Copa Libertadores Back with a Bang

fixture-copa-libertadores-2013

David Dodds reports on the Copa Libertadores, which got underway with water bottle goal, Complexo de Édipo, superfluous violence and plenty of great football…

Although there were preliminary rounds back in January, Copa Libertadores 2013 has truly gotten underway this week with 26 teams from South America and Mexico going head-to-head in group stage ties. Bags of goals were produced, and, with 35 in 13 games, only three teams failed to net. Here are the highlights of a great week: Continue reading

Can Brazil make home advantage count in 2014?

logo-copa-brasil-fifa01-entropy

With the countdown well under way for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Rory Macdowall assesses the host’s chances of winning the tournament on home soil…

On 16th July 1950 in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana, Alcides Ghiggia completed a storming run to fire in a goal at the near post, securing a Uruguayan victory in that year’s World Cup. The goal was met with near silence in a primarily Brazilian crowd of 173,850, stunned into submission by one of the greatest upsets in football history. The loss burned in the hearts of the biggest footballing nation on the planet, their right to win thwarted by their tiny neighbour to the south.

Continue reading