Internacional win Copa Sudamericana

Brazilian side Internacional got an extra time goal from Nilmar to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 on aggregate for the 2008 Copa Sudamericana title. The victory was a deserved one for the team from Porto Allegre, which dominated large portions of Wednesday evening's match and were unlucky not to score earlier in the encounter. They carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Argentina but came out attacking anyway (not the type of thing you'd expect to see anywhere but Brazil and further proof that UEFA's away goal rule has outlived its purpose. If the rule had been in effect for this match, Inter's lead going into the return leg would effectively have been doubled).

As it was, the team Soccer Source deemed 21st-best in the world in its most recent ranking, clearly dominated the first half but it was the guests who struck first, in the 65th minute. At that point Estudiantes (whose captain, Juan Sebastian Veron, is well known in England, particularly Manchester) had fought their way back however and the goal, by Agustin Alayes, was well earned. The tables turned again in extra time with Nilmar's goal coming after a mad goalmouth scramble in the second overtime frame.

You may have not heard the last of the 24-year old, whose full name is Nilmar Honorato da Silva. He already had one stint in Europe, with Lyon, where he did well but was loaned to Corinthians when Giovane Elber came back from injury. He scored 39 goals in 55 games at Corinthians and then became a free agent due to some foul up with Brazilian employment. He's been back with the club of his youth since November, 2007. Just a hunch, but don't expect to see him back after the winter break.

With the victory, the Brazilian side join Boca Juniors as the only two clubs in South America to have won every possible title still in existence.

The world's top 25 soccer clubs, Oct. 6, 2008

Welcome to the last Top 25 before a two week break for international competition. It was a very interesting week, with several top 10 teams losing key matches. How would that affect matters? Let's take a look:

1. (Last week: 1). Chelsea
This one is still pretty easy. The undisputed No. 1 team (that we can tell, at least) stumbled a bit in their midweek Champions League game last week, playing a scoreless game at CFR Cluj. Blues did a lot better in their Premiership game yesterday, seeing off Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge by a 2-0 score. Chelsea is one of few unbeaten teams left in the Top 25 (or anywhere, really) and have not been scored on in five games.
Next Up: At Middlesbrough, Saturday, Oct. 18. Then Roma at home, followed by a top of the able clash with Liverpool on Oct. 26.
Against (past or present) Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21)

2 (2). Real Madrid
Putting Real at #2 was a lot tougher than placing Chelsea first. Real did beat Zenit St. Petersburg in a tough Champions League match at midweek, but managed only a point against Espanyol Barcelona at home yesterday. Espanyol is good though, which ultimately settled this question.
Next Up: Two tough road matches against Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Valencia over two legs in Spanish Supercopa.

3 (5). Manchester United
Had no problem with either opponent last week, winning both games (at Aalborg in the CL and Blackburn in the EPL) by a combined 5-0 score. Red Devils are fighting their way up the Premiership table just like we predicted they would (and unlike poor Tottenham Hotspur, but that's a sensitive subject).
Next Up: Host West Bromwich Albion Saturday, Oct. 18, followed by Celtic the following Tuesday, also at home.
Against Top 25: Tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1).

4 (7). Villareal.
Beat Celtic and Real Betis. Both games were harder than anticipated. Celtic put up a good fight and Betis actually led in the game.
Next Up: Visit Espanyol Oct. 19, then Aalborg, then Atletico Madrid.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29)

5 (8). FC Barcelona
Got a bit lucky in their first victory last week, against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. The second one was not as close. Barca saw off Atletico Madrid, who were supposed to be good, by 6-1. Ouch. We'll get to the impact on Atletico in a bit. But for now: Barca are back, mates.
Next Up: Visit Atletico Bilbao and FC Basel.
Against Top 25: Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

6 (4). Inter Milan
A home draw with Werder Bremen in Champions League action, then beat Bologna. Is it just us or are Inter losing their form?
Next Up: At Roma, Oct. 19.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16)

7 (10). Liverpool
Had no problem PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League but the more interesting game was against Manchester City. The game definitely lived up to its billing as Man City took a 2-0 halftime lead. But Reds came roaring back and ended up winning a classic encounter. Only one of two unbeaten sides left in the Premiership (the other being Chelsea). So why aren't Liverpool higher up, especially than Man U, whom they beat onthe field? Inconsistency. Yes, they beat Man U and yes they looked good coming back against Man. City yesterday, but they did have to come back and separately struggled against the likes of Crew Alexandra, Stoke City and Standard Liege. But we're about to see if Reds are for real, because...
Next Up: Wigan at Anfield (Oct. 19) and a trip to Atletico Madrid (Oct. 22). Then it's off to Stamford Bridge. Don't be surprised if Reds look past Wigan, in other words...
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16).

