From the emotional tribute to the world champions to the most seductive cup on this side of the Atlantic.
The Libertadores has a special flavor, of course.
For the fans, because the sporting glory of the conquest of America is a source of pride.
For the leaders, because the coffers of the clubs are always in need of dollars in the midst of the economic crises that are shaking our country.
And in this context, five Argentine teams will feed the illusion from Tuesday, April 4, when the ball begins to roll throughout the continent.
River, Boca, Racing, Argentinos Juniors and Board of Trustees already know their rivals.
Each one with its complexity.
Due to the competitiveness of the adversary, due to the distance that will have to be traveled or the geographical situation, everyone has a great challenge ahead of them.
And in this context,
Boca should feel relieved because he was favored in the draw that took place at the Conmebol headquarters
.
It is true that they have to travel to the north of Venezuela to face Monagas on the first date and also to the coffee region to play Deportivo Pereira, but they are two lesser rivals.
Colo Colo, a great from Chile, is not at his best.
Today he navigates in the middle of the table.
If he solves his own problems, the irregularity that he has been dragging in the domestic tournament, he is one of the favorites in Group F.
The cupbearer baptism will be before Monagas as a visitor.
Then, he will receive the Colombians (between April 18 and 20) and will travel to Chile the first week of May.
Between May 23 and 25 he will go to Colombia and will close with two games at the Bombonera: the Cacique between June 6 and 9 and the Venezuelans between the 27th and 29th of that month.
Libertadores Cup 2023
Group stage.
Group A
Flamengo
(BRA)
Racing Club
(ARG)
Aucas
(ECU)
Nublense
(CHI)
B Group
National
(URU)
International
(BRA)
Metropolitan
(VEN)
Ind. Medellin
(COL)
Group C
Palmeiras
(BRA)
Barcelona SC
(ECU)
Bolivar
(BOL)
Cerro Porteño
(PAR)
Group D
River Plate
(ARG)
Fluminense
(BRA)
The Strongest
(BOL)
Sporting Cristal
(PER)
Group E
Ind. of the Valley
(ECU)
Corinthians
(BRA)
Argentines Jrs.
(ARG)
Liverpool
(URU)
Group F
Boca Juniors
(ARG)
Colo Colo
(CHI)
Monagas
(VEN)
Dept. Pereira
(COL)
Group G
Paranaense
(BRA)
Freedom
(PAR)
Lima Alliance
(PER)
Atletico Mineiro
(BRA)
Group H
Olympia
(PAR)
at.
National
(COL)
Melgar
(PER)
Board of Trustees
(ARG)
Source:
Conmebol
Infographic:
Clarín
Juan Román Riquelme
was in Asunción.
He had planned to return to Buenos Aires today at dawn.
Will he support Hugo Ibarra in his position? Or will he go for Gerardo Martino?
Today there could be news in that regard.
El Negro already warned after qualifying for the next phase of the Copa Argentina that he does not intend to resign.
Riquelme, at the Conmebol headquarters in 2019. Yesterday he was there again. Photo: AP
River will have to face a trip to La Paz (3,625 meters) to play with The Strongest in the first game
.
The Bolivian team is the leader of the League.
However, the bravest opponent is Fluminense, finalist of the Rio de Janeiro tournament - he will play the final on Saturday against Flamengo, no less - and with an Argentine scorer: Germán Cano, who scored 11 goals in 14 games.
Last year he entered the top 3 gunners in the world with 44 shouts, behind Kylian Mbappé (56) and Erling Haaland (46).
The fourth member of Group D is Sporting Cristal, leader of the Peruvian tournament along with Universitario, although they have one game less.
It comes from phase 3 after eliminating Huracán.
“We have to go up to it, especially the issue of the trip is complicated.
Lima is a fairly simple point, but La Paz... I see it with some complication for the group.
Fluminense is in a great moment in Brazil, but it is not the group of death," said Enzo Francescoli, River's technical secretary who traveled to Paraguay with the president, Jorge Brito, and the coach, Martín Demichelis.
River faced Fluminense for Copa Libertadores in 2021. Photo: EFE/ Juan Mabromata / POOL
River, it is said, will debut outside the country.
The second date will be at the Monumental against the Peruvians and the third, as a visitor in Rio de Janeiro.
He will travel to Peru at the end of May and close the group stage in Núñez with the Brazilians and Bolivians in June.
Racing will also start as a visitor in Group A.
Ñublense is one of the surprises.
Three years ago he was in the Second Division and in 2022 he fought for the title until the end.
He was runner-up in Colo Colo.
Today, it is far from that level.
Chillán, his hometown, is 400 kilometers from Santiago.
The Academy
was the first Argentine team to come out of bolillero 2. And there was no luck:
it was Flamengo, the current champion of the Libertadores
.
In addition, they will have to face Aucas, who won the Ecuadorian League and is local to Quito.
The coach is the Venezuelan César Farías.
The height, it is clear, is a difficulty.
Racing eliminated Flamengo in the 2020 Cup. Photo: EFE
After traveling to Chile, it will be local against Aucas and Flamengo.
Later, they will have two away games against the Ecuadorians and the Brazilians.
It will end in Avellaneda against the trans-Andean team.
Argentinos Juniors
has heavy rivals.
He will debut against Independiente del Valle in La Paternal.
The South American champion is also host in Quito, at 2,850 meters above sea level.
The downside is that they have two short flights to Sao Paulo and Montevideo, but their second game will not be easy against Corinthians.
Afterwards, he will visit Liverpool.
They will receive the São Paulo and Uruguayans at the Diego Armando Maradona and everything will be played in Ecuador on the last day of Group G.
Board will need a miracle
.
To begin with, the situation is very different from the one that found him champion of the Argentine Cup.
The team was dismantled, the coach changed and it did not start at all well in the First National: it is 14th in Zone A, which has 19 teams.
Later, they will have to play at home in the Colón stadium, 35 kilometers from Paraná, since the Presbítero Bartolomé Grella did not pass the Conmebol review.
And as if that were not enough, he had to dance with two American champions: Atlético Nacional and Olimpia.
Of course, the third rival will be Melgar, so the Entre Ríos must travel to Arequipa, at 2,335 meters high.
Patronato reaches the Libertadores after beating Boca in the final of the Argentine Cup. Photo: Orlando Pelichotti
The debut will be in Santa Fe against the Colombians.
Later, he will play in Asunción and receive the Peruvians.
At the end of May it will be local against the Paraguayans and will have to travel to Colombia and Peru in June to define Group H.
The economic condiment will have a plus of 21% compared to last year's edition.
Although doing the Olympic lap on November 11 at the Maracana.
priceless.
