The last phase prior to the knockouts will soon be over and only sixteen teams will make it to show their worth to the continent.
Many surprises have taken place in the Copa Sudamericana this year, but all the candidates are still racing to shine at the top of America's football. Argentina's Velez, Banfield and Estudiantes will be struggling to take the crown off Liga de Quito's head. This seems to be Bolivia's year in this competition, as three teams from Bolivia's Primera Division have made it to this last stage. Peñarol, Tolima and Deportivo San Martin will be chancing their arms against them to claim their ticket for the final phase. The chase of both their domestic tournaments and the Sudamericana might be a burden too heavy for most of the teams to bear with, but those who stand will grow stronger to face the last part of this competition.
The last game prior to the knockouts will take place between Peñarol and Barcelona, and the winner will be visiting Brazil's Goiás in a few weeks. Peñarol won the first match by the minimum difference and now all they need to do is to keep their goal shut to send Barcelona back home empty handed. The Carboneros are the favorites, as they've won more than half of the matches ever played against Barcelona, who could only defeat the Uruguayans four times. Peñarol signed two highly technical players, Mariano Pernía and Santiago Solari and they'll surely have a saying when the Ecuadorians visit Uruguay this Tuesday. Manuel Keosseian might choose a defensive formation to receive the Toreros, as receiving a single goal could completely change the course of the game. Having scored a wonderful goal from over 32 yards, young Argentinean Alejandro Martinuccio is likely to have a shot within the starting eleven.
Juan Manuel Llop's boys will have a tough nut to crack in Montevideo, for qualification for the next phase will depend on the capacity of the team to score two goals on foreign ground. Last week's victory over Deportivo Quito boosted the morale of the players, but the absence of both Luis Miguel Garcés (sent off in the last match against the Uruguayans) and Luis Bolaños will surely undermine their performance in Uruguay. Ricardo Noir is one of the most emblematic players in the squad, as he's won the love of the crowds thanks to his constant contributions as a scorer. Team's goalkeeper, Máximo Banguera, might be unable to perform, suffering an intense back pain. Omar de Jesús' return to the squad will provide Llop the weapons needed to keep Peñarol's offense under control, but without some efficiency in the offense their future will darken.
Oriente Petrolero is growing as a serious candidate for this year's edition of the Copa Sudamericana, as the Bolivian squad eliminated Universidad de Chile in the previous phase of this competition and even managed to win Bolivia's derby by defeating Blooming last Sunday. Tolima's coach Hernán Torres declared during the week "Oriente is an electric team that can unfold vicious energies when attacking. Tuesday's match won't be easy, but we'll purpose a kind of football that would surely cause Oriente to suffer" were his words. Albiverde's coach Gustavo Quinteros gave his main players a chance to rest during the week: two defenders (Miguel Hoyos and Alejandro Schiaparelli) were not even called for the derby, while team's offensive trio Joselito Vaca, Mauricio Saucedo and Danilo Peinado only joined the game during the second half. The team has been training on personal marks, as Wilder Medina is a striker to keep under close watch, having scored two goals in the last match played by Tolima.
Deportivo Tolima's debut in the Copa Sudamericana will have them taking on one of Bolivia's biggest teams, and Hernan Torres should have a lot on his mind prior to this week's trip, for a good performance playing away will give the Colombian squad half a ticket for the Round of Sixteen. Having just defeated Atletico Huila 3-0 during the weekend, the spirit of the players if sky high and if they manage to focus their momentum against Oriente, then their chances of returning home with a smile upon their faces will greatly improve. Team's coach gave no information regarding his strategy for the game, but Jhon Freddy Hurtado, Rodrigo Marangoni and Fernando Cárdenas will probably be the chosen midfielders to asphyxiate the Bolivians and stop them from leading the ball to their own goal. Will this scheme work when visiting a rival that grows when playing at home?
Wednesday's late game will have Emelec making its second appearance in the Copa Sudamericana. Jorge Sampaoli's boys made it to the Round of Sixteen during the last season and will be looking forward to improving their performance, following Liga de Quito's example. Emelec's coach knows everything about his rival (he was the manager of four different Peruvian teams), but knowing so much can also be worrisome when you know how badly things can go. The winner of this leg will face Brazil's Avaí, executioner of Santos a few weeks ago.
Both teams faced only once for the Pacific Cup one year ago, and it was a 1-1 draw. Joao Rojas and Jaime Ayoví will have to lead Emelec's offense against Aníbal Ruiz's boys, known for their defensive prowess. Hebert Arriola's suspension might undermine the offense of the local team, for he's going through a brilliant moment leading Peru's scoring table, for Roberto Silva is still injured and unable to perform. Bryan Rodríguez and Germán Alemanno will lead the offense instead, and they might have it easier with Eduardo Morante and Pedro Quiñónez's absence in the Bombillo defense.
