Snak

Caruso tomaría recaudos ante Boca

BUENOS AIRES -- En su primera práctica de fútbol, el flamante entrenador de Argentinos, Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, dejó en claro que tomará recaudos defensivos para visitar a Boca el domingo y realizó tres variantes en la formación titular, con el ingreso de Alejandro Capurro por Leonel Núñez como cambio que resume su idea de que un empate será visto con buenos ojos.

Aníbal Matellán, quien cumplió su fecha de suspensión, ingresó en la defensa por Pablo Barzola, quien sufre un desgarro, en tanto que Nicolás Freire reemplazó a Nicolás Batista en el lateral izquierdo.

Capurro, un mediocampista de contención, entró por Núñez, un atacante, lo que desnudó la idea de Caruso de reforzar la zona del mediocampo.

Los once que paró el técnico en el predio de la UTA, en Moreno, fueron: Luis Ojeda; Ariel Garcé, Matías Martínez, Matellán, Freire; Santiago Nagüel, Matías Laba, Capurro, Juan Ramírez; Pablo Hernández; y Juan Anangonó.

Argentinos, que viene de perder 3-1 ante Quilmes y marcha último con apenas un punto sobre quince posibles, visitará a Boca el domingo desde las 20.15 con la necesidad de sumar porque su promedio decayó y puede sufrir apremios a futuro.

CUBILLAS AND PERU´S GOLDEN YEARS

The 1970s were a cataclysmic decade for South American football. World Cup triumphs for Brazil and Argentina went some way to masking the huge stylistic changes that were enforced upon the continent´s national teams by tactical development in Europe.

Brazil’s seminal class of ‘70 are often eulogised as the best side to ever step onto a football field whilst Menotti’s high-tempo version of the traditional Argentine passing game saw the host nation (literally) brought up to speed with developments in the European game.

Between these two triumphs came a transitional for the traditional powers, with the most notable lesson coming at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany where the pace and fluidity of Total Football made even Brazil realise that fundamental change was necessary. The decade also saw an unlikely golden period for one of the continent’s perennial also-rans.

For most, the Peruvian side of the 1970s conjures up memories of its alleged collusion with the Argentine military junta at the 1978 World Cup (they capitulated 6-0 to Argentina in a game Argentina needed to win by 4 clear goals). Another abiding memory (particularly for Scottish fans) was the sublime outside of the boot free-kick by Teófilo Cubillas. The Peruvian´s moment of inspiration set the tone for another uphill struggle for the Tartan Army and left Ally MacLeod’s infamous boast that his team would win the World Cup then retain it look rather hollow. The rest of the Scottish campaign would pan out in familiar fashion, from the downright dreadful 1-1 draw with Iran, to the traditional glorious failure overcoming an excellent Holland side 3-2 with Archie Gemmill’s solo strike (immortalised in Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting) proving decisive.

Our collective memory of old games, of course is often limited to major moments in games or to what we want to remember: a few seconds of genius, like the Cubillas free-kick, or the Gemmill wonder-strike, and failing that it tends to be distorted by petty nationalism, personal bias or bombastic media exaggeration of events.

The Peruvian side of the 70s, perhaps owing to their lack of success before and after, are subject to the latter tendency. Media hyperbole in their homeland has contributed to making them untouchables, elevated to legend status as an example of how the game should be played thus extrapolating fact from myth becomes increasingly difficult.

Fortunately for them, they left irrefutable evidence of their calibre in the 1975 Copa America triumph, defeating Brazil in Belo Horizonte along the way before finally despatching Colombia in the final at the 3rd attempt in a play-off game, bizarrely played in the then football backwater of Caracas, Venezuela.

The exploits of the 1970s Peruvian national team at the World Cup and in the Copa America both came at difficult moments for the impoverished Peruvian people.

Just days before the 1970 World Cup Peru suffered a devastating earthquake that left some 70,000 people dead and over a million homeless. Cubillas, in an interview years later, spoke of how he felt that, though trivial by comparison to the 1970 tragedy, he and his team-mates felt that they had, at least, done something to raise the spirits of his people in their darkest hour.

The Peruvian side qualified for Mexico ´70 by eliminating the Argentines in their own backyard and after cruising through the group stage went down 4-2 in an exhilarating showdown with neighbours Brazil. They proved it was no fluke in Argentina ´78 gaining a hugely creditable draw with finalists Holland on the way to the qualification for the second group phase, where they strangely capitulated against the hosts. On each occasion they reached the last eight and even the notoriously cynical Peruvian media had to concede that the team´s performance had been a success.

In the year of the 1975 Copa America triumph Peru played against the backdrop of a right-wing military coup known as El Tacnazo (so named as it occurred in the Southern City of Tacna) with human rights looking more fragile by the day and spiralling political instability that would wind up in the emergence of a hugely contentious Maoist Guerrilla insurgency, Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) by the end of the decade. The Peruvian side gave the nation something to be proud of on the international stage, and provided a much needed distraction from events in their homeland.

In the 1970s Peru had a collection of players genuinely capable of not only beating anyone on their day, but matching anyone in the style stakes too, with their eye-catching, imaginative one-touch football. Indeed the 3-1 victory over Brazil in the 1975 Copa America was achieved not with the negative style many have employed to neutralise the Verde-Amarelo, but ‘fighting fire with fire’ taking the game to the world’s most emblematic football nation.

Peru’s midfield was touted as being the best in the world at the time with Hugo Sotil, who won a La Liga title in the same team as Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, Teofilo Cubillas, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and most loved player and finally César Cueto, known as el poeta de la zurda, which literally translated would be the left-footed poet, but perhaps more idiomatically in equally nonsensical English footballing parlance might be something like ‘he of the cultured left-foot’ (an expression we often use in English, presumably to acknowledge that the foot was fully versed in all seven volumes of Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu).

