<p> Velez Sarsfield has been the best team in Argentina over the last year, and it was only a missed penalty that kept Ricardo Gareca’s side from reaching the final of this year’s Copa Libertadores.</p>
<p> Tuesday:</p>
<p> Paraguay’s Libertad has been the country’s best club in recent seasons and has been strong in South American competition with quarter-final finishes in each of the last two Copa Libs.</p>
<p> Marcelo Canete joined Sao Paulo this season from Chile’s Universidad Catolica after a tremendous showing in the Copa Libertadores,Giants Game Jersey. The 21-year-old is looking to follow in the footsteps of Walter Montillo and Dario Conca as a classic Argentine playmaker who dictates and dominates the midfield in Brazil after having refined their games in Chile.</p>
<p> For Colombia, it is good to see a Cali side back in the fold. It’s the green part of the city that will be cheering for Deportivo Cali. The Green Menace plays at the biggest stadium in Colombia which bears the club’s name.</p>
<p> Deportivo Quito v. Deportivo Anzoategui
San Jose v. Nacional (Paraguay)
Yaracuyanos v. LDU Quito</p>
<p> Thursday:</p>
<p> Peru sends one of its biggest clubs, Universitario, into battle. La “U” (as the club is affectionately known) is the most successful club in Peru.</p>
<p> Universidad Catolica should be the strongest challenger from Chile. Los Cruzados, finished first in the Apertura regular season before losing in the final to eternal rivals Universidad de Chile. In the Copa Libertadores,Corey Webster Jersey, Catolica played some of the tournament’s most exciting soccer before being knocked out by Penarol in the last eight.</p>
<p> Palmeiras has a legendary keeper of its own in 2002 World Cup winner Marcos, while Chilean International Jorge Valdivia is a classic number 10 in midfield. The side is led by Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari whose antics provide constant entertainment for fans, and give journalists plenty to write about.</p>
<p> LDU in particular is among South America’s elite. Semi-finalist in last year’s edition of the Copa Sud and winners in 2009, the club has won four international titles from 2008-2010.</p>
<p> The Brazilian and Argentinean challenge is always the main focus.</p>
<p> This week’s games are:</p>
<p> While the club failed to advance out of the group stages of the Copa Libertadores, it showed flashes of brilliance in its build up play. In Patricio Rodriguez, the holders have a playmaker of real vision and quality, while Facundo Parra is a clever striker, capable of the spectacular as well as a poachers finish.</p>
<p> Universidad Cesar Vallejo, named after the famous Peruvian poet, was a participant in last year’s Copa Sud, but is hoping to have a better showing this time around after being outclassed in the first stage by Ecuador’s Barcelona 5-2 on aggregate.</p>
<p> Finally, Venezuelan clubs will look to build off the National team’s incredible showing at the Copa America. It will be up to Trujilanos, Deportivo Anzoategui, and Yaracuyanos to prove that the National team’s semi-final showing was not just a fluke and that Venezuelan soccer is in fact on the rise.</p>
<p> In Argentina, Independiente return to the tournament as the reigning champions. In the 2011 Clausura, El Rojo fought off early relegation fears to finish in a respectable sixth place.</p>
<p> It’s always worth it to watch Sao Paulo just to see if keeper Rogerio Ceni is going to strike with a trademark free kick. Denilson will also feature in the tournament as the Tricolor Paulista was able to snap him up on loan from Arsenal.</p>
<p> As Brazil has eight births in the tournament, Sao Paulo’s big sides also enter the fold with Sao Paulo and Palmeiras providing the challenge from the country’s largest city.</p>
<p> Wednesday:</p>
<p> The side has an abundance of talent with Fernando Meneses and Felipe Guiterrez being just two of the players worth keeping an eye on. Young Uruguayan prodigy Matias Mier joines from Penarol and will provide quality services from the flank.</p>
<p> Ecuador is represented by three teams that are always in the hunt for the domestic title and regularly representing the country in the Copa Lib. Emelec, LDU Quito and Deportivo Quito finished top three in Ecuador’s first stage of 2011 and are not only trophy hunters, but also producers of the country’s best talent.</p>
<p> Nacional is known as “La Academia” for its excellent youth system and a good run could unearth Paraguay's next big thing.</p>