Newell's has not scored against Estudiantes in the last three matches played between the teams and for that reason the Pincha squad looked at ease when traveling to Rosario to face the Leprosos. Estudiantes is leading Argentina's Apertura together with River Plate, though Alejandro Saballa's boys have played one match less than the Millonarios.
Estudiantes' wounds for the Recopa Sudamericana are still bleeding and some success in the Sudamericana will surely help them recover earlier. But Estudiantes does not want to give up in the Apertura, for their main objective is return to the Copa Libertadores and take the crown off Internazionale's head, the new champion. Pincha's coach didn't want to talk about the starting squad, but he spoke about their rival "They're good, they've experienced players, we've been there and they are hopeful for this cup. Cup matches are different and they're in good form, but we'll do our best" were his words. Estudiantes has been doing without its top striker, struggling with injury. Gaston Fernandez is fully recovered and Hernan Lopez might return on time, would they make it against Newells?
Roberto Sensini's boys victory against Argentinos (first victory playing away in the season) gave the players a huge confidence boost to receive Juan Sebastian Veron's Lions this Wednesday. Newell's defense will have a hard time against Estudiantes' striker, specially considering Rolando Schiavi won't be able to perform (suspended). Sebastián Taborda and Leonel Vangioni, injured will be missing this match too, and their substitutes will have to give all they've got to secure the game against Estudiantes
Two Argentinean giants will be taking on each other on Thursday's night to see who makes it to the latter stages of this South American competition. The last time Velez visited Banfield, Julio Cesar Falcioni's boys were unstoppable and sent the Fortin back home with three goals, as they did two weeks ago defeating Velez 1-0. The Fortin wields weapons of mass destruction in its offense that should grant them the upper hand over Banfield when the Drill went to Liniers, and now Ricardo Gareca's boys have earned half a ticket for the knockouts.
Velez's coach will be saving his best players for this match, as he needs to find some alternatives in case Santiago Silva or Matias Martinez are unable to perform in the future. It's been a while since Velez could lift a domestic title and now they stand at the first position it'd be unwise for the Fortin to let this opportunity go to waste.
Banfield's expectations are in the antipodes of Velez, for Julio Cesar Falcioni has already given team's followers a local title and won't stop before the whole continent witness the strengths of his team. Banfield's captain Victor Lopez declared he doesn't care for anything but the qualification for the next phase. "I always try to improve my playing, but the main objective is to advance in the Sudamericana and then, if you can enhance your playing skills, that would be good to" were his words.
Banfield's top striker Ruben Ramirez is back on the team, and his presence boosts Falcioni's team offensive capabilities to its maximum, specially paired with Julio Barraza in the defense, who gives the Drill the confidence needed to adventure into the unknown. Ramirez's return comes in a moment of great need, for Cristian Garcia will be unable to perform and young Gabriel Méndez might not be able to deal with Velez's offense all by himself. If Banfield beat Fortin's goal early enough, the general perspective of the game will surely favor Falcioni's Banfield.
The Centenario stadium will host the last match of the round. The Uruguayans receive Peru's Sport just after being brutally defeated by Liverpool 3-0 in the weekend, and the Violets are aware a good performance will earn them half a ticket to the knockouts, where Argentina's Independiente is waiting (they beat Argentinos Juniors early this week). Miguel Amado and Diego De Souza (Back on the team fully recovered from an injury) play a key role leading the Uruguayan offense, and their interaction with Ignacio Risso and Rodrigo Mora is what keeps team's advance going. This match must surely be a must win for Pablo Repetto's boys, as the advantage can be overwhelming when Defensor travels to Peru next week.
Cristóbal Cubilla's unexperienced squad will have a harsh debut on Uruguayan ground. Team's coach declared "We're focused on playing wisely. Our rival has a strong potential" he recognized, but he also celebrated the defense and aerial expertise of his players. Sport Huancayo occupies the 8th position of the Peruvian league and it's clear the Sudamericana will be the main objective of the tam this season.. will they be ready for such a challenge?
Colombia's most dangerous squad Independiente will be hosting the unexperienced Caracas on Thursday night. League Portobon's leader will be fully loaded at the Campín with Alejandro Bernal's return, strengthening the midfield and multiplying the angles of attack. Another player that returns to the team is German Centurion, back from his duties with the Paraguayan squad. Nestor Otero's Cardinals should secure a victory on their own ground before venturing on Venezuelan ground, for their luck playing away has been rather adverse lately.
