There is another Cup on the continent that may be of second order, it is true, but it has great power of seduction. The
Sudamericana
, the younger sister of the Libertadores that is now 22 years old,
also has its economic attraction due to a prize of 6 million dollars for the champion
. And also, a direct ticket to the top tournament in 2025. Then, under the motto of The Great Conquest, 32 teams will seek to reach the final on November 23, whose venue has yet to be defined.
In that sense,
Boca and Racing
are the heavyweights of Argentina. Despite the fact that they hold half a dozen Libertadores, the Xeneizes had a bad campaign in 2023 and ended up relegated to a tournament of which they are two-time champions (2004-2005), which forces them to be protagonists. Even so, on the incredible trip to Potosí,
Diego Martínez chose to leave most of the starters in Buenos Aires
(Edinson Cavani, among them) because the objective is to qualify for the quarterfinals of the League Cup.
The transfer by land from Sucre, 158 kilometers, has its risks
. Without going any further, a bus crashed and left 4 dead and 34 injured. The team will travel in 4x4 trucks to arrive at a city that is 4,090 meters above sea level. Tomorrow, they will face Nacional in group D, which they share with Fortaleza (2023 runners-up) and Sportivo Trinidense from Paraguay.
The Academy set itself the main goal of winning the international tournament
. Gustavo Costas, champion of the 1988 Super Cup as a player, has it between his eyebrows. Even in his presentation he promised a title that was not cabotage. It arrives with unevenness in the League Cup and with the third most sought-after squad in the First Division. It's an extra pressure, without a doubt. Based on that demand, on Thursday they will face Sportivo Luqueño in Paraguay in group H.
The cuckoo is Bragantino, from Brazil
. He will also play against Coquimbo Unidos of Chile.
South American Cup 2024
Group stage.
Source:
Conmebol
Infographic:
Clarín
Three Argentine teams will take the first step in the Sudamericana tonight. “
I love you Argentines
” is the flag with which the team passed through the
Diego Armando Maradona
stadium before getting on the plane to get to Asunción, where today they will play with Nacional. It is a reissue of the rag that accompanied him in 1985, when he was consecrated in the Libertadores. It is the best team in the League, the one that added the most points (24) and has great scoring power (22, the one that scored the most).
They will have a strong rival: Corinthians
. Racing de Montevideo completes group F.
Belgrano
will debut at home against Inter de Porto Alegre, another of the candidates. The Cordobans
lost their main figure,
Ulises Sánchez
, who tore the ligaments in his right knee. Juan Cruz Real, with experience in América de Cali, Junior and Tolima, will have his first experience as a coach in Argentina ahead of him. In group B, they will also face Delfín from Ecuador and the debutant Real Tomayapo from Bolivia.
Defensa y Justicia will begin its international adventure as a visitor against César Vallejo. Champion of the 2020 Sudamericana and the 2021 Cup Winners' Cup, Halcón arrives at a good time due to its presence in the League Cup. In group A, in addition to the Peruvians, Always Ready and Independiente Medellín are waiting for them.
Lanús
will have its first match in Brazil, tomorrow against Cuiabá. Ricardo Zielinski's team is another of the clubs that stars in the domestic tournament. In group G they will also have as rivals Metropolitano from Venezuela and Deportivo Garcilaso from Peru.
Atlético Paranaense, the current champion
, will be in group E with Danubio, Sportivo Ameliano and Rayo Zuliano. Cruzeiro, another of those with the best chance of winning the crown, will be a member of group B with Unión La Calera, Universidad Católica and Alianza Petrolera.