8 (9). Valencia
First saw off Martimo Funchal, 2-1 at home in the return leg of the UEFA Cup tie (Valencia had a 1-0 lead from the first leg so they didn't even need this result but the Top 25 has strange effects on teams' play, it appears), then beat Valladolid to keep pace with No. 4 Villareal at the top of the Spanish league table (Valencia have the edge for now on goal difference).
Next Up: Host Numancia, Oct. 19, then visit Recreativo Huelva the following Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

9 (3). Juventus
Tied BATE Borisov, 2-2 then lost to Palermo at home. Not a very good week...
Next Up: At Napoli (Oct. 19), then host No. 2 Real Madrid. The plot thickens...
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30).

10 (5). Olympique Lyon
Drew Bayern Munich 1-1 in Champions League play then inexplicably got beat 3-0 by Stade Rennes yesterday.
Next Up: Host Lille, Saturday Oct. 18 followed by a trip to Steaua Bucharest Oct. 21 for Matchday 3 in the CL.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

11. (14) AC Milan
Had no problem FC Zurich in the return leg of their UEFA Cup tie, then played Cagliari to a scoreless draw yesterday. The latter game was on the road but Cagliari are dead last in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Sampdoria, Oct. 19, followed by a trip to Atalanta Bergamo, Oct. 26.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

12. (16) Sevilla
Saw off Red Bull Salzburg in the return leg of their UEFA Cup tie (Sevilla won the first leg, 2-0) then beat up on Atletic Bilbao 4-0. Besides being unbeaten in all competition this year, Sevilla have only given up four goals all season, three of which came in one game (a 4-3 victory over Sporting Gijon on Sept. 13--incidentally the last time anybody put one past starting goalkeeper Andres Palop).
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

13 (11). Arsenal
Beat up on Porto by a 4-0 score in the Champions League, then continued their string of disappointing Premiership results by drawing Sunderland on Saturday.
Next Up: Host Everton, Oct. 18, followed by a trip to Fenerbahce for the Champions League.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17)

14 (15). Atlante
Mexico's defending Apertura champs beat Puebla to maintain their six-point lead atop Group 1 in the Mexican league. Atlante is not in the Sudamericana so they won't be tested against other (non Mexican) teams this term. But they're clearly the team to beat in Mexico, which makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Next Up: Indoz Juarez, Oct. 12 and the two Guadelajara sides, Chivas (Oct. 19) and Tecos (Oct. 26).
Against Top 25: Beat Club San Luis (Aug. 31)

15 (12). Atletico Madrid
Beat Olympique Marseille at home on Wednesday, then went down (way down) to Barca. 6-1 was the final score of this one. Barca scored five (5) times in 25 minutes of the first half and this thing was over before it even started. Not the type of result you'd expect of somebody who is supposed to be a top 10 team. We'll have to see how Javier Aguirre's men rebound from this. They've showed a lot of promise and clearly have talent but let's see how they deal with some very real adversity.
Next Up: Things don't get any easier after the break. No. 2 Real Madrid (home, Oct. 19), No. 7 Liverpool (home, Oct. 22) and No. 4 Villareal (away, Oct. 26) are on the docket. That's three top 10 sides in a row. We'll have a solid idea of what Atletico are made of when that's done.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4),

16. (17) Dynamo Kiev
Played a scoreless game at Fenerbahce in the Champions League last Tuesday then won their domestic league game to maintain their hold on first place. Don't look now but this team has not given up a goal since William Gallas equalized in the 88th minute of the Matchday One tie on Sept. 17.
Next Up: Some Ukranian team on Oct. 18 then visit FC Porto, a team that is knocking on the door of the Top 25 but hasn't done enough to be let in (yet). If Dynamo lose this game we'll have to revisit their ranking, of course.
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

17 (13). Zenit St. Petersburg
Lost a tough game to Real Madrid, but rebounded to beat Vladivostok 8-1 in the Russian league, where they now sit fifth,
Next Up: Spartak something-or-other in a Russian league match on Oct. 18. Then it's do or die against BATE Borisov in the Champions League.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30)

18. (24) Palmeiras
Beat Ancash Huaraz to advance to the quarterfinals of the storied Copa Sudamericana. Also beat Atletico Mineiro 3-1 Saturday to maintain their slight hold (by goal difference) on the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Next Up: At Figuerinse, Thursday. Then host defending champs (and crosstown rivals) FC Sao Paolo on Sunday, Oct. 19, followed by the first leg of their Sudamericana quarterfinal match-up with Argentinos Juniors three days afterwards (the return leg is Nov. 5). In case you're wondering, the quarterfinals feature four Argentine teams, three Brazilian sides and one Mexican club.