It's been a busy week for Caracas, as the Venezuelan goalless derby of the weekend exposed several weaknesses in the back line that should be dispelled to avoid a through a nightmare in Colombia. Luis Vera's absence weakens Ceferino Bencomo's strategy, as Heatkliff Castillo and Luis Cabezas wouldn't be able to keep up with the offense without a high class play maker. The Venezuelan squad will abuse the speed of its wingers to overwhelm the local side, and if given enough space, they might make it against Atlético Mineiro in the third stage of this competition.
The last game prior to the knockouts will take place between Peñarol and Barcelona, and the winner will be visiting Brazil's Goiás in a few weeks. Peñarol won the first match by the minimum difference and now all they need to do is to keep their goal shut to send Barcelona back home empty handed. The Carboneros are the favorites, as they've won more than half of the matches ever played against Barcelona, who could only defeat the Uruguayans four times. Peñarol signed two highly technical players, Mariano Pernía and Santiago Solari and they'll surely have a saying when the Ecuadorians visit Uruguay this Tuesday. Manuel Keosseian might choose a defensive formation to receive the Toreros, as receiving a single goal could completely change the course of the game. Having scored a wonderful goal from over 32 yards, young Argentinean Alejandro Martinuccio is likely to have a shot within the starting eleven.
Juan Manuel Llop's boys will have a tough nut to crack in Montevideo, for qualification for the next phase will depend on the capacity of the team to score two goals on foreign ground. Last week's victory over Deportivo Quito boosted the morale of the players, but the absence of both Luis Miguel Garcés (sent off in the last match against the Uruguayans) and Luis Bolaños will surely undermine their performance in Uruguay. Ricardo Noir is one of the most emblematic players in the squad, as he's won the love of the crowds thanks to his constant contributions as a scorer. Team's goalkeeper, Máximo Banguera, might be unable to perform, suffering an intense back pain. Omar de Jesús' return to the squad will provide Llop the weapons needed to keep Peñarol's offense under control, but without some efficiency in the offense their future will darken.
Oriente Petrolero is growing as a serious candidate for this year's edition of the Copa Sudamericana, as the Bolivian squad eliminated Universidad de Chile in the previous phase of this competition and even managed to win Bolivia's derby by defeating Blooming last Sunday. Tolima's coach Hernán Torres declared during the week "Oriente is an electric team that can unfold vicious energies when attacking. Tuesday's match won't be easy, but we'll purpose a kind of football that would surely cause Oriente to suffer" were his words. Albiverde's coach Gustavo Quinteros gave his main players a chance to rest during the week: two defenders (Miguel Hoyos and Alejandro Schiaparelli) were not even called for the derby, while team's offensive trio Joselito Vaca, Mauricio Saucedo and Danilo Peinado only joined the game during the second half. The team has been training on personal marks, as Wilder Medina is a striker to keep under close watch, having scored two goals in the last match played by Tolima.
Deportivo Tolima's debut in the Copa Sudamericana will have them taking on one of Bolivia's biggest teams, and Hernan Torres should have a lot on his mind prior to this week's trip, for a good performance playing away will give the Colombian squad half a ticket for the Round of Sixteen. Having just defeated Atletico Huila 3-0 during the weekend, the spirit of the players if sky high and if they manage to focus their momentum against Oriente, then their chances of returning home with a smile upon their faces will greatly improve. Team's coach gave no information regarding his strategy for the game, but Jhon Freddy Hurtado, Rodrigo Marangoni and Fernando Cárdenas will probably be the chosen midfielders to asphyxiate the Bolivians and stop them from leading the ball to their own goal. Will this scheme work when visiting a rival that grows when playing at home?
Wednesday's late game will have Emelec making its second appearance in the Copa Sudamericana. Jorge Sampaoli's boys made it to the Round of Sixteen during the last season and will be looking forward to improving their performance, following Liga de Quito's example. Emelec's coach knows everything about his rival (he was the manager of four different Peruvian teams), but knowing so much can also be worrisome when you know how badly things can go. The winner of this leg will face Brazil's Avaí, executioner of Santos a few weeks ago.
Both teams faced only once for the Pacific Cup one year ago, and it was a 1-1 draw. Joao Rojas and Jaime Ayoví will have to lead Emelec's offense against Aníbal Ruiz's boys, known for their defensive prowess. Hebert Arriola's suspension might undermine the offense of the local team, for he's going through a brilliant moment leading Peru's scoring table, for Roberto Silva is still injured and unable to perform. Bryan Rodríguez and Germán Alemanno will lead the offense instead, and they might have it easier with Eduardo Morante and Pedro Quiñónez's absence in the Bombillo defense.
Newell's has not scored against Estudiantes in the last three matches played between the teams and for that reason the Pincha squad looked at ease when traveling to Rosario to face the Leprosos. Estudiantes is leading Argentina's Apertura together with River Plate, though Alejandro Saballa's boys have played one match less than the Millonarios.
Estudiantes' wounds for the Recopa Sudamericana are still bleeding and some success in the Sudamericana will surely help them recover earlier. But Estudiantes does not want to give up in the Apertura, for their main objective is return to the Copa Libertadores and take the crown off Internazionale's head, the new champion. Pincha's coach didn't want to talk about the starting squad, but he spoke about their rival "They're good, they've experienced players, we've been there and they are hopeful for this cup. Cup matches are different and they're in good form, but we'll do our best" were his words. Estudiantes has been doing without its top striker, struggling with injury. Gaston Fernandez is fully recovered and Hernan Lopez might return on time, would they make it against Newells?
Roberto Sensini's boys victory against Argentinos (first victory playing away in the season) gave the players a huge confidence boost to receive Juan Sebastian Veron's Lions this Wednesday. Newell's defense will have a hard time against Estudiantes' striker, specially considering Rolando Schiavi won't be able to perform (suspended). Sebastián Taborda and Leonel Vangioni, injured will be missing this match too, and their substitutes will have to give all they've got to secure the game against Estudiantes
Two Argentinean giants will be taking on each other on Thursday's night to see who makes it to the latter stages of this South American competition. The last time Velez visited Banfield, Julio Cesar Falcioni's boys were unstoppable and sent the Fortin back home with three goals, as they did two weeks ago defeating Velez 1-0. The Fortin wields weapons of mass destruction in its offense that should grant them the upper hand over Banfield when the Drill went to Liniers, and now Ricardo Gareca's boys have earned half a ticket for the knockouts.
Velez's coach will be saving his best players for this match, as he needs to find some alternatives in case Santiago Silva or Matias Martinez are unable to perform in the future. It's been a while since Velez could lift a domestic title and now they stand at the first position it'd be unwise for the Fortin to let this opportunity go to waste.
Banfield's expectations are in the antipodes of Velez, for Julio Cesar Falcioni has already given team's followers a local title and won't stop before the whole continent witness the strengths of his team. Banfield's captain Victor Lopez declared he doesn't care for anything but the qualification for the next phase. "I always try to improve my playing, but the main objective is to advance in the Sudamericana and then, if you can enhance your playing skills, that would be good to" were his words.
Banfield's top striker Ruben Ramirez is back on the team, and his presence boosts Falcioni's team offensive capabilities to its maximum, specially paired with Julio Barraza in the defense, who gives the Drill the confidence needed to adventure into the unknown. Ramirez's return comes in a moment of great need, for Cristian Garcia will be unable to perform and young Gabriel Méndez might not be able to deal with Velez's offense all by himself. If Banfield beat Fortin's goal early enough, the general perspective of the game will surely favor Falcioni's Banfield.
The Centenario stadium will host the last match of the round. The Uruguayans receive Peru's Sport just after being brutally defeated by Liverpool 3-0 in the weekend, and the Violets are aware a good performance will earn them half a ticket to the knockouts, where Argentina's Independiente is waiting (they beat Argentinos Juniors early this week). Miguel Amado and Diego De Souza (Back on the team fully recovered from an injury) play a key role leading the Uruguayan offense, and their interaction with Ignacio Risso and Rodrigo Mora is what keeps team's advance going. This match must surely be a must win for Pablo Repetto's boys, as the advantage can be overwhelming when Defensor travels to Peru next week.
Cristóbal Cubilla's unexperienced squad will have a harsh debut on Uruguayan ground. Team's coach declared "We're focused on playing wisely. Our rival has a strong potential" he recognized, but he also celebrated the defense and aerial expertise of his players. Sport Huancayo occupies the 8th position of the Peruvian league and it's clear the Sudamericana will be the main objective of the tam this season.. will they be ready for such a challenge?
Colombia's most dangerous squad Independiente will be hosting the unexperienced Caracas on Thursday night. League Portobon's leader will be fully loaded at the Campín with Alejandro Bernal's return, strengthening the midfield and multiplying the angles of attack. Another player that returns to the team is German Centurion, back from his duties with the Paraguayan squad. Nestor Otero's Cardinals should secure a victory on their own ground before venturing on Venezuelan ground, for their luck playing away has been rather adverse lately.
It's been a busy week for Caracas, as the Venezuelan goalless derby of the weekend exposed several weaknesses in the back line that should be dispelled to avoid a through a nightmare in Colombia. Luis Vera's absence weakens Ceferino Bencomo's strategy, as Heatkliff Castillo and Luis Cabezas wouldn't be able to keep up with the offense without a high class play maker. The Venezuelan squad will abuse the speed of its wingers to overwhelm the local side, and if given enough space, they might make it against Atlético Mineiro in the third stage of this competition.