Allied to this assortment of flair players, the back line was ably marshalled by the man unpromisingly nicknamed el ciego (the blind man) so named on account of his acute myopia, (he wore contacts on the pitch, he was actually rather good) Juan Carlos Oblitas and El Capitán de America (America’s Captain, not to be confused with this Captain) Héctor Chumpitaz.

By the 1982 World Cup, held in Spain, the powers of the golden generation were beginning to dwindle. After a disappointing stalemate with Cameroon and a creditable 1-1 draw with eventual winners Italy, Peru were torn apart by the stylish and incisive Polish duo of Lato and Boniek losing 5-1 and sadly haven’t been seen at the tournament since. Cubillas remains to this day one of only two players who have scored 5 goals at two World Cups, the other being Miroslav Klose.

The fleeting nature of Peru’s success, one fears, can be linked to the desperate state of the country’s club game. It is no coincidence that none of Peru’s club sides has ever won the Copa Libertadores, and the country has only one Copa Sudamericana, won by provincial Cienciano as late as 2003.

The Peruvian League has been won three times in recent years by a university team that only formed in 2004. Universidad San Martin de Porres have recently pulled out of the Peruvian League in protest at the ineptitude of the Peruvian FA and the unchecked amassing of debts by the traditional big clubs like Alianza Lima.

The current travails in the financial administration of Peruvian club football go some way to explaining why youth development and Peru’s national team have been in stagnation for so long.

Cubillas, an increasingly influential figure in the Peruvian game, speaks highly of the technical level of the current Peruvian players, arguing that players like Farfan, Pizarro and Guerrero are every bit as good as their predecessors. However, surely the more pressing problem is the administration of the clubs, which has seen de-motivated players go unpaid for months and as an inevitable consequence the country’s clubs have become less competitive in continental competition.

Despite the complex panorama of Peruvian Football, Cubillas continues to repeat the comment he made the day he retired from the game, leaving no doubt about his national pride and summarising the spirit of his team: ‘Si volviera a nacer volvería a jugar a la pelota, empezaría en el Alianza Lima y volvería a nacer en el Perú (If I could be live my life again I wouldn’t change anything, I’d be a footballer, I’d be Peruvian, and I’d start at Alianza Lima).’ Peru’s golden generation more than merit their place in Latin American Football folklore.

COLOMBIA

The entwining lives and deaths of Andrés and Pablo Escobar.

During the 1990s, a golden generation propelled Colombia unexpectedly up the FIFA World Rankings as far as fourth. Fuelled by an influx of money into the domestic game, Colombia found themselves with several top-class players and went into the 1994 World Cup as one of the tournament favourites. However, less than three weeks after the opening of the tournament, twelve gunshots marked the virtual death knoll of Colombian football.

The rise and fall of Colombian football can be charted through the lives of two individuals who shared a common surname, although not related: Andrés and Pablo Escobar. Andrés Escobar was a talented defender, who rose through the ranks of Colombian football to captain his country at the World Cup, but it was his own goal against the hosts that led to not only Colombia’s elimination from the tournament, but also his untimely death.

Pablo Escobar was arguably one of the most powerful men in Colombia as head of the Medellín drug cartel. The most feared drug lord in Colombia at the time, and the seventh richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, played a crucial role in the rise of Colombian football during the 1980s and early 1990s.

During the 1980s, drug trafficking was becoming a huge industry in Colombia and cartels had accumulated vast sums of money from their illicit activities. Football became an important method for these cartels to legalise their activities, offering an opportunity to launder many millions of pounds via ticket sale declarations and transfer fees.

Pablo Escobar was the power behind the ownership of Atletico Nacional, one of Colombia’s major clubs at the time. Through his influence, he enabled the club to become a major force in both domestic and continental competition. They had an exceptionally strong team, combined with the money to keep their best players and prevent them from moving away from Colombia.

However, Pablo Escobar was not the only drug trafficker that became deeply involved in Colombian football. He had links to both Atletico Nacional and Medellín, but Los Millonarios had their own ‘sugar daddy’ in ‘El Mexicano’ José Gonzalo Rodríguez and America de Cali maintained an association with Miguel Rodriguez.

Corruption within Colombian football at the time was not uncommon. Indeed, Miguel Rodriguez’s son has admitted that they used to send one particularly referee money early in the week in exchange for a guarantee that America de Cali would win the following weekend.

In 1989, following a key match between Rodriguez’s America and Escobar’s Nacional, it appeared that the referee, Alvaro Ortega, had fixed the match in America’s favour. After the match, Pablo reputedly ordered the referee to be found and executed. Only a few days later, the league was suspended due to the assassination of Ortega.

Despite his role in drug trafficking, Pablo Escobar was revered by the poor in Colombia. He donated large amounts of money to the poorest sectors of society to build houses and was also responsible for huge investment into providing lights and supplies for football fields throughout the region.

Escobar maintained a close relationship with many of the golden generation of Colombian footballers as most grew up playing on these pitches. Indeed, he would pay top Colombian players to come to his ranch and play in private games where millions of dollars would be bet and the players would be well-paid for their appearance.

However, in the years ahead of the 1994 World Cup, violence in Colombia was escalating to extreme levels. With a murder rate higher than in any country on the planet, politicians and judges lived in fear for their lives. Indeed, in the 1990 Presidential elections, all four candidates were killed by the drug cartels and the replacement candidate, Cesar Gaviria, survived an attempted assassination attempt when his plane was bombed, although he was not on board.

It was against this background that the Colombian national side stood in contrast. Football was helping to play a vital role in restoring Colombia’s self-worth on the national stage. With each success, people began to associate Colombia with football, not just the drugs and violence that were dominating society at the time.

President Cesar Gaviria and his cabinet developed close links with the team, attending the majority of matches and remaining in close contact with the players both before and after games. However, many of the players had also retained close links with Pablo Escobar, who had surrendered following a successful attempt to abolish his extradition to the United States.

