The Copa Libertadores Group Phase – Phase 2
South America’s Champions League 2009 Takes Off
Feb 8, 2009
2008 was an unprecedented year in Copa Libertadores history, a team from Ecuador, Liga of Quito, became the first team from this nation to win the tournament triumphing over Fluminense of Brazil. Traditional powerhouses and 2007 champions Boca Juniors made it to the semi-finals and Sao Paolo to the quarter finals but beyond these teams, a new breed of hard to beat, in your face, home-grown sides have been springing up and clamouring for the right to a place at the top table.
Will 2009 be the year that a Mexican team finally takes first place? One can never bet against the goal scoring prowess of Salvador Cabanas, the bullish Paraguayan plying his trade at Club America and top scorer in the competition in both 2007 and 2008 with a total goal haul of 18.
We are accustomed to watching the regular big clubs, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Sao Paolo and Colo Colo doing well and reaching the latter stages but perhaps it adds a little something for impartial viewers and those rampant fans out there is the little team can pull off a result. Or perhaps, say a team from the past like Nacional of Uruguay - themselves 3 times winners and 3 times runners up - can pull off something special. Or 4 times runner up America de Cali, Colombia (1985,1986,1987,1996) can finally make this their year.
With the final games played in phase 1, and some very interesting outcomes, statements of intent no doubt the following teams made it through to the group phase.
Results from Phase 1
Independiente Medellín v Peñarol 4 - 0
Capitalizing on set piece plays Independiente Medellin pushed over Penarol in Medellin and then withheld a first half onslaught in Montevideo to make the second phase.
Sporting Cristal 2-2 Estudiantes (Estudiantes go through on away goals)
Juan Pablo Veron's team somehow held it together to push past the Peruvian in form team and make it to the second phase.
El Nacional 3-8 Nacional
Nacional of Paraguay put 5 past their opponents away from home, this was only going to be aone sided contes from that point.
Deportivo Anzoátegui 2-3 Deportivo Cuenca
The new boys from Venezula will be happy with their home form but will use this as a learning experience.
Palmeiras 7-1 Real Potosí
Palmeiras put the altitude problems to one side and comprehensively saw off the threat from Real Potosi.
Universidad de Chile 2-2 Pachuca (Universidad de Chile go through on away goals)
The Chileans scraped through at the expense of the Mexico's Pachuca.
The matches for the group round begin on February 10 and run until April 30.
Groups
Group 1
Liga de Quito
Colo-Colo
Sport Recife
Palmeiras
Group 2
Boca Juniors
Guaraní
Deportivo Táchira
Deportivo Cuenca
Group 3
River Plate
Nacional
Universidad San Martín
Nacional
Group 4
São Paulo
Defensor Sporting
América de Cali
Independiente Medellin
Group 5
Cruzeiro
Universitario de Sucre
Deportivo Quito
Estudiantes
Group 6
Lanús
Everton
Caracas
Guadalajara
Group 7
Gremio
Aurora
Boyacá Chicó
Universidad de Chile
Group 8
San Lorenzo
Libertad
Universitario
San Luis
The full roster of games can be seen here - www.copalibertadores.com
