Copa Libertadores 2009 – The Group Stage Draw

With the preliminary rounds already out of the way, the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores gets underway this week. 32 teams will be fighting it out to take LDU de Quito’s place as the cream of the crop in South America, and as is customary with football in the region there are bound to be goals, drama, excitement and fervent, borderline insane displays of football fandom all the way up until the final in July 2009.

Here, for now, is a list of the teams, split into eight groups of four:

Group A

Colo Colo (CHI)
LDU de Quito (ECU) – holders
Palmeiras (BRA)
Sport Recife (BRA)

Group B

Boca Juniors (ARG)
Deportivo Cuenca (ECU)
Deportivo Tachira (VEN)
Guarani (PAR)

Group C

Nacional (PAR)
Nacional (URU)
River Plate (ARG)
Universidad San Martin (PER)

Group D

America de Cali (COL)
Defensor Sporting (URU)
Independiente Medellin (COL)
Sao Paulo (BRA)

Group E

Cruzeiro (BRA)
Deportivo Quito (ECU)
Estudiantes (ARG)
Universitario de Sucre (BOL)

Group F

Caracas (VEN)
Everton (CHI)
Lanus (ARG)
Chivas Guadalajara (MEX)

Group G

Club Aurora (BOL)
Boyacá Chicó (COL)
Universidad de Chile (CHI)
Gremio (BRA)

Group H

Libertad (PAR)
San Lorenzo (ARG)
San Luis (MEX)
Universitario (PER)

Teams play each other home and away. The top two from each group advance to the next round.

A quick look at some of the favourites:

Boca Juniors – Going for a seventh Copa Libertadores crown, the famous Boca Juniors are again one of the teams fancied to be there or thereabouts when the competition gets to its latter stages. Boca made it as far as the semi-finals last season before elimination by Fluminense. Now domestic champions after their Apertura success last year, the Xeneize will be looking to the likes of Juan Roman Riquelme and Martin Palermo, recovering from a long-term injury, to fire them to glory.

Sao Paulo – Brazilian champions for the last three consecutive seasons, Sao Paulo have to be considered a strong force in this year’s Libertadores and could take some stopping. Surprisingly eliminated in the quarters by Fluminense last year, Muricy Ramalho has built a physically powerful unit at the Morumbi and the sheer strength of the team makes them a side to be feared. Cultured midfielder Hernanes is their key man.

Palmeiras – Palmeiras fought tooth and nail for the Campeonato Brasileiro last season and at one stage Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s men looked as if they might go all the way, but the Paulistas faded away in the final few weeks and drifted out of the running. The signing of striker Keirrison, one of the hottest talents playing in Brazil today, boosts an already solid tea
m and they can be expected to go far.

Those would be my tips. Gremio and Chivas Guadalajara also have the potential to go far. Unless River Plate sort out the problems behind a dire last season that saw them finish bottom of the league in Argentina, I cannot see them doing well. And personally I would also wish Defensor Sporting luck having watched them during a brief stint in Uruguay, although honestly speaking I cannot see them having too much success. In fact given their difficult group they may not even progress past the first round.

We will be keeping a keen eye on the 2009 Copa Libertadores throughout the tournament this year at Just Football, so stay tuned for further updates as the competition progresses. Please feel free to share your thoughts. Who are you backing? Fancy a team we have not mentioned? Let us know.

Boca Juniors, Copa Libertadores, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo