A Football Report

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York

On a Saturday night in Peru earlier this year, Brazil went to Arequipa’s Estadio Monumental de la UNSA needing a win to clinch the South American Youth Championship. Coincidentally, their opponents were Uruguay, the very team that they needed to overthrow. On that February day, Lucas Silva had the game of a lifetime. He bossed the game and scored a hat-trick to spearhead a comprehensive 6-0 win. Neymar went on to collect the awards for top scorer and player of the tournament, but there was certainly an argument to be made that the latter prize belonged to Lucas. 

The demolition of Uruguay was the perfect end to what had been an incredible series of displays from the Säo Paulo midfielder. That night, another young attacking Brazilian midfielder had a front row seat to Lucas’ stellar show. Six months later, there was an eerie sense of déjà vu as Oscar went from being spectator into the role of main actor that he had seen Lucas execute with such aplomb.

Oscar’s hat-trick that broke Portuguese hearts and gave Brazil their fifth U20 World Cup title was certainly the cherry on top of a magnificent tournament for the upcoming star. Coming into the tournament there was some doubt that - after a less than stellar showing in qualifying - he wouldn‘t step into the leadership role left vacant by Neymar and Lucas, despite his obvious talent. This concern was soon put to rest as the Internacional midfielder quickly established himself as Brazil’s talisman, and carried this burden with ease as the team progressed. 

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By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

Football has always had its share of characters. South American football produces them regularly. Many of these players have graced past editions of the Copa América. Here are some of the players who will make the competition interesting from a non-football perspective this summer.

Sebastián “Loco” Abreu (Uruguay)

The nickname Loco (mad in Spanish) says it all really. The big, lumbering center forward has a history of clubs that looks like a shopping list for a family of twelve. Abreu is known for his ungainly, quirky playing style as well his penchant of using the panenka technique to take penalties—especially in high pressure situations. The thirty-four year old will find it hard to get time given Uruguay’s numerous attacking options. If he does, some entertainment will not be far away.

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By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

One commodity that the South American continent is never short of is a great goalscorer. There will be a vast array of attacking talent on display over the next month in Argentina. Here are some of the men who might be walking away with the golden boot award when the proceedings come to an end. 

Radamel Falcao García (Colombia)

Some strikers make the jump to Europe, and take some time to find their form. Falcao hit the ground like Usain Bolt in full flight. After an productive first season at Porto, the Colombian raised his game even more this past campaign. Thirty-five goals from thirty-eight games—including seventeen in the Europa Lague to break Juergen Klinsmann’s record—in Porto’s treble winning season, has made him one of the most feared and wanted strikers in Europe. However, the man sometimes known as El Tigre hasn’t been in the same form for his country. Colombia has really struggled for goals at times. This fact could be used to undercut the idea of Falcao grabbing the golden boot. However, if he manages to find his best form for Los Cafeteros, Falcao will definitely be a contender.

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By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

It was in the latter part of the sixteenth century that the infamous Spanish conquistadors colonized most of South America. Spanish colonialism on the continent lasted until 1824 when the independence movement led by Simon Bolivar and José de San Martín freed the colonies from the control of the Iberian nation. In this summer’s Copa América, Spain will be involved in an attempt to conquer South America once more. However, this conquest will not by military means, but through an ideal, a method of playing football - specifically, Barcelona’s interpretation of the beautiful game. Sergio Batista’s Argentina will be the physical medium for this conquest. A meld of Argentine talent and Barcelona’s style is the coach’s master plan to lead his nation to glory on home soil.

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By Gordon Fleetwood, NYC

This year’s Copa América is just a week away from the opening game in La Plata. In each edition of this prestigious tournament, young players have always been central to their team’s hope and dreams. Here is a selection of five players under the age of twenty-one who will be hoping to make this summer a memorable one in Argentina.

Diego Rubio (Chile)

One of the great things about the Copa Libertadores is the young players that emerge during the competition each season. One of this year’s sensations was Colo Colo’s teenage striker, Diego Rubio. The youngster didn’t play in the first three group games, but when he got his chance, he lit up the field with his enterprising play. First he scored a goal as a sub in his Libertadores debut against Santos. He followed this up by notching a  scored a brace to down Deportivo Táchira. Unfortunately for Libertadores viewers, Colo Colo’s self-destruction in the final game robbed them of a chance to see the talented starlet in the knock-out phase of the competition. However, the eighteen year-old has been included in Chile’s squad to travel to Argentina. Rubio won’t be starting, but his threat off the bench will add another potent weapon to Chile’s dangerous attacking arsenal.

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By Gordon Fleetwood

The date was September 30, 1962, and the place was a stadium in the Belgrano district of Buenos Aires. There, two heavyweights were getting ready to end their momentous fight. The victor would walk away as king of South American club football. On one side stood the incumbent, Peñarol, led by their star forward, the great Alberto Spencer. In the other corner Santos of Brazil—spear-headed by the legendary Pelé—looked to take the throne. The Uruguayans were going for their third title in a row, which at that time accounted for all the titles in the existence of the newly formed competition called the Copa de Campeones. Only Santos stood in Peñarol’s way. The first leg at the Estadio Centenario had finished 2-1 in Santos’ favor, while the return leg in Brazil at the Vila Belmiro had ended with a controversial 3-2 win to the Uruguayans. Thus, the fate of trophy would be decided in a playoff on neutral ground. The stage was set at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental on that September day for the clash of titans.

However, something tipped the scales in favor of the Brazilians. An injured Pelé had not played in the first two games. With him, an excellent side became extraordinary. It wasn’t even a contest as Santos swept aside Peñarol 3-0. Pelé scored two of the goals. Peñarol were dethroned, and Santos collected their first ever trophy in the competition.
Many things have changed since that day forty-nine years ago.

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By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York

Tomorrow in the Serra Dourada Stadium in Goiânia, these two juggernauts of world football will clash once again. Their last meeting just under a year ago in the World Cup in South Africa was not a classic, but it was memorable for the Dutch fight back which saw them book a place in the semifinals. Now, Brazil have a chance for revenge - albeit one that is sugar-free - on home soil.

Since that heart-breaking loss to the Dutch in Port Elizabeth, the Selecão has gone through a number of changes, the most important of which was the appointment of Mano Menezes as the new coach. Menezes’ first priority was to replace Dunga’s dour, defensive, counter-attack based football with the smooth passing game that the world has come to expect from Brazil.

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