19. (18) Celtic
Lost to No. 4 Villareal, which is a forgiveable offense this year. Won their SPL game against Hamilton.
Next Up: Visit Inverness Oct. 18 then a trip to Old Trafford in what may be a must-win if Celtic are going to see any European action after new year's.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30)

20 (20). Fiorentina
La Viola played Steaua Bucharest to a 0-0 draw in midweek Champions League action then won at Chievo in weekend Serie A action.
Next Up: Host Reggina on Oct. 19, then visit Bayern Munich two days afterwards for CL action.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31).

21. CFR Cluj (-)
We made fun of Cluj a good deal when we first heard of them. Shame on us! The Romanian side have been one of the biggest surprises of this season, holding their own (and beating) against some of the very best teams on the continent. This week, they tied No. 1 Chelsea. They previously beat AS Roma--in Rome. Granted Roma has since (actually just this week) dropped out of the Top 25, but Cluj clearly showed they belong.
Next Up: Romanian table-toppers Dinamo Bucharest, Oct. 18 and a trip to Bordeaux for the next CL match, Oct. 22.
Against Top 25: Tied Chelsea (0-0, Sept. 29), beat AS Roma (2-1, Sept. 17).

22. (23) Lazio
Beat Atalanta di Bergamo in the Italian Cup Wednesday, then managed only a tie against Lecce Saturday.
Next Up: At Bologna, Oct. 19 and Napoli at home, Oct. 26.
Against Top 25: Beat Fiorentina (3-0, Sept. 24), lost at AC Milan (4-1, Sept. 21).

23 (19). Bayern Munich
Bayern's clearly in trouble. They played well against Lyon but only got a point for their efforts, then seemed to regress over the weekend when they tied Bochum 3-3 after leading 3-1 in the second half. This is a team that is giving up nearly two goals a game in the Bundesliga. How did that happen? Two words: Oliver Kahn. Besides beiing a stellar goalkeeper, we're sure the former German No. 1 also played an enormous part in keeping Bayern's defense organized.
Next Up: At Karlsruhe (it's pronounced Karls-rooh) on Saturday, Oct. 18. Then host No. 20 Fiorentina and Wolfsburg.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17)

24 (25) Steaua Bucharest
Tied No. 20. Fiorentina and their Romanian league opponents last week.
Next Up: Some Romanian team Oct. 19 followed by No. 10 Olympique Lyon, Oct. 22.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at home to Bayern Munich (1-0, Sept 17), beat Galatasaray over two legs in CL qualifier.

25 (-) BATE Borisov
The Belarusian (or is it Belarussian?) side make their debut in the Top 25. We'll admit to not knowing (or particularly) caring much about Belarusian soccer at the start of the season. But Borisov have clearly held their own in the Champions League, having tied No. 9 Juventus 2-2 just last week. What's also impressive is that the defending Belarusian champs have yet to lose in their domestic league this season--a span of 24 games, as Belarus seems to follow the Russio-Scandinavian-U.S. model of starting the season in the spring. Yeah, it's still the Belarusian league. Still, Borisov gets the nod. For now.
Next Up: Their next CL game is at No. 17 Zenit St. Petersburg. We'll know more from that as Zenit have their backs to the wall if they're to finish third in this group, much less advance to the quarterfinals.
Against Top 25: Tied Juventus at home (2-2, Sept. 30), lost at Real Madrid (2-0).

Dropping Out:
Sporting Lisbon (21), AS Roma (22)

Also receiving consideration:
Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Udinese, CA San Lorenzo, Hamburg SV

Arsenal De Sarandi Wins Copa Sudamericana

Argentina's Arsenal de Sarandi won the Copa Sudamericana, the Western hemisphere's second-biggest club championship, taking home the coveted trophy by virtue of the away-goal rule in its home-and-home series with Mexico City's Club America. It was the club's first-ever title in 50 years of existence. Arsenal took the first leg at the Estadio Azteca 3-2 and lost tonight's return leg 2-1. Arsenal's decisive goal came in the 84th minute on a pure force of will by Martin Andrizzi in the visitor's penalty area. The 31 year-old Argentine literally bulled his way past three America defenders before beating its goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa, with a shot to the far post.

In a passionate game played at the Racing Club Avellaneda, America led from the 18th minute but were lucky not to give up the tying goal as Arsenal hit the woodwork three times in the first half alone. Aguillas' 19 year-old forward Juan Carlos Silva scored on a brilliant volley to put his team up 2-0 in the 63rd minute. Had the game ended then, America would have been champions. But El Arse piled on the pressure and Andrizzi's goal was the well-earned consequence.

There were a few ugly scenes toward the end of the game, with Martin Castroman receiving a red card in the waning minutes. An Arsenal supporter ran onto the field and sprinted the length of the pitch, before turning around and going all the way back. Amazingly--at least for fans accustomed to the rigid atmosphere at U.S. sporting events--he was not apprehended.

Arsenal's triumph is a significant upset, as the tournament saw several bigger-named clubs go by the wayside. El Arse first had to dispense of compatriots San Lorenzo in the preliminary draw, before beating Brazil's Goias in the Round of 16. Next up was Chivas, followed by River Plate via a penalty shootout.

