There is a big difference between Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores, nothing new about that. Libertadores represents the glamour of total glory, does now, always will. Sudamericana used to represent the crumbles of glory left by Copa Lib's winners and the filling fútbol matter in an otherwise empty fall calendar... but you could argue that status is changing.
It will never achieve Libertadores status, but the truth is it is showcasing some very good teams worthy of international competition. It also gives teams we've never heard of before a chance to shine or burn in the spotlight.
It may all be part of a marketing strategy, but it makes for compelling television watching. Bulked scores have been exploding everywhere, a 9-0 this week in Uruguay, a 5-0 the next in Ecuador. That is not necessarily good, the first stages are clearly a little crazy in that sense and can lead to boredom -that is if a 9 nil doesn't entertain you-, but as the tournament progresses the great teams start showing their colors.
Copa Sudamericana came as a merging answer to different Copas that were really void of interest. With the solid sponsorship of Nissan it represents an economic achievement and why not, a little glory. It's silverware! Big teams want their shot, smaller newcomers want their shot at these big teams.
Liga de Quito won Copa Libertadores in 08' and then went on to beat Internacional (then Sudamericana champions, now Libertadores champions) for their 1st Recopa victory. Liga de Quito may have not managed to repeat in Copa Libertadores 09', however they took their Sudamericana seriously enough to win it, earn a bid in a new Recopa match-up against Estudiantes de La Plata (Lib champions 09') and win it. [the Recopa is played by the winners of Libertadores and Sudamericana]
This year's Copa Sudamericana is offering interesting headlines. The little detail that it awards the winner a Copa Libertadores bid is surely spicing things up. Proper motivation will only elevate the competition.
After yesterday's matches we've reached the round of 16. 4 brazilian teams, 3 argentineans, 2 uruguayan, 2 colombian, 2 ecuadorian, 2 bolivian and one chilean have made it this far. Guess who lurks around... defending Champions and back to back Recopa winners winners Liga de Quito
Chile's biggest teams (U de Chile and Colo Colo) fell victims to a surge of Bolivian fútbol. Colombia's league leader Santa Fe is fighting for international recognition, things are interesting around the continent. Four of Argentina's six participating teams were of top level, two of the three that live on (Banfield and Newell's) are among the three most solid clubs in Argentina.
Different case in Brazil where this cup has historically been undermined. Of the 8 teams that qualified, the strongest being SantosFC, Grêmio, Palmerias and Atlético Mineiro, only two survived. Palmeiras, 9th in the Brasileirao and Atlético Mineiro, 18th and in relegation zone. The other two teams in the round of 16 are Goias, in -19th position and relegation- and Avai -16th position and 2 points from relegation-.
These numbers could explain why Argentina has won the Sudamericana four times while Brazil only one, but this is the result, in a big part, of timeframes. If you've heard the words of Marcos Lavieri in the South American Football Show you know that this is the time of year in which competing brazilian teams really start pushing for the championship, and that may have something to do with the numbers.
On the other hand a team like Avaí eliminated praised Santos FC and deserve their credit. Palmeiras overcame a 2-0 away deficit with a dramatic 3-0 victory. There is spice, even if the position on the table doesn't compel you to glue yourself to the TV.
There is much to watch now, it gets interesting. Remember, it's silverware, and good teams are always after a piece of it.
Alejandro Pérez / SAFS/ 24-9-10
