Arturo Vidal and Luis Suárez, who played for Boca and River, ended up in powerful Brazilian football.
With the European season just resumed, all eyes will be on defining the two most important continental tournaments in South America this week: the Copa Libertadores and the South American. With little Argentine presence -only three representatives out of 16- and two players who steal all the flashes, the quarter finals They will be played between this Tuesday and Thursday.
Why the return from these parts of the Chilean Arturo Rey Vidal and the Uruguayan Luis Pistolero Suárez reposition the Conmebol competitions, the nest and they also apply to the football map that Brazilians have dominated for several years, buoyed by their strong sports economy.
This Tuesday and for the Libertadores, Vidal, who scored his first goal at the weekend in the flamingo -penality-, will visit the Corinthians in a full Brazilian duel, starting at 9:30 pm and with an Argentine presence, because the referee will be Patrizio Loustauwith Juan Belatti and Facundo Rodríguez as line judges.
Vidal converted from a penalty in Flamengo’s victory over Goianiense at Maracana and for Brasileirao last Saturday. Photo: REUTERS / Sergio Moraes.
The Chilean signed for Mengao in mid-July with the desire to win a title that eluded him when he played at Colo Colo, 15 years ago, before going to Europe.
“Is a dream”King Arturo said at the end of Saturday’s match against Brasileirao, where he contributed to the 4-1 victory against Atlético Goianiense.
But Vidal wouldn’t be an appetizer. Neither his compatriot Erick Pulgar nor the Uruguayan Guillermo Varela, brand new reinforcements of the team led by Dorival Júnior, who wants to keep the base of the team that has come to this point but was armed to the teeth to win his third crown (1981 and 2019) .
The thymemeanwhile, he will appear head-on after having eliminated Boca in the second round in an explosive Bombonera and with the hope of a new Cup after the only one won ten years ago.
This crossing is also important for the Argentines, because the winner will clash in the semifinals with the winner of the key between Velez Sarsfield – River executioner – e Cordoba workshops -That left Colón de Santa Fe on the way-, which will open Wednesday in Liniers.
Vélez left River on the street in a controversial streak. German Photo Garcia Adrasti – CLARIN
The other duel on Wednesday sees the reigning champion and the best candidate as protagonist. Is that the million questions at the moment are: How to stop the immaculate march of Palmeiras and who can do it?.
The Verdao have marched without major threats so far, so they position themselves as the natural candidate to get the third consecutive title Y historical room -the first 23 years ago-.
And it is precisely that the perfect progress of the team coached by Portuguese Abel Ferreira, the only one to have an ideal score in the group stage, which then overwhelmed Cerro Porteño in the round of 16 with a total of 8-0, seems to have no end.
Palmeira chained nine wins in a row (8 in this edition), a milestone that made it the first team to reach that record in the history of Conmebol’s most important club competition.
Corrientes ‘José López drew Palmeiras’ attention with his goals in Lanús. Photo: Instagram Palmeiras.
This monster led by Brasileirao will have to face the Atletico Mineiroalways in the hands of Cuca, the most successful coach in the history of the Belo Horizonte team, after the expulsion of the Argentine Antonio Mohammed Ten days ago.
Mineiro has one of the most powerful teams in America, with players of the stature of Brazilian Hulk, Chilean Eduardo Vargas and Argentine Nacho Fernandez.
Estudiantes de La Plata is the other Argentine hope in a difficult key for the Copa Libertadores. Photo: AP / Gustavo Garello.
The one who advances will collide with the winner of the key between Students of La Platathe third Argentine in contention and in search of his fifth title, e Atletico Paranaense -current monarch of the South American and finalist of the Libertadores 2005- which will start in Curitiba on Thursday (21:30).
The Libertadores final will be played on Saturday 29 October at the Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo stadium in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The Monumental Stadium of Guayaquil, site of the final of the Libertadores 2022. Photo: EFE / Franklin Jácome.
Towards Cordoba
In the South American tournament, the second most important tournament, all the spotlight, for a few days, has been on the Uruguayan Luis Suarez and his return to National. It is true that he arrived this Sunday and it seems very difficult for him to play – despite being on the bench – when the series against the Brazilian opens on Tuesday. Atletico Goianensein the first leg of the quarter-finals.
The Gran Parque Central, in Montevideo, which on Sunday was packed to welcome the Pistolero and his family, will be the setting for the opening of the series, starting at 7.15 pm (Argentine time).
“I came here because I want to win and winning means fighting for all tournaments”He said gunfighterreturned to the Uruguayan club, where he made his debut in 2005 in the First Division, for five months to prepare for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the fourth with the Light blue, of which he is the historic top scorer (68 goals).
Luis Suárez, accompanied by his children, greets Nacional fans during his official presentation at the Gran Parque Central stadium in Montevideo. Photo: Xinhua / Nicolas Celaya.
At 35, and after 16 in Europe, Suárez arrives without rhythm. He hasn’t played since May 22 in Atlético de Madrid’s 2-1 win against Real Sociedad when he entered 86 minutes. And to make an entire match you have to go back to February 6 in the 4-2 defeat against Barcelona.
Since that last game at the end of May, Suárez has skipped the tour with the national team to run a preventive treatment of the knee and then he enjoyed his holidays in Ibiza with his family and that of Leone Messi.
Goianiense surprised in the round of 16 by eliminating another traditional team from the region like Olympia of Asunciónbut it comes with a hard 4-1 defeat against Flamengo for Brasileirao.
Further north of the continent, in San Cristóbal, again on Tuesday Sporty tachira of Venezuela will receive Independent from the Ecuador Valleykey favorite.
Wednesday will be the turn of the historic San Pablo. The three-time champion of the Libertadores and winner of the South American in 2012 will face his compatriot Ceará.
Those directed by Rogerio Céni, legendary goalkeeper of the San Paolo tricolor, have the Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri as a scorer and as a new reinforcement for the midfielder Giuliano Gallopformerly Banfield.
Coach Pablo Lavallén has already played in the South American final with Colón de Santa Fe, in 2019. Photo: EFE / Raúl Martínez.
The next day, Peru’s Melgar, where Argentine Pablo Lavallén took over as coach to replace Néstor Lorenzo – a Colombian national player -, will try to continue to give the note by receiving in the more than 2,000 meters of height of Arequipa all Porto Alegre International.
The South America Cup final will be played on Saturday 1 October at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in Córdoba.
Source: Clarin