Defensive Blunders Cost Club America First Leg Of Copa Sudamericana Final

Uncharacteristically sloppy defending cost Club America a game they couldn't afford to lose, as Arsenal de Sarandi stormed back twice from a goal down to take the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final at Estadio Azteca. Lapses of various types played central roles in all three Arsenal goals, with America's normally standout goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa even doing his part on the first. Ochoa stuck to his line on a cross and was then left no chance on Anibal Matellan's header.

The highlight of the game was unquestionably a Golazo by America midfielder Alejandro Arguello shortly after halftime. Arguello's brilliant strike into the upper 90 was truly something to behold and I will suggest scouring the Web to find a clip. I'll actually do so myself and update this post with the link.

America drew blood first after only five minutes and appeared in firm control of the game for about 20 minutes. But Arsenal held their ground and had I felt evened things out when Matellan headed in the equalizer. After Arguello put the Aguillas up again at 50 minutes, his teammates on the back line were so impressed, three of them misplayed (or plain missed) a bouncing ball that Alejandro Gomez collected and fired past Ochoa. Ten minutes later Gomez completed his brace after another brainfart by the America defenders.

Ultimately, the game was undone by shifty refereeing, rough play and obscure decisions--none more ridiculous than Arsenal captain Carlos Castiglione's apparent refusal to leave the pitch after receiving a red card 10 minutes from time. The incriminating incident occurred outside the run of play and apparently off-camera (I can't remember seeing any replays). The ref sent Castiglione off after consulting with one of the linesman. When he finally left the field, the Argentine was shown bitching out the fourth official. And I thought disrespecting authority was unique to the U.S.?

Needless to say America faces an uphill battle if they want to become the third Mexican team in a row to win the coveted trophy. But they've won on hostile ground before--most recently at Bogota in their semifinal match-up with Millonarios. No reason they can't do it again. The return leg will be played Wednesday.

Copa Sudamericana: River Plate Eliminado

That was the graphic on Fox Sports en Espanol this evening. I wasn't able to catch the game (every once in a while I actually do things that normal people do, like go out for dinner or whatever. Tonight was one of those nights. I promise it won't happen again soon) but when I got home and turned on the TV it told me everything I needed to know. A quick check of my favorite blogs yielded the following match report from Hasta el gol siempre. Since they--having seen the match, and being able to speak Spanish to boot--are more qualified than me to supply that, I will gladly yield to them.

So now it's Arsenal de Sarandi against Club America in the finals. The first leg is at Estadio Azteca Nov. 28, with the return leg at whatever Arsenal's stadium is in Argentina (I think it's in some Buenos Aires suburb?) a fortnight thereafter. Obviously the Aguillas will be heavily favored. Arsenal is somewhere in the nether regions of the Argentine Apertura table and on a player-by-player basis don't appear to have anywhere near the talent America does. But the Argentine Arse has surprised people before, with the River Plate victory just the most recent example (they ousted Chivas in the quarters).

Club America Advance To Copa Sudamericana Final

It wasn't much of a game at the Nemesio Diaz, as Mexico City's Club America beat 10-man Millonarios 2-0 to advance to the final of the Copa Sudamericana, a.k.a. the "UEFA Cup of the Americas." Rodrigo Lopez scored for the Aguillas after only seven minutes and a questionable red card to Millos' Wilson Villagra 10 minutes later basically sealed the deal, as America's 3-2 lead from the first leg would have required the Colombian side to score three goals to advance. Lopez completed his brace late 10 minutes from time for good measure. A bit of a shame about the red card, but America looked the vastly superior side and deserved to advance.

America will host the first leg of the final Nov. 28 at the Azteca where they'll face either River Plate or Arsenal de Sarandi, who played to a scoreless draw in the first leg of their semifinal last week and meet again tomorrow (7:15pm, Fox Sports en Espanol) to settle matters.

With the victory, America become the third Mexican side to play in the Copa's final in three years. They won't have much time to celebrate the accomplishment though, with an important liguilla match on the slate Thursday night. (The liguilla is a home and away play-in for the playoffs).

Copa Sudamericana Semis: Millonarios Face Tough Task In Return Leg

Bogotá's Millonarios have their work cut out for them in tonight's return leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals, as they travel to face Mexico City's Club America with a 3-2 deficit from the Nov. 6 first leg. For U.S. audiences, the game will air at 9pm EST on Fox Sports en Español. The game is being played in Toluca because America's home grounds, the legendary Estadio Azteca, is hosting some kind of religious festivity, if I understood the Spanish from this ESPNdeportes.com article correctly (and I probably didn't).