A huge national scandal was caused when star goalkeeper, Rene Higuita, admitted that he often visited Pablo Escobar in prison, although it was later revealed that the whole national team had played a private match at the prison for Escobar. Soon after, Higuita was arrested for mediating a kidnap negotiation between two rival cartels and spent seven months in prison before being released without charge. However, many people felt that it was his visits to Escobar in prison that was the motive for his arrest.

Meanwhile, Andrés Escobar was rapidly proving himself to be one of the most talented defenders in South America. He had been named captain of both club and country and rumours were abound that several major European teams were keeping a close eye on him.

In the four years ahead of the 1994 World Cup, Colombia had lost only one game, including victories over Brazil, Northern Ireland, Greece, USA and Argentina twice, including a stunning 5-0 victory in Buenos Aires that secured their World Cup qualification.

With the likes of Andrés Escobar, Faustino Asprilla, Carlos Valderrama, Chonto Herrera, Adolfo Valencia and Freddy Rincón, Columbia could boast a truly world class team that would be a real threat to any side at the tournament. Indeed, Pele tipped them as his pick to become champions.

However, in December 1993, Pablo Escobar was killed by an alliance of rival cartels, causing the country to spiral further out of control. Kidnappings, murders and bombings became more and more common. Indeed, Andrés Escobar admitted that he had avoided being killed in a bombing in the centre of Medellín by a matter of minutes.

Despite all this, the team flew to the United States with high expectations. Andrés Escobar was considering a move to AC Milan after the tournament, but had emphasised that the team had to focus on the matches and put the horrors that were happening back home behind them.

A shock 3-1 defeat in their opening games increased the pressure on the side. A Colombian journalist explained that ‘it marked the beginning of a psychological crisis for which the team wasn’t prepared. Many gamblers had lost big money and there appeared a sort of ‘dark hand’ that was very upset with the team’s performance.’

Many of the cartels had taken the opportunity to make money from Colombia’s group stage matches through backing their side. However, the defeat against Romania had cost many powerful people significant amounts of money. This was a group they had been expected to qualify from with ease.

Ahead of the pre-match meeting for the game against the USA, the team received death threats. Somebody had hacked into the hotel’s television system and had displayed a message on the televisions in the players’ hotel rooms. The message claimed that if Gabriel Gómez played in the match against the USA, all the players would be killed.

Despite the fact that Gómez was a key member of the team, coach Francisco Maturana eventually decided to pull him from the team for the safety of the other players. Gomez revealed “after I was pulled from the team, I decided to retire from football. I knew it was about regional rivalries back home. Club team owners wanted their players to be seen so that their values would increase. Since Maturana wasn’t starting their players, they sabotaged their own national team.”

Faustino Asprilla admitted that “we all called our families. The police had arrived to all our homes. Our minds filled with worries that one shouldn’t have before a game.”

It was against this backdrop that Colombia took to the field against the United States in a must-win match. In the 35th minute, a cross from John Harkes, flashed across the Colombian penalty area. Stretching to intercept the ball, Andrés Escobar inadvertently deflected the ball past Oscar Cordoba into his own net.

An interview with Escobar’s sister provided a chilling premonition of the future. She claims that her daughter, Escobar’s niece, said, “Mommy, they’re going to kill Andrés”, she replied, “No sweetheart, people aren’t killed for their mistakes. Everyone in Colombia loves Andrés.”

Colombia lost the match 2-1 and the highly-fancied side were on their way home. They returned to Colombia after their final group game on June 26. It was the beginning of the end for Colombian football.

At 3am on 3 July, reports of a shooting outside a Medellín nightclub emerged. The victim was Andrés Escobar. He had been shot twelve times at close range. Witnesses reportedly claimed that the killer shouted ¡Gracias por el auto gol en la propia puerta! for each of the twelve bullets fired. The killing was widely believed to be a punishment for the own goal and is rumoured to have been connected to one of the gambling syndicates, although recent testimonies have suggesting this may not be the case.

In an interesting statement, his teammate, Chicho Serna, went as far as to claim that “people on the street said that if Pablo Escobar was still alive, Andrés Escobar would not have been killed.” How much truth there is behind these beliefs is unclear, but it shows the feelings toward the former drug lord on the streets of Colombia.

While the rise of both Pablo and Andrés Escobar arguably played a key role in the rise of Colombian football, their deaths marked the end of the glory years and the beginning of a downward spiral. As Serna confirmed, “Through football, we wanted to show that Colombia was not all violence. But Andrés’ murder proved that not even football could escape the violence. Fans were deeply disillusioned and started to leave the stadiums.”

Escobar’s murder also prompted a ruthless crackdown on criminals in football by the Colombian government. The Rodriguez brothers were sentenced to 30 years in an American prison, while their America de Cali team was added to the US Terrorist List. The former head of the Colombian FA, Juan Jose Bellini, was sentenced to six years for money laundering. He admitted, “one must attribute the rapid rise of Colombian football to the influx of drug money in the sport. We all allowed it. We all participated. And now, we all have something to hide.”

Less than four years later, Colombia had plummeted from 4th in the world to 34th. They scraped into the 1998 World Cup, but headed home after the group stages once again after defeats to Romania and England. They have not qualified for a World Cup since and dropped out of the top 50 earlier this year. The money that had driven the rise of Colombian football had dried up. Last year, a report suggested that 14 of Colombia’s 18 top teams were at serious risk of bankruptcy.

Andrés Escobar remains a hero in Colombia and the nation’s most popular footballer. A hugely promising career tragically cut short by the violence that permeated every level of society in the country at the time. Over 120,000 people attended his funeral and fans still bring photographs of him to games to honour his memory.

