Estudiantes Campeon

I have been away for a while and haven't blogged in almost two weeks. A lot has happened since then, too much to go back and opine on. Last night's Copa Libertadores final was the first game I watched in what felt like an eternity (but was really more like ten days), and it was awesome. After a nil draw in the first leg Estudiantes went to Belo Horizonte and turned a 1-0 deficit around to claim their fourth Copa Lib. It was a good game to watch. Kind of choppy in the first half but the football in the second was worthy of a big tournament's final. I think Estudiantes were a just winner but Cruzeiro made it tough. Ultimately I think some lapses of discipline did in the Brazilians. For a team that values efficiency, marking, and tactics more than we are used to seeing from Brazilians any loss of concentration is lethal. There were some heat of the moment fouls, some capricious strayings out of position, and one glaring missed assignment that resulted in the first Estudiantes goal.

I was happy for JS Veron who was voted MotM and really symbolizes what Estudiantes is. For a guy who spent a decade in Europe he has really made the most of this latest stage in his career. He is not the same player he was at the beginning of the decade but he still brings a lot to any team he plays on and that put Estudiantes over the top.

It is tough to know for sure but it seems likely that the Estudiantes team that faces Barcelona in the Club World Cup in the Gulf this December will be significantly different from the squad that raised the trophy last night. Workhorse Rodrigo Brana appears set for a move to Mexican football, Leandro Benitez has a lot of intereset from Dubai, Gaston Fernandez is at the mercy of the shadowy forces that plague Argentine football as his rights are owned not by the club but a third party, tournament golden boot Mauro Boselli is rumored to be on his way to Italy, and goalkeeper Mariano Andujar is also linked to Serie A. It is a shame because although Barcelona will be the undisputed favorites no matter what, the team that won last night would get up and give them a run for their money in a one-off.