Millonarios will be without their captain, midfielder Gerardo Bedoya, who injured himself in the first leg. From what I understand he's their only key absence. Club América will be short at least two key players, as Salvador Cabañas and Federico Insúa were called to duty by the Paraguayan and Argentine national teams, respectively. Beyond that, the Mexico City side have another game less than 48 hours after the conclusion of this one (against Morelia in the Liguilla, which is what they call the play-off to get into the Apertura's postseason) so they could be a bit hesitant to go full speed. Their manager, Daniel Brailovsky, did rest key individuals last weekend, including star goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. But I think the starting defenders are all first-stringers, which makes sense seeing as the Colombian will be attacking from the word go. If they don't "look past" Millos (to use a cliché common to American sports) Club América should be able to advance.

It would be the third year in a row a Mexican side plays in the tournament's finale: In 2005, Pumas lost to Boca Juniors and last year Pachuca beat Chile's Colo Colo. Whoever advances would face either Arsenal de Sarandi or River Plate, who played a scoreless draw in their first leg match. The return leg of that match-up will go off tomorrow night.

America Stun Millos In Copa Sudamericana Semis

I promised must-see TV. Did you really think I'd lie? Okay, so the first half wasn't much to write home about. For about an hour, in fact, Club America looked to be in almost complete control of the game. They had a comfortable 2-0 lead and only passive resistance from their Colombian hosts. The partisan crowd, who had been boisterous until America scored the first goal in the 25th minute, had fallen pretty silent. Millonarios looked a lot more like the (barely) middle-of-the-table club they are in their domestic league than the guys who had ousted Sao Paulo and Colo Colo from the tournament. Their defending was particularly horrific. America could (and probably should) have scored another.

Things changed in minute 61. Gerardo Bedoya struck a brilliant freekick from just outside the 18 yard box that left America's keeper Guillermo Ochoa flatfooted. Then the Colombians hit the post. At minute 68, Jonathan Estrada (I think it was him) took advantage of a mixup between Ochoa and two defenders to notch the equalizer. Millos now appeared clearly in control, the momentum in their favor.

By about minute 80, I thought America were out of gas. Millonarios smelled blood and pushed for the winner. Unfortunately, they forgot to defend again. Salvador Cabanas went fully unmarked and was wide open for a free header. No problemo! 3-2 America thanks to the second goal by the Paraguayan. A few minutes later, Millos' keeper appeared to commit a foul in his penalty area but the referee didn't call anything. America seemed a lot closer to a fourth goal than the Bogota side did to the equalizer. Yet it took a brilliant save from Guillermo Ochoa a few minutes from time to salvage the victory for the Mexicans.

All told the Aguillas victory is well-deserved, in my opinion. They were clearly the better team on the night and showed impressive poise by not caving in when Millonarios came back to tie the game. I don't think they should have much of a problem protecting the lead when the series heads to Mexico City in a few weeks' time. Then again, who knows? Millonarios have showed an uncanny ability to surprise opponents, often when they least expect it. But on balance, the Colombian side is simply too inconsistent, especially on defense, and America is methinks simply too good.

Now, bring on that other semi final! Arsenal versus River Plate. Tomorrow night, same bat time, same bat channel. Be there.

Tonight's Must-See TV Will Be Broadcast In Spanish Only

Today's biggest game is not taking place in Barcelona or Manchester or Lyon, but in Bogotá, Colombia while most of UEFA will be fast asleep. I am of course referring to the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinal, where Millonarios host Mexico City's Club America (8:15pm EST, Fox Sports en Espanol).

The Mexican side are favored to advance but face a daunting task: Millonarios have previously upset Brazilian champion Sao Paulo and Chile's Colo Colo at the Nemesio Camacho. Still, if anybody can deal with playing at Bogotá's altitude (2640 meters, or 8661 feet above sea level) it's a team from Mexico City, which is 2,240 meters, or 7,349 feet above sea level. (Or maybe those extra 400 meters really will make a difference? No clue).

Los Aguilas' most famous player right now is probably Guillermo Ochoa, the starting goalkeeper for Mexico's national side. Ochoa is said to be on his way to Man United, perhaps as early as January. Other stalwarts on Club America include Argentine midfielder Federico Insua and Uruguayan striker Rodrigo López, its leading scorer. The Colombian side features Ricardo Ciciliano, who already has six goals in the Copa, including a brace at Sao Paulo in the second leg of the quarterfinals. Defensive midfielder Gerardo Bedoya, who had a brief stint at Boca Juniors, also featured on the Colombian national team at the ripe old age of 19 when it won the 2001 Copa America. Bedoya has been injured but is expected to play if my rudimentary understanding of Spanish is correct. Both teams' coaches are from Argentina.

Speaking of Argentina, the other semifinal is an all Argentine affair between River Plate and Arsenal de Sarandi. That game is tomorrow night.