It only seems fitting to end on the final public words of Andrés Escobar in a newspaper article only days before his murder:

“Life must go on. No matter how difficult, we must stand back up. We have only two options: either allow anger to paralyse us and the violence continues, or we overcome and try our best to help others. It’s our choice. Let us please maintain respect. My warmest regards to everyone. It’s been a most amazing and rare experience. We’ll see each other again soon because life does not end here.”

THE RISE AND FALL OF EL DORADO

Fans of clubs with wealthy owners: it won´t last, it never does, you´re on borrowed time.....

People will keep asking “which league is the best in the world?” for as long as football is existence. The question is a tedious one for which it is nearly impossible to give a definitive answer. For many the high-tempo, goal-laden English Premier League is the best, other prefer the technical class of Spain’s La Liga or the fan-friendly Bundesliga, while there are plenty who would make a case for Italy’s Serie A, which may not be as glitzy and glamorous as in its 80s and 90s heyday but would give the other two a run for their money in sheer competitiveness alone.

It’s difficult to pick the best league in the world, certainly, but it’s safe to say that nobody would suggest Colombia. These days the most talented Colombian players tend to leave their domestic league early, usually to their South American neighbours Brazil or Argentina. If they go to Europe it’s usually to those leagues viewed as a “stepping stone” to the bigger leagues – Holland, Portugal or Turkey, for example. The county’s teams simply cannot match the continents big hitters, only two Copa Libertadores (the South American equivalent to the Champions League) winning teams have come from Colombia – Atletico Nacional in 1989 and Once Caldas more recently in 2004. Given this it seems to hard to imagine that for a few short years from 1949 to 1954, the league that became known as El Dorado was the best in the world.

It was never supposed to happen. There was no grand plan, no blanket media coverage, no carefully orchestrated PR campaign; rather a series of coincidences and happy accidents resulted in El Dorado, and for a while Colombia could not believe what it had. It began innocently enough, with a new professional FA being set up to professionalise the amateur Colombian game. Professional football had been established in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in the previous decade, so Colombia needed to catch up or be left behind. The new FA, Dimayor, wished to start a new professional league and ten sides had already been hand-picked to join it. The amateur FA, Adefutbol, did not agree with this breakaway league and the dispute between the two was ended by FIFA in their usual diplomatic and subtle way: Dimayor‘s FIFA affiliation was suspended. This meant that not only was the new FA and the new professional league not recognised by FIFA, but the Colombian national team was also banned from all FIFA competitions.

You would be forgiven for thinking that this would sink the new league before a ball had been kicked, but Dimoyor president Humberto Fernandez was not to be so easily stopped. He decided that the league would go ahead even without the blessing of the FIFA overlords. Little did he know that this brave – or foolish – decision and a convenient player strike in Argentina would usher in a golden era for Colombian football: El Dorado.

Argentina in the 1940s was home to some of the world’s greatest footballing talent, much of it showcased in River Plate’s legendary La Maquina (The Machine) team, but in 1949 when the new Colombian league was emerging, player strikes left the country’s football in chaos and many players eager to leave. It was the President of the Bogota-based club Millionarios, Alfonso Senior, who first made the connection between the player strike in Argentina and Colombia’s FIFA expulsion – world class players were looking for a move and Colombian clubs could offer them that, and because they were no longer bound by FIFA rules there was no compulsion to pay any kind of transfer fee. Money that would have been spent on a fee to rival clubs could go instead on wages to entice some of the world’s best players to a relative footballing backwater.

Millionarios were not the only club to take advantage of this loophole – as we’ll see later – but they were the first. The club’s manager Carlos Adalbe, himself an Argentine, first tempted Adolfo Pedernera away from River Plate to Bogota. The owners of the other Colombian sides watched Millionarios’ experiment with great interest, as no one knew if the club could generate enough money to pay the wages needed to entice Pedernera from his homeland. “They called me mad,” Millionarios President Senior once said, “they asked me how we were going to pay a $5000 bonus and a salary of $500…but when we presented him to the fans…we took 35000 pesos at the gate, which was seven times what were getting for the average game. That was $18000, so it turned out to be a great deal.”

The money generated by the big names proved that this could be done, and soon other clubs followed suit. It was not long before players from all over the world were flocking to Colombia to enjoy the sunshine and the money. Club Independiente Santa Fe nabbed Argentine international Hector Rial but mainly raided the British Isles, bringing in the Stoke City duo of George Mountford and Neil Franklin as well as poaching skilful winger Charlie Mitten from Matt Busby’s Manchester United. Deportivo Samarios provided a home for 15 Hungarian exiles, including Gyula Zsengeller, who had twice been Europe’s top marksman when playing in his homeland for Ujpest. In 1951 Nuevo Cucuta Deportivo signed up eight of the Uruguay side who had won the World Cup in the previous year including legendary defender Schubert Gambetta (the man for whom the Spanish footballing term “gambeta” – meaning to dribble, to elude with skill – is named).

Millionarios remained the club to be at, though, and added more ex-River and Argentine internationals to their squad in the form of Alfredo Castillo, Nestor Rossi and an emerging young talent by the name of Alfredo di Stefano, while Uruguayan international Ramon Alberto Villaverde also joined them. They added a bit of British heart to the South American flair by tempting England international Billy Higgins away from Everton and Scotsman Bobby Flavell from Hearts. It was during this time that Millionarios earned the nickname El Ballet Azul (The Blue Ballet) and grabbed four championship titles (1949, 1951, 1952 and 1953) during the El Dorado period.

It was unprecedented situation for Colombian football. Some of the world’s best players – internationals, World Cup winners, superstars – were playing in a country that prior to 1949 had been home to an amateur league that could not even make a claim to be the best league on the continent, never mind the world. Of course, both FIFA and CONMEBOL (the South American Football Federation) were eager to stop the money-soaked madness in the country and bring it back to reality. Many clubs – particularly the Argentine ones that had lost their players because of a strike – wanted the players that had been poached back, and matters came to an inevitable head when many Colombian clubs refused to release their players for FIFA’s international matches. After much negotiation between Dimayor, FIFA and CONMEBOL an agreement was reached and signed in 1951. Called the Pact of Lima, it was decreed that all players tempted abroad during the El Dorado era would have to return to their original clubs by 1954.

