2012 Copa Santander Libertadores

Starts this week with the playoffs. Will add a graphic after the groups are completely decided.

Spoiler:

Tigres already throwing this tournament out the window before even starting.

I can see why. It's the Mexican Europa League after all.

So, Arsenal and Libertad are already through to the Libertadores group stage, and tonight the two Brazilian sides, Inter and Fla, are trying to join them.

HT scores

Fla 1x0 Real Potosi (agg: 2x2)
Once Caldas 2x2 Inter (agg: 2x3)

Tigres and Union Espanola are the final entrants into the group stage.

I'm already pissed off because my asswipe of a team didn't make it.

Fucking Tigres. There's a reason why the Monterrey clubs still get called a small club, the way they treat international tournaments is one of the big reasons.

Best thing that is going to come out of this tournament for them is the realization of something we already know. Alan Pulido is a good young player.

Elias Hernandez just made a comment the other day saying they were a big club .

Monterrey especially is an embarrassment in international tournaments.

Was more impressed with Garza's play down the wing, but Pulido is good too.

They have fantastic support and are from a large and important city but they aren't at the level of a team like Toluca or even Pachuca yet.

It's one thing to fail, it's another thing to not even try, and that's what the Monterrey clubs are doing. That makes them small.

Of course this is talking about the ever untangle concept of "bigness", when it comes to things like support, depth, and financial power and influence, they are very much big clubs.

To be honest there are two or three "bigger" clubs than the Monterrey clubs in the second division.

Just saw that Garza is from the US u-20 side.

If he's any good he'll be nicked by Mexico, don't worry.

Tigres actually have a few young players that look pretty good. I remember a few years ago, Emmanuel Cerda was supposed to be pretty good, even got called up for Mexico, but his development seemed to be stunted.

Mexico really needs to cut the foreigners allowed to 3 instead of 5. Especially since so many teams nowadays play with 1 or 2 naturalized Mexicans.

Tigres is a good example, they have 6 foreign players(not counting the U-20 Mexican American players) already 1 above the limit, but since two of them are technically considered Mexican nationals they can still sign another foreigner if they really wanted to.

Maybe the FMF should force each team to have a proper youth system first. For those who don't have one, obviously they can't do it right from one day to the next, so maybe set a deadline for a few years down the road. Then reduce the amount of foreign players to 3.

Also don't know if there is a way to regulate, or at least make it more strict, who comes in. There are very, very good players that come in, but then you get players that are complete garbage that don't let the young players get a spot in the team.

Yeah, it's great when you get a Lucas Lobos or a Chupete Suazo but when you get someone like Andres Carevic playing for Atlante for like 4 years, it makes you go, WTF?

Don't get me wrong, Carevic is a hard worker and is probably a really nice guy, but a defensive midfielder/centerback who isn't very good taking up a youngsters spot doesn't make much sense.

Although Carevic has been Mexican for a while now.

Still though you have a couple of guys now that just don't make sense as to why they were bought. Guys like Edixon Perea, Facundo Erpen, José Perez, Nelson Pinto and German Alemano who you know are probably going to be gone in 6 months.

Not that they are bad footballers but they aren't really the big difference maker a foreign player should be.

Defensor 0x3 Velez

Flu playing Arsenal now. Chivas v. Deportivo Quito later.

I know Velez is supposed to be a really good side but I always underestimate them because they are Chivas' cliente. Most Argentine clubs are though.

Chivas will be clientes to everyone this year though.

cliente = perra?

Spanish for customer. It's like someone you always beat or score against.

I knew what it meant literally, but I was asking if it was the same as bitch in the sense that you were using it.

Oh.

But yeah, I guess it sort of is.

Chivas has a great record against Argentinian clubs, I think the only time we've ever lost to an Argentinian club(after both legs) was against Arsenal in 2007.

Of course the opposite is true for Brazilian clubs, we get absolutely slaughtered against Brazilian clubs.

If Ambriz is going all in for Libertadores, does this mean we will see Casillas and all the other young players in the league?

Chivas to win today based on a fortune cookie my cousin got today.

Chivas will go all out in both tournaments. None of that small club mentality where you choose one or the other.

Getting destroyed in both is another story but no one will say we didn't try.

Almost HT. Chivas look toothless.

Fucking Ambriz, sending a light weight 17 year old on his own against 2 burly defenders, one of which is literally twice his age?

I expect Cubo and Venado to come on. Or maybe just Cubo.

We're fucking terrible, imagine what Velez is going to do to us.

Andale Chivas.

They mentioned that goal during the Chivas Quito game. "Sebastian Dominguez metio un golazo...llovio en Argentina."

By the way I don't know about other countries but in Mexico they often use "rain" as something improbable happening.

For example:

"Chivas won last night"

"Neta? va llover"

Although now that I look at the video, they might of been speaking literally, that it rained in Argentina.

I just assumed because Seba has a reputation of being a terrible footballer in Mexico, they were suprised at his goal.

Some good games tonight. Boca x Zamora in 5 then the exciting clash b/w Nacional and La U in 2:15:00

2x0 win for Atletico Nacional over La U. Great game.

Dorlan Pabon.

Is that the Moreno? He was great today.

Great level of football being played there. Wish I wasn't such a dumbass on South American football. I thoroughly enjoyed the game.

Moreno?