first place. For each South American top league club, points won from the last 15 league and/or international games are added onto each other. For a win in their domestic league, a club gains 3 points, a draw gives them at least 1. For a win in Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana (about to start), a team will get 6 points, a draw means 2....

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History will be made – but by who?

It is time for the Copa Libertadores final. The first leg will be played in the night between Wednesday and Thursday (3:00am CET). If you somehow missed it, the two clubs contesting are River Plate and Tigres UANL. A favorite is hard to predict in the meeting of of those quality teams. Interestingly enough, they already met during the group stages of the tournament. Both games ended in a draw, 1-1 in Argentina and 2-2 in Mexico. Additionally, they...

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Roaring Into The Final – Tigres Kick Out Internacional

Tigres UANL from Mexico have reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores. They nullified a 1-2 deficit from the first leg and beat Internacional 3-1 at home. This sets up two meetings with River Plate and the chance to be the first Mexican club to ever win the competition. French striker André-Pierre Gignac gave his Tigres the lead last night. His team will play for the Copa Libertadores title. Last night’s success was a deserved one, as the Brazilians...

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Follow Me Down To The River – Into The Final

River Plate have reached the final of the 2015 Copa Libertadores. The two time winner of the intercontinental competition will play for the biggest title in South America for the first time in 19 years. Marcelo Gallardo can win the trophy as a coach, after having won it as a player the last time of the club last time around. River party! After a 1-1 draw with Guaraní, one of the most famous Argentinian clubs is going to the final. The second leg...

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Copa Sudamericana – The Draw Of First And Second Round

Last night’s draw of the Copa Sudamericana in Paraguay has produced quite a few interesting games around South America. The procedure of the games is as follows: In the first round, the eight countries’ teams (not Brazil & Argentina) enter the competition and, split in North and South, face each other. The winners move on to the second round, where Argentinians and Brazilians take part as well. Scroll to the bottom to see the full list of matchups....

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Semi final successes – River Plate and Internacional hold advantages

The first semifinal of this year’s Copa Libertadores was a pretty one sided affair. River Plate dominated Guaraní to a big extent, the visitors did not manage a shot on goal during the full 90 minutes. Second half goals from Gabriel Mercado and Rodrigo Mora lifted River to a comfortable 2-0 victory. The players from coach Marcelo Gallardo did everything they could to extend the advantage even further, which wasn’t rewarded though. By the time the...

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Semifinal preview – Copa Libertadores

With the Copa América set and done, we are back to club football and as the official calendars want it, the decisive stage of the Copa Libertadores is right upon us. It is semifinal time. By now you will surely know the games, but if not here is a short reminder: River Plate await Paraguay’s Guaraní while Internacional face UANL Tigres from Mexico. Both matchups are quite intriguing and could easily result in a final without the previously dominating...

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Future looks bright – 2016 Copa Libertadores

Now that the Copa América has finished, the focus in South America (and Mexico) shifts back to club football. Many leagues have finished their season already and others like Argentina or Brazil are in the middle of it. We will take a look forward at who is already qualified for the next, the 2016, edition of the Copa Libertadores. Trujillanos FC celebrating their first ever national title in Venezuela. The first of all teams that made it into the...

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CHILE MAKE HISTORY - COPA AMERICA CHAMPIONS

The air could not get much more electric. Chileans were chanting along to their national anthem, waving the flag, and if the stadium had a roof, it would have long flown away. The few Argentinians that had gotten a ticket were just as passionate. The recipe for a special final. Who would take it: Chile for the first time ever or Argentina for the 15th, but first time since 1993? The first half of the big final was pretty even and very entertaining....

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Chile vs Argentina – Copa América final

On Saturday afternoon (evening for us Europeans), a new Copa América champion will be crowned. The hosts Chile will attempt to win their first title against Argentina, who themselves reach for a record 15th win to go level with Uruguay at the top. Around a game, a lot of hate is surfacing in both countries already. This has many historic reasons dating back as early as the war for independence against the Spanish colonial power. The border between...

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