In 1954, then, El Dorado ceased to be. Many of the exiles returned from whence they had came, such as Charlie Mitten who returned to Manchester United but soon found himself exiled in a different sense and sold to Fulham but plenty more skipped over to Europe; Rial and the brilliant di Stefano joined Real Madrid and conquered Europe, Villaverde joined rivals Barca and meanwhile the status quo re-established itself in Colombia. The professional league remains in place to this day, but it will never again experience a period like the few short years from ’49 to ’54. El Dorado, the golden period, was barely believable and will never be repeated, but for a while Colombia undoubtedly had the world’s best league.

PARAGUAY, 1953, AND THE WATERBOY OF LIMA

1954 will forever be remembered as a sad year for Paraguay, the year the country plunged into the 35-year-long dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner. But just one year earlier, the country was on a national high. This is the fairytale story of Paraguay at the 1953 Copa America, told by Ralph Hannah.

Towards the end of 1952 the Paraguayan FA found themselves in a dilemma, once again CONMEBOL had designated them as hosts of the showpiece continental tournament in South America, the Copa América. But for the second time the championship could not take place on Paraguayan soil. It was simply impossible for Asunción, a city of 100.000 people and just one hotel to invite the continent to stay for a whole month. There was only one stadium capable of hosting international games, Libertad’s ground, but even that only had a 15.000 capacity. At the time only Uruguay and Argentina had ever played an international game in Paraguay, not even neighbours Brazil had paid them a visit.

So in February 1953 the directors of the Paraguayan FA were busy running the 1953 Copa America not in Asunción but in Lima, Peru. The Andean nation hosting for the first time since 1939, a tournament that Paraguay had high hopes of winning having won their first game 5-1. But under prepared and ill-disciplined they crashed to two defeats and on their return were met by an angry Asuceno public at the capital’s train station hurling abuse at the players and staff. The head coach of that side was Manuel Fleitas Solich, a man synonymous with Paraguayan football having played in their first ever international match and now he was in his fifth spell as national team coach.

The 53-year-old coach brought his squad of 22 players together a full 3 months before departure to Peru as they embarked on a punishing training regime – gym in the morning, football in the afternoons. Solich knew his team were not technically as good as the Brazilians, who shone at the last World Cup, and he couldn’t teach talent. But he could instill discipline, team spirit and ensure his squad was the fittest and strongest come February. Temperatures regularly surpass 40c in the Paraguayan summer but that was no excuse not to train. The drills were relentless as was the discipline, the players slept under the stadium using bunk beds lent to them by a local barracks. Solich may have first coached Paraguay 23 years ago but he wasn’t a dinosaur, he even controlled his player’s diet making sure they all ate at the same café for the duration. Alcohol was banned. This was the kind of attention to detail rarely seen in Europe at the time let alone South America.

The team were built on organization and a solid defence, it was no surprise that after the first two games they were yet to concede, winning 3-0 against Chile and drawing 0-0 with Ecuador. The next match saw the nominal hosts take on the actual hosts in Lima. A tempestuous match where it seemed Solich’s team and dream might unravel. One Paraguayan football historian, Miguel Angel Bestard, described the English referee as “truly incompetent” but I’m unable to agree with his observation that he was so bad he deserved the “soberana trompada” (supreme punch) dished out to him by substitute Milner Ayala who would later play in France. But if the player’s rush of blood to the fist was a concern it was not nearly as consequential as Solich’s uncharacteristic lack of detail. The meticulous coach had made three substitutions when he decided to bring on Alejandro Arce, the referee allowed the substitution despite the maximum permitted being only three changes. The game finished 2-2 but CONMEBOL awarded the points to the Peruvians after intense discussions and arguments from both sides.

A draw in their next game against World Champions Uruguay, also 2-2, meant Paraguay were all but out of the tournament. In those days it was a round robin with the top two facing each other in a playoff for the trophy if they finished level on points. Peru or Brazil were almost certain to take the crown even after Paraguay predictably beat a poor Bolivian side 2-1. The albirroja’s last game on 27 March was against group leaders Brazil and only a win would do.

The last time they met in the Copa América was in 1949 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil won 7-0. This time Paraguay kept organised and ran themselves into the ground against their illustrious opponents who had finished runners up at the last World Cup. With five minutes left on the clock it was 1-1, Solich looked at his bench. He had already bought on his impact sub Luis Lacasa who had made no impression, his favoured sub Milner Ayala was out of favour for that “trompada” so the attacking options were limited. Then he looked over to his “aguatero” (waterboy) who had diligently performed his duties on the sideline and called over the Guaraní winger. “Eike ha egana chéve ko partido” he said in the native language Guaraní , it means “Get on the pitch and win the game”. Pedro León entered the field of play and never one to let his coach down did exactly what Solich had told him. A minute before time the debutant scored the winning goal against Brazil with his first touches of the ball.

Over 114 matches in their 34-year history the Paraguayan national team had never recorded such an important victory on such a grand stage. It was all thanks to Pedro León, who would never get more than those 5 minutes in a Paraguay shirt, but 5 minutes was enough for him to go down in footballing folklore.

Despite the incredible result it only put Paraguay level on points with Brazil and hosts Peru were just one point behind and expected to win against Uruguay who had nothing to play. Solich himself was so convinced of a Peruvian triumph that he only heard of Uruguay’s brave win in Buenos Aires, it is said he was there looking for a new contract with a local club, his stock boosted by that win against Brazil. Incredibly he arrived just minutes before the kick-off of the biggest game in his country’s history, the playoff game against Brazil.