<p> Olimpia v. The Strongest</p>
<p> La Equidad and Santa Fe occupy Colombia’s other two births.</p>
<p> By Marc Serber</p>
<p> Bella Vista v. Universidad Catolica
Cesar Vallejo v. Independiente Santa Fe</p>
<p> Over the border in the Land of Samba, all eyes will be on Ronaldinho as the former Barcelona and Brazil hero makes his return to South American club competition with Flamengo. The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year has shown a bit of a renaissance back in his home country. Ronaldinho has eight goals in 11 games including a hat-trick in the Campeonato Brasileiro versus Santos as Flamengo defeated the Copa Libertadores Champions in a nine goal thriller,Chris Clemons Jersey.</p>
<p> Joining Flamengo in the tournament are two more members of Rio’s Big Four. Vasco de Gama and Botafogo will join Flamengo in entering the tournament in the second stage where Brazilian teams play each other before facing other countries in the later rounds.</p>
<p> In Uruguay, the challenge will be spearheaded by traditional giant Nacional. With Penarol getting to the final of the Copa Lib, Nacional is looking for a good tournament to get out of the shadow of its biggest rival.</p>
<p> It has been a rough few months for the club, however, as an exodus of players makes it interesting to see just how strong Universidad’s assault on the continental stage can be. Gone are the Argentines that led the charge in the Libertadores. Free scoring Lucas Pratto is off to Genoa in Italy while young playmaker Canete will feature in the Copa Sud with Sao Paulo. Marauding fullback Juan Eluchans has transfered back home to Banfield while Tomas Costa’s loan spell from FC Porto is over.</p>
<p> Bolivia brings three new teams to the tournament- Aurora, The Strongest, and San Jose. Bolivian teams provided some incredible upsets in last year’s competition and the burden will be on these three not only to repeat the feat, but to continue to restore some of the credibility that Bolivian soccer has lost over the last decade.</p>
<p> South America’s second most important tournament is back and ready to kick again. The stature of the teams and the talent on display mean there will be nothing secondary about the product on the pitch.</p>
<p> Estudiantes is led by inspirational captain Juan Sebastian Veron while goalkeeper Justo Villar just signed from Spain’s Real Valladolid. Paraguay’s number 1 was sensational in the Copa America and won the award for Goalkeeper of the Tournament after he backstopped Paraguay’s run to the final.</p>
<p> Every stage is a two leg knockout round played in the traditional home and home format. No game is insignificant as 39 teams eye the grand prize of lifting the trophy and solidifying a spot in next year’s Copa Libertadores.</p>
<p> Juan Aurich is the third team to carry the Peruvian flag into the competition. The side from Chiclayo showed potential with some good performances in the 2010 Copa Libertadores. Amongst its ranks is the powerful striker, Luis “King Kong” Tejada. The well traveled Panamanian international struck six goals in that Copa Lib.</p>
<p> The 2011 Clausura winners are stacked in every position with Santiago Silva (known as “the tank”) steamrolling the charge up top. Emiliano Papa is a solid left-back who joins the attack at every opportunity.</p>
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<p> What remains to be seen is how long the capital club can hold on to Sebastian Coates. The 20-year-old was always highly rated, but interest from overseas has skyrocketed since the central defender played such an integral part in leading Uruguay to the Copa America title this summer.</p>
<p> Olimpia is the country’s most successful side. The club has a record 38 league titles and is the only Paraguayan team to win the Copa Libertadores.</p>
<p> The majority of matches can be viewed on Fox Sports World Canada and in the US on Fox Deportes in Spanish and English (with the SAP option).</p>
<p> Godoy Cruz is also a side to be reckoned with. The Mendoza outfit has finished in the upper echelons of the Argentine table in recent seasons. The provincial club made a splash in its first ever Copa Libertadores this season, defeating the likes of Ecuador’s LDU Quito and Independiente before falling just two points short of qualification for the knockout stages.</p>
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