Copa Sudamericana Semifinals Set

River Plate became the fourth and last semifinalist to qualify today, thanks to their scoreless home draw with Defensor Sporting of Montevideo, Uruguay. The teams had previously played a 2-2 game in the first leg. I saw most of tonight's game and it wasn't exactly beautiful soccer. River dodged one bullet after another, most of which were caused by their own sloppy defending, but Defensor weren't able to put one past River goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo. The 23 year old, who was on Argentina's bench at the Copa America this summer, had one nearly fatal flaw of his own midway through the second half. After leaving his line (a questionable decision in its own right), he mishandled a deep ball and had to chase it outside his own area, where, instead of clearing it into touch he booted it up the field--right into the path of an opposing player, whose long-range shot was headed off the line by (I think) Fernando Belluschi. Other than that Carrizo actually played very well. One of very few River players I can say that about.

In the semis, Daniel Passarella's men will face fellow Argentine side Arsenal (no relation to a certain London club) because the Copa has a rule that prohibits teams from the same country playing each other in the final. If they face each other in the semis, they can't face each other in the final (I'm assuming the Copa Sud folks limit entries to two per country?) The other semifinal will feature Mexico City's Club America and Millionarios out of Bogota, Colombia, with the first leg at the Azteca on Thursday, Nov. 8. The first leg of River-Arsenal will also be played that night, though I'm not exactly sure where.

Figure River and America to be favored, perhaps even heavily favored. Millionarios' traditional home field advantage--high altitude--will be largely nullified as Mexico City is just as high as Bogota (I think. Too lazy to look it up at this point). America, currently 13th in my top 25 ranking of worldwide clubs, appears to be peaking at the right time for this tournament, having just defeated Chivas in an impressive showing over the weekend. River clearly has to play better than they did tonight though. Arsenal also just defeated Chivas (in their quarterfinal match-up of the Copa Sudamericana) but more impressively, they pulled it off on the road at Guadelajara. I have the sense they could give River trouble.

Quieres Futbal, Este Noche?

Not sure if I spelled that right, but I was trying to be clever and ask if you "want soccer tonight?" in Spanish. (Sorry, besides probably butchering that phrase I also couldn't figure out how to insert the upside down question mark. Forgive me, amigos). But if you are in the mood for some footy and are in the U.S. and have cable television, I recommend turning on Fox Sports en Espanol to watch the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal between River Plate and Defensor Sporting of Montevideo, Uruguay. You don't even need to understand Espanol to comprende. Okay, I'll cut it out now. It's really annoying, I know.

The two sides tied the first leg 2-2 in Montevideo last week and are now at El Monumental in Buenos Aires to settle matters. If River advance, they'll face Arsenal de Sarandi in the semis, due to a rule that prohibits teams from the same country facing each other in the finale. If Defensor win, they would face Millionarios of Bogota, Colombia. Millionarios scored a major upset in the quarters, knocking out Sao Paulo, who lead the Brazilian league and will in all likelihood win it when it wraps up in a few weeks' time. If the Uruguay side win, Arsenal would face Club America of Mexico City, the other semifinalist. The game could also have implications on my weekly top 25. If River advance, they're probably in, which would be quite an accomplishment for a team many had written off just a month ago.

I've written about the Copa Sudamericana, the "UEFA Cup of the Americas," before, including this primer a few weeks ago. Check it out if you want some background. But hurry up, the game's about to start...

Chivas Bow Out Of Copa Sudamericana

Despite a 0-0 draw at Arsenal or Argentina in the first leg of their quarterfinal match-up, Chivas de Guadelajara were unable to capitalize, losing the return leg 3-1 at home. This ends the dream of an all-Mexican Copa semifinal (Mexico City's America qualified yesterday). Despite their name, Arsenal have no affiliation with a certain London club. Instead they appear to have some kind of arrangement with FC Barcelona. Their kits, meanwhile, resemble West Ham's more than the Gunners'. Javier Yacuzzi netted a brace for the Argentine Arse, whom I suppose I should call el culo? Well anyway, this was a surprise seeing as few teams come to Jalisco and win. The loss is sure to have deleterious effects on Chivas' top 25 standing (coming Monday morning...)

The final quarterfinal is not going to be finished for a little while. They just played the first leg, at Montevideo, Uruguay, tonight. Defensor Sporting and River Plate played to a 2-2 draw, which certainly favors the Buenos Aires side. They'll play the return leg at El Monumental in five days. If Defensor win, they'll face Colombia's Millionarios, a club from Bogota in the second semifinal. River would play El Culo because of a rule that states two teams from the same country cannot face each other in the finale. The semis will be played Nov. 8 and 15. The finals Nov. 28 and Dec. 15. Yes, they play two legs, unlike in UEFA.

Meanwhile, In The Copa Sudamericana...