While Pedro León had his moment in the last game it was Manuel Gavilán who was to make his mark in the playoff final. The central defender scored a 40-yard screamer to put Paraguay 2-0 up after Atilio Lopez had opened the scoring. It was Gavilán’s only goal at international level and undoubtedly the best goal he ever scored in his career. By the time Rubén Fernández had made it three, people were celebrating on the streets of Asunción as the game was transmitted live by . When Brazilian substitute Ipojucán scored twice in the second half you wondered if the partying was premature. But the fairytale was not going to end for the brave Paraguayan team – they hung on and hung on to record their second victory over Brazil in a matter of weeks, before the tournament they’d only beaten their renowned rivals twice in their history.

Paraguay, the nation of just 6 million who were too small and underdeveloped to host the tournament themselves had conquered all before them. They were champions of South America and now, whether they wanted to or not, Brazil had to finally come and visit them in Asunción. A qualifier for the 1954 World Cup. As for Fleitas Solich he got his move out of Paraguay, to Flamengo and by the end of the decade he was in charge of none other than Real Madrid. As for Pedro León, the waterboy of Lima, I couldn’t find any mention of him post-1953 but personally I think that makes his 5 minutes of fame even more special.

THIS IS A RED AND BLACK NATION

Over an hour before kick-off and the stadium was already awash with flags, banners and fireworks as it rocked to the drums and chants of the Torcidas. I was in Rio for the game known as the Fla-Flu, the derby between Flamengo and Fluminese. While not as big as Vasco vs Flamengo, the excellently named derby of the millions, the Fla-Flu is a game of historical significance. And the pre-match atmosphere was certainly living up to the hype as the two sets of fans took in turns to explode into action.

I had been in Rio for a week and despite finding the city rather intimidating I still found it hard to believe that Brazilian football fans could be anything other than the friendly, happy-go-lucky, attractive girls I was used to seeing dancing on my TV screen during the World Cup. Yet here I stood, surrounded by hordes of sweaty men, women and children. Crammed together like sardines. Decked out in red and black from head to toe. Singing, chanting, banging on drums and waving flags in an almost trance like state. Like an army ready to go to war. My supermodel image of the Brazilian football fan evaporated and the Torcida, with all its colour and passion, quickly took its place.

Who are the Torcida? They are the street vendor, the slum dweller, the student, the bus-driver, the lawyer and the school teacher. They are a mass of ordinary, anonymous people. The sort of people you wouldn´t look twice at if you passed them on the street but when they are together in the stadium, they hypnotise you. Without realising you start dancing and singing with them and after a while you stop watching the game and instead watch the Torcida. I had never seen anything quite like it in Europe and I had to admit, it was addictive.

Of all the football clubs in Brazil I had been told Flamengo was the biggest, the most popular and, of course, had the best Torcidas. This was mainly due to the club´s huge following amongst the lower classes, a sizeable group in country like Brazil. Then again I had also been told Brazilians like myths and exaggerations, an image not helped by my guide assuring me that all Flamengo fans were from favelas while all Fluminense fans were gay. He was a Botafogo fan.

Nação Rubro Negra or The Red and Black Nation is how many Flamengo fans refer to themselves. They estimate their numbers, or should that be population, to be something in the region of 34 million, making them not only the largest supported team in Brazil, but the whole world. A quick internet search reveals hundreds of Flamengo related sites, blogs, chatrooms and even dating sites. Inter-club relationships, it seems, are frowned upon. So just how did a club like Flamengo become so huge?

Marcel Pereira is the author of A Nação, a book which attempts to answer that very question. The issue is clearly complicated and Pereira is quick to dismiss the idea that only poor, black people from favelas support Flamengo. In fact, the club has something of an elitist background, having been founded by rich kids from one of Rio´s more affluent neighbourhoods. The real reason for the club´s popularity, according to Pereira, is rooted in Brazilian history and the symbolism of the city´s other clubs.

“At the beginning of the XX Century, Fluminense was associated with the aristocracy. Vasco da Gama was the sign of the Portuguese in Brazil and the memory of the colonialism was still alive. Who could beat the power of the aristocracy and the power of the colonialists? Flamengo was doing it.”

Pereira was also keen to highlight the importance of Rio to explain Flamengo´s nationwide appeal.

“The club had the spirit of freedom of the teenagers who founded it. And this spirit was beating the aristocracy and the colonialists. It had been the way to conquer Rio de Janeiro. A way of conquering Brazil. And to understand this process it´s necessary to understand the symbol that Rio de Janeiro represented to the country in these moments of Brazilian history. Rio was the capital, the federal district, but was much more. Rio constructed the Brazilian dream of progress and at the same time was a symbol of the Brazilian culture, with Samba and Bossa Nova, an image of the paradise.”

Pereira´s views were a real insight and seemed to offer a deeper, historical reason for Flamengo´s dominance. At the same time though, a cynic could argue that it was success, not romantic notions of a new Brazil or conquering colonialism that made Flamengo popular. People supported Flamengo because it was a successful club in the same way you can find Manchester United fans throughout England.

For a second opinion I turned to an Englishman, someone not caught up in the passion of being a Flamengo fan. Tim Vickery has been in Brazil since 1994 and knows Brazilian football and society inside-out. Like Pereira, he recognised that Flamengo´s popularity owed a lot to history but also pointed out other factors.

“Flamengo is an elite club, who in a stroke of genius acquired the popular touch in the mid 30s. Just after the game professionalised they signed the leading 3 black players of the day - Leonidas (very much the prototype bad boy), Domingos da Guia and Fausto. At the time Rio was still the capital, with radio taking their games all over the country, and millions, especially in the north-east identified with their fortunes. Of course the late 70s early 80s Zico team won over lots of converts with the titles won and the style of its play, but the huge national following comes from the 30s.”

