With the 2015 Copa Libertadores group stage now over, South America’s premier club competition has provided just as many shocks and upsets as it has spectacular goals.
We have seen Racing scoring-machine Gustavo Bou in scintillating form for the current Argentinean champions, netting seven goals in Group Eight, while we have also seen one of the toughest Libertadores groups in years unfold in Group Two, featuring Corithians, São Paulo, current holders San Lorenzo and reigning Uruguayan champion Danubio.
No Chilean teams remain in the competition, while all five members of the Brazilian contingent qualified for the knockout phase and look exceptionally strong. There have been many impressive and many dreadful teams in this year’s edition of the Copa Libertadores, and here, in no particular order, is a list of five winners and losers of the tournament so far.
Winners
UANL Tigres
Liga MX side Tigres were expected to qualify from a group which also contained Argentinean powerhouse River Plate, but few could have predicted just how easily they would cement a place in the knockout rounds. Tuca Ferretti’s men amassed 14 points, seven more than second placed River, and have firmly established themselves as one of the teams to avoid in the knockout stages of the Libertadores.
Tigres only dropped points on two occasions when they played out two draws with River during the group phase, and netted an incredible 16 goals in six matches – eight of which came against Peruvian side Juan Aurich. Their amazing 5-4 win against Aurich in Chiclayo, which ultimately helped send the team through, is a game that will go down as one of the greatest in the competition’s rich, established history. Tigres face Bolivian surprise package Universitario in the Round of 16.
https://youtu.be/1FSybIWBD8g
Corinthians
2012 Libertadores champions Corinthians were drawn into an extremely tough group, but booked their passage through to the knockout stages by finishing first on 13 points – only one point ahead of second-placed group-favourite São Paulo. Despite losing their final game of the stage to São Paulo, their impressive run of four consecutive victories in the opening four games was enough to comfortably see them through. Corinthians undoubtedly stand as one of the favourites to win this year’s cup, and with the impressive goalscoring form of Paolo Guerrero and Elias respectively, the Timão are going to be tough to stop. The São Paulo-based giants face impressive Paraguayan outfit Guaraní in the Round of 16, and after defeating the likes of São Paulo and holders San Lorenzo in their group, should also be favourites to reach the last eight.
Independiente Santa Fe
Undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of the tournament so far was just how easily Colombian outfit Independiente Santa Fe qualified for the knockout phase in a group also featuring 2013 champions Atlético Miniero, 1991 champions Colo-Colo and Mexican high-flyers Atlas. Los Cardenales qualified for the knockout stages with a game still to play, finishing on 12 points, three ahead of Atlético Miniero who progressed and unlucky Chileans Colo-Colo, who were eliminated on goal difference. Santa Fe’s impressive 3-0 win away to Colo-Colo in the fifth round of matches was arguably their finest performance, and four-time Libertadores champions Estudiantes await Gustavo Costa’s side in the Round of 16.
Boca Juniors
Six-time Libertadores champions Boca Juniors are always a force to be reckoned with, but the way in which they breezed through their group, winning six in six and netting an incredible 19 goals along the way, illustrates just how strong Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men are this year. Boca were dealt a kind draw, placed into a group alongside Uruguay’s Montevideo Wanderers, Chilean side Palestino and Venezuelan whipping-boys Zamora. The current Argentinean league leaders finished eight points ahead of second-placed Montevideo Wanderers, who finished on 10 points. Boca’s incredible 19-goal haul included a 5-0 home and 5-1 away thrashing of lowly Zamora, and Los Xeneizes only shipped two goals in their six matches, finishing with an incredible +17 goal difference. Boca meet bitter rivals River Plate in a mouthwatering round of 16 edition of the Superclásico, and this also marks the first time the two have met in the Libertadores since the 2004 semi finals where Boca prevailed.
Emelec
Current Ecuadorian champions Emelec boast a team full of fantastic homegrown talent, but certainly were not tipped as favourites to qualify in a group also featuring Internacional and Universidad de Chile. El Bombillo qualified by finishing second behind group-favourites Internacional, and recorded an impressive away victory away at Universidad de Chile in the opening round despite finishing the game with only nine men. Ecuadorean international striker Miller Bolaños was the star for Omar De Fellipe’s men, netting four times in the group stage, helping the Guayaquil-based side set up a date with Colombian powerhouse Atlético Nacional – who topped their group – in the Round of 16.
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Losers
Universidad de Chile
Current Chilean champions and 2011 Copa Sudamericana winners Universidad de Chile were hotly-tipped to make it to the knockout phase of this year’s Libertadores. However, they ultimately failed to deliver and finished the bottom of their group on only three points, continuing the unlucky run of Chilean teams in recent years. La U’s only points came in a 3-1 home win over Bolivian side The Strongest, as Martín Lasarte’s side endured a miserable campaign and would lose their other five games, which included a remarkable 5-3 loss away to The Strongest, who were extremely unlucky not to progress to the knockout stages.
https://youtu.be/yMOmciOK9eQ
San Lorenzo
Defending champions San Lorenzo’s Libertadores title defence was never going to be easy in a group featuring São Paulo, Corinthians and Danubio, but they looked like champions elect in their opening match against Danubio, staging an impressive late comeback to win 2-1 in Uruguay. That was about as good as it got for Edgardo Bauza’s men, and they would ultimately finish the group in third on seven points; five behind second-placed São Paulo. The Libertadores-holders squad is not anywhere near as strong as last year, and the strength of the two Brazilian sides eventually proved too much to handle for the Pope’s team.
Danubio
Uruguayan champions Danubio came into this year’s edition of the Libertadores boasting a team full of bright young attacking stars, but being placed in such an immensely tough group alongside three former Libertadores champions, progressing to the knockout rounds was never going to be easy. Finishing bottom of the group on just three points, their only win came in the form of a 1-0 away victory against San Lorenzo at the Estadio Pedro Bidegain in their final game, getting revenge for their opening round defeat at home to the champions.
Libertad
Paraguayan champions Libertad made the knockout stages of the Copa Sudamericana last year where they lost to eventual champions River Plate, but could not repeat the feat in the Libertadores, falling just short of knockout qualification in a difficult group containing Atlético Nacional, Estudiantes and Ecuador’s Barcelona SC. Los Repolleros finished third in their group on eight points, behind table-toppers Nacional and second-placed Estudiantes, and their 1-0 win at home to Estudiantes was the arguably the club’s finest moment of their campaign. Guaraní now remain the only Paraguayan club left in the tournament.
Huracán
This year saw surprise 2014 Copa Argentina winners Huracán make their first Libertadores appearance since 1974 when they went embarked on an impressive run to the semi-finals, but failed to qualify for the knockout rounds on their long awaited return. El Globo finished third behind Brazilian champions Cruzeiro and Bolivian side Universitario, and it was a shock 3-0 away loss to Venezuelan side Mineros which ultimately cost them qualification. Huracán were without star Argentina U20 winger Cristian Espinoza for the entire group stage due to a prolonged injury absence, and along with San Lorenzo, were the only other Argentinean club to eliminated in the group stage.
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