With the flurry of activity in Europe these past days, it was easy to overlook the Copa Sudamericana, where two quarterfinals wrapped up today. Of course, many if not most pundits in North America and Europe didn't overlook the Copa, they didn't know it was happening in the first place! (Judging by the sparse crowd at Vasco da Gama's home grounds, neither did many from points further south. Can you imagine the second leg of a UEFA Cup game not being sold out?) For a primer on where things stood entering today, read this earlier post.

The first quarterfinal pitted Mexico City's America against the aforementioned Vasco da Gama. America held a 2-0 lead from the first leg but Vasco cut that in half after only 11 minutes. Roughly 65 minutes into the match, viewers were treated to a rare treat: an appearance by Romario (yes that Romario) who substituted himself into the game for the Rio de Janeiro side (Romario, you see, was named the team's player coach earlier this week). Romario had a free header five minutes after entering the match, but he missed badly. Actually, Vasco had several chances to send this game into overtime. Earlier in the second half, a ball was cleared off the line by a Mexican defender and there were several times that they were one pass away from having a clean shot at goal but couldn't get it done. The Mexican defenders always seemed to get in the way at the last minute, or Vasco were done in by their own incompetence. It was not a well played game by either side (plus it looked like it was raining and the pitch was in very poor shape) but America were more organized and better disciplined and deserved to advance. In the semis, America will play either Chivas or Argentina's Arsenal (probably the former, who managed a scoreless draw in the first leg and host the game in Guadelajara tomorrow).

The other semifinal was a bit of a surprise, as Bogota, Colombia's Millionarios beat Sao Paulo 2-0 on a brace by Ricardo Ciciliano, a 31 year old midfielder who played his entire career in the Colombian league. Millionarios didn't need the win, however, as they carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Brazil. The Bogota side will face either River Plate or Uruguay's Defensor Sporting. Due to some scheduling quirk (this is Latin America, after all) those two teams have not yet played the first leg--that happens tomorrow at Montevideo, with the return leg five days later at El Monumental.

Copa Sudamericana Primer: Sizing Up The Quarterfinalists

With all this talk and debate about who belongs where in the top 25 worldwide soccer club list, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the Copa Sudamericana. The "UEFA Cup of the Americas" is the second-biggest club competition in Latin America (the Copa Libertadores is #1) and also the only time MLS teams have a chance to play Latin America's best in a competitive setting (sadly, the lone MLS representative, DC United, was eliminated in the Round of 16). Unlike European club competitions, the Sudamerica is currently at a fairly advanced stage, with three of four quarterfinals having already completed their home legs. The tournament barely receives any press coverage from English-language media in the U.S. and even less from Europe. I suppose the Europeans have their own leagues to worry about, while the U.S. market is served by Spanish-language media. That leaves non-Spanish-reading idiots like me out in the cold. A shame, because this is probably some of the best soccer being played in this hemisphere. All the more reason to take a closer look at where things stand today:

Quarterfinal #1: Vasco da Gama (Brazil) vs. Club América (Mexico)
Outlook: After losing 2-0 at the Azteca, the Brazilian side face an uphill battle when the teams face off in Rio de Janeiro Oct. 24. But they were faced with an identical situation in the Round of 16 (down 2-0 from the away leg) and advanced thanks to a last minute goal by Leandro Amaral (30 year old dude who apparently played with Fiorentina once?)
Domestic League Form: Vasco is seventh in the Brazilian league. America is third in a tough Grupo 3 in Mexico's Apertura.
Vasco player you may have heard of: I'm not sure if Romário (yes, that Romário) is still with them. Wikipedia says so. He certainly doesn't have any appearances in a while.
América players you may have heard of: Guillermo Ochoa is currently Mexico's starting goalkeeper, Argentine midfielder Federico Insúa played last season at Borussia Mönchengladbach and has been capped for the national team. José Antonio Castro was on last summer's world cup team that lost to Argentina in the Round of 16 (in my opinion the best match in an otherwise lackluster tournament. Castro was one of the better players on the pitch that day).
Others to watch: Vasco full back Luizão is 20 and played all games for Brazil's U20 team at this summer's world cup. He apparently is under contract at Switzerland's FC Lucerne, who earlier this summer loaned him to Vasco two weeks after his arrival (that's Swiss hospitality for ya).

Quarterfinal #2: Chivas de Guadelajara (Mexico) vs. Arsenal (Argentina) Outlook: Chivas, the top-ranked non-European club in So-So's top 25, is in the driver's seat after their scoreless draw in the first leg that was played in South America. Return leg will be played Oct. 25. I'm not sure of this, but Arsenal appears to have some kind of deal with Barcelona, like a farm team almost? Maybe somebody else can shed some more light on this.
Domestic League Form: Chivas have hit their stride and lead their Apertura group. Arsenal are 15th (not a typo) in Argentina. Which means they really shouldn't have a chance. But they play the games for a reason.
Arsenal players you may have heard of: Aníbal Matellán played for Schalke, Getafe and Gimnastic. Forward Leonardo Angel Biagini spent nearly a decade for various teams in the Spanish top flight.
Chivas players you may have heard of: Omar Bravo, Ramon Morales and Alberto Medina are "el tri" regulars.
Players you're likely to hear of soon: Patricio Araujo captained the Mexico Under 20 side at the world cup this summer and has also been capped for Hugo Sanchez' side. Chivas reportedly declined a $3 million offer from Ajax Amsterdam for his services. You'll be seeing him in Europe eventually. Omar Esparza, another guy from that U20 same team, features in defensive midfield for Chivas. For the Argentines, Alejandro Gomez is a 19 year old midfielder who was part of the team that won the U20 world championships, though he didn't appear to play much. He is used mainly as a sub now too, but seems to figure in every game and actually scored a goal in the last round against Goias, which if I'm not mistaken proved the difference in their match up. If he keeps it up you could see him in Europe before too long.

Quarterfinal #3: Sao Paulo (Brazil) versus Millionarios (Colombia)
Outlook: Millionarios stunned the heavily-favored (and So-So top 25 regulars) Brazilian side in the first leg, and take a 1-0 lead into Bogota, which oh by the way is nearly 9,000 feet above sea level.
Domestic League Form: Sao Paulo are likely to win the Brazilian league. They have a nine point lead with seven games remaining. The Colombians are way down in 12th place in their league.
Sao Paulo players you may have heard of: Miranda (isn't that a girl's name?) played at Sochaux last season. Aloiso spent four years in France; two at St. Etienne and two at Paris St. Germain, scoring 24 goals in four years. His goal against Boca proved the difference in the last round of the Sudamericana. Neicer Reasco was the starting left back for Ecuador's world cup team. Diego Tardelli (if you're old enough to recognize the name, yes he is named after Marco Tardelli, who was his dad's favorite player, or so Wikipedia tells us) spent the last seasons at Real Betis and Eindhoven. He'll be back. He's only 22.
Millionarios player you may have heard of: Gonzalo Martinez played in Italy for about five years (Udinese, Napoli, Reggina).
Players you're likely to hear of soon: Sao Paulo center back Breno is 18 and plays regularly. Millionarios goalkeeper Jose Fernando Cuadrano is only 22 and has already been capped for the national team. Defender Gustavor Rojas is an U20 international (I don't think they even qualified for last year's world cup, did they?) and Alex Diaz, another defender, is 18.

Quarterfinal #4: Defensor Sporting (Uruguay) versus River Plate (Argentina) Outlook: For some reason they haven't played the first leg of this one yet. Instead they'll play Oct. 25 at Montevideo and Oct. 30 at Buenos Aires. Luckily they don't have to go far. Figure River as the heavy favorites.
Domestic League Form: Defensor are second, River a disappointing seventh. Although they've begun to show signs of life, beating arch rival Boca Juniors in their most recent game.
Defensor player you may have heard of: Williams Martinez played for West Bromwich Albion in 2005-06. Yeah, that's it.
River player you may have heard of: Ariel Ortega, of Valencia/Sampdoria/Parma/Fenerbahce fame, not to mention the Argentina national team where he is capped 80-some-odd times.
Players you're likely to hear of soon: River's got a bunch: 19 year old middie Marcelo Burzac is being hailed as "el nuevo Juan Roman Riquelme" by the Argentine press. My spanish is probably as good as David Beckham's, but even I can figure that one out. 21 year old midfielder Augusto Fernandez, said to be on his way to Arsenal (in London, not Argentina) and Andres Rios is just 18 but has three goals in five games this season, including one against Brazil's Botafogo in the last round. Let's not forget Sebastian Sciorilli, 18, another midfielder (though I don't think he's played much--or at all--this season), Juan Antonio, 19, and Emmanuel Martinez, 18, although here too it doesn't look like they see much action. For Defensor, you've got 19 year old Damian Suarez, a regular starter in defense this year. Like I said, this one looks like a mismatch.

What happens next?
The tournament is all bracketed out, with the Chivas-Arsenal winner facing the America-Vasco winner and Millionarios-Sao Paulo winner matching up with River-Defensor victor. I think we'll see Chivas and River in the final. But that's just one man's opinion.

DC United Succumb To Chivas

That's Chivas of Guadelajara. The game in question was the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana Round of 16. Too bad about the result, but D.C. held their own and lost by the narrowest of margins, with the away goal Chivas notched in the first leg last week proving the difference. It's definitely a good thing for MLS clubs to get tested against international competition like this. The more the better; Bring it on, I say. Hopefully we'll be competing in the Copa Libertadores soon. Either way, it seems clear that the only way MLS ever get any kind of respect on an international level is if they hold their own against the other top clubs in the Americas. Of which Chivas is definitely one. So consider this a step in the right direction.