After talking to Pereira and Vickery it was clear that there was a mixture of reasons why Flamengo was so popular and that the usual cliches about race or class were either too simplistic or too romantic. In a country as diverse as Brazil, simple explanations are just not possible. Even about football. And with that I leave the last word to Pereira.

“It´s not easy to understand and explain Flamengo, I need 272 pages!”

baggrundsartikel om Sampaoli....

EL BIELSA DE LOS POBRES

In the presence of more illustrious South American nations - Brazil’s financial strength allowing clubs to compete with their European counterparts, Argentina’s continued production of the world’s most sought after forwards and Uruguay’s successful national team, reaching the World Cup semi-final and winning the Copa America in the last 18 months with a population similar to Wales – Chilean football is silently flourishing. Or it was, until Universidad de Chile, known as La U, decided to attract attention to the west coast of South America by creating history and breaking records, all while playing some of the most exciting football in world football.

On the 15th of December they won their first international trophy in their first ever final; defeating LDU Quito of Ecuador 3-0 in Santiago, following up their 1-0 success in Ecuador the week previous, to lift the Copa Sudamericana, becoming the first Chilean side to do so.

Not that long ago one of Chile’s most iconic clubs fell on hard times, falling into bankruptcy in 2006 before being taken over a year later by a private consortium called Azul Azul.

Now, four years later, the team have just won the Torneo Clausura (Closing Tournament) completing an unprecedented treble with the Copa Sudamericana and Torneo Apertura (Opening Tournament) already in the trophy cabinet, helped by a mammoth 36 game unbeaten run which came to an end in the dying seconds of the Clausura play-off semi-final with rivals Universidad Católica with La U already through. And much of the transformation can be put down to one man, Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli who took over for the start of the 2011 Torneo Apertura. With a reputation as a Marcelo Bielsa disciple he began, like Bielsa did, managing the youth teams of Newell’s Old Boys. However it was outside his country of birth that he got his break in management.

A five year stay in Peru saw Sampaoli take in spells with differing success at Juan Aurich, Sport Boys, Coronel Bolognesi and Sporting Cristal before his first job in Chile with O’Higgins. He took the modest Rancagua side to three consecutive play-off tournaments and qualification to the Copa Sudamericana. Ignored by clubs in his homeland and Brazil his success with La Celeste alerted Ecuador’s Emelec. In his year in charge of El Bombillo he overcame doubts from fans and media, leading the team to an opening championship win and into the two-legged grand final against none other than LDU. Even though they lost the final they took their place in the 2010 Copa Sudamericana and 2011 Copa Liberatadores.

Yet an opportunity arose back in Chile with Universidad de Chile. The club had won only one Apertura Championship since 2004 and the fans wanted a big name to lead their club. Ex- Argentina midfielder and former Catania manager Diego Simeone was among those shortlisted but Sampaoli was appointed. The appointment left the Azul Azul fans underwhelmed but the directors bought into his vision for the club.

A positive start – four wins and a draw from his first five games – was not enough for fans who had labelled Sampaoli as ‘El Bielsa de los Pobres (‘The Bielsa of the poor’). Some did not take to the way he re-shaped the team with a number of players including the experience and quality of Manuel Iturra, Walter Montillo, Miguel Pinto and Rafael Olarra moving on; players who were the hallmark of the clubs run to the semi-finals of the Copa Liberatadores in 2010.

But Sampaoli had a plan. He always has a plan. He soon brought back goalkeeper Jhonny Herrera and defender Marcos González to the club along with Albert Acevedo, Charles Aránguiz and striker Gustavo Canales on a club record-breaking deal – £825,000 – from Unión Española while promoting and playing young talent already at the club.

Relegating club icons like Diego Rivarola to a bit-part role frustrated fans but it would be easier for the Argentine to impart his philosophy into the squad with younger, less experienced players; a Bielsa theory. Sampaoli led his new team to instant success; second in the Apertura and to the play-off final against rivals Universidad Católica.

Sampaoli wanted his side to break from the clubs ‘traditional’ way of playing, much to the chagrin of fans, and adopt a high-tempo, dynamic and fluid system centred on an intense pressing game that would suffocate teams into submission. A 3-4-3 or 3-3-1-3 system was implemented with fitness and technical competence essential; wide players able to dominate their flank, central defenders comfortable in wide areas and mobile and creative midfielders. There are no fitting square pegs in to round holes, each player capable of adapting to different positions, situations and systems.

An 8-1 semi-final win over O’Higgins set up the Clásico Universitario final but Sampaoli’s first six months in charge looked like ending in disappointment, losing the first-leg at home 2-0. But it all came together in the return leg as La U overran Católica winning 4-1. That game could be identified as the turning point because what was about to transpire would be truly magical.

The summer brought about more departures as Felipe Seymour and Edson Puch left but it allowed Sampaoli to recruit the last pieces, completing his puzzle; Gustavo Lorenzetti and Osvaldo González arrived. That summer also saw defeat to Primera B side Magallanes in the Copa Chile. 14/07/2011 the date. The last loss La U would suffer. Nine straight wins would kick start the Clausura season, setting a new Chilean record for consecutive wins, beating the feat of eight wins recorded by Cobreloa (1978) and Colo Colo (2007). Participation in the Copa Sudamericana games would see games come thick and fast and the perfect start in the Clausura allowed for rotation to a squad thriving with young talent. As the squad continued to remain unbeaten throughout the Clausura season it was in continental competition that the team blossomed; the players on the field and Sampaoli off it.

Bielsa is renowned for taking 2,000 videos packed with match footage with him to the 2002 World Cup when in charge of Argentina. Similarly Sampaoli immerses himself into improving his team any way he can, working long hours, almost to the point where one shift merges with the next then the next. Off the field he is quiet and conservative. On it, white Adidas baseball cap stuck to his head, he can be seen storming around his technical area. But always studying, calculating, thinking. Looking for even the smallest of advantages. Striving for perfection.

This insight could be seen in some of Sampaoli’s decisions throughout the Copa Sudamericana campaign. In the first-leg of the final he withdrew a forward from his usual starting line-up to position Acevedo in front of the defence in a 3-1-4-2 system, frustrating LDU and winning at the altitude of Quito. Even when he did get it wrong he was quick to respond. Playing against Vasco da Gama Lorenzetti played behind three forwards in a 3-3-1-3 but seeing that it wasn’t working Sampaoli replaced him with Matías Rodríguez in the first-half, recovering to draw 1-1. No stubbornness. No indecisiveness. Only what is best for the team.

It was one of few imperfections in the sides run to Copa Sudamericana success; 12 games, 10 wins, 2 draws, 21 scored, 2 conceded. On top of their 36 games unbeaten La U broke the Chilean record for the longest time – 543 minutes – without conceding in international competition, the tournament record for least goals conceded and the best overall record in the tournaments history.

The comparisons with Bielsa do not appear to concern Sampaoli who openly admits his admiration for Bielsa: “I always set the team out to Bielsa’s philosophy . . . to show great intensity and control.” And it was only been too evident in their dispensing of Uruguay duo Fénix and Nacional, Brazil’s Flamengo and Vasco da Gama, Argentina’s Arsenal de Sarandí and LDU.

The energetic play of wing-backs Rodríguez and Eugenio Mena, dynamism and guile of midfielders Marcelo Díaz, Aránguiz and Lorenzetti, the speed of Francisco Castro all complemented by star man Eduardo Vargas. The performance that encapsulated it all was the Last 16 away-leg in Brazil against a Flamengo side containing Ronaldinho. A devastating show of aggression, pace, pressing, control and quality in all areas of the pitch saw Universidad de Chile stroll out of the Engenhão 4-0 winners as South America sat up and took notice.

While the Sampaoli/Bielsa comparison went into overdrive Brazilian football website Globoesport.com termed the Chilean side the ‘Barcelona of the Americas’ saying: “They (Universidad de Chile) have a Messi, David Villa, Xavi and Iniesta. The attacking trio formed by Lorenzetti, Vargas and Castro is the mainstay of the team.”

The ‘Xavi’ of the team, Marcelo Díaz, was missed but is an essential cog in front of the back three through his reading of the game and positioning to receive a pass at all time. A player who was previously used in a variety of positions Sampaoli made Díaz the base of the team able to slow the game down but more importantly speed it up when La U hit teams with rapid attacks.

However the man everyone wants to talk about is forward Eduardo Vargas. Internazionale, Chelsea, Manchester City and Villarreal were among those who sent scouts but the forward will join Napoli for around £11m. The eleven goals he scored in the campaign make him the competitions highest scorer beating Humberto Suazo’s record of ten and his 13 goals in continental competition altogether takes him past Marcelo Salas’ club record in CONMEBOL competitions.

The high-intensity system is perfect for him, playing on the right of a front three – but equally capable in each position. As quick with the ball as he is without it, he combines a low centre of gravity to bounce off challenges with his impeccable fitness, ideal when pressing from the front. He has perfected the out-to-in run from wide, using it to great advantage – including a goal for Chile; the second of two in seven caps. Defenders have to be wary not to allow him to turn with the ball or leave space in behind; his goal in the second-leg of the final shows him at his breathtaking best. He will be sorely missed but there is talent waiting in the wings; Felipe Gallegos, 18-year-old Christian Bravo and recent signing Junior Fernandes.

A bigger miss however would be Sampaoli who has admitted to being interested in the Chile job when Claudio Borghi exits. But his departure is unlikely in the short-term and in the New Year all eyes will be on the team of the moment in the Copa Liberatadores to see if they can complete a continental double, turning their 84 year wait for an international trophy in to two in the space of a year. Not too bad for ‘El Bielsa de los Pobres’.

THE GUATEMALAN MANCHESTER CITY

Top flight team slumps into the third division before a well-off businessman takes control, recruits foreign coach, engineers a revival and targets the Champions League. Sound familiar?

That might sound like the story of Manchester city but is also what is happening to Antigua, a team from the Guatemalan Highlands.

Antigua were a first division team during the early part of the new Millennia but never likely to challenge Guatemala’s big two sides, Municipal and Comunicaciones, and the rot set in. After dropping out of the Liga Mejor, Antigua slumped into Guatemala’s third tier in 2009/10 then Richi Arenas took control. One of his first moves was to bring in a coach from the United States. Ziggy Korytoski’s previous job was manager of the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands, a US protectorate in the Pacific Ocean, but he soon steered Antigua into the second division – known as some many second tiers are now as the First Division.

The Guatemalan league, which has four levels, divided into two tournaments in 2000: the Apertura runs from July to December and the Clausura from January to May. Promotion is achieved via a series of play-offs and the game that secured Antigua’s elevation was watched by a crowd of 10,000, which is not bad for a town of 35,000 people. By way of comparison, the Guatemalan championship is contested between the winners of the Apertura and Clausura and in the recent final, a 23,000 crowd saw Municipal take on Comunicaciones. Sides in the third tier are restricted to non-international players but promotion means that Korytoski can now sign two international players. A second successive promotion would widen that restriction to four internationals.

“Antigua is a beautiful city so attracting players hasn´t been difficult,” reflects Korytoski. “With the increase in budget for next season, I believe that we will be one of the top clubs in the First Division. we have identified some very talented players that will add to our squad and be a tremendous part of our culture.” That culture is one that Arenas and Korytoski want to be very different to other Guatemalan clubs.

Guatemala’s national team, La Azul y Blanco, has been trying without success to qualify for the World cup finals since 1958 and a side once ranked 50th in the world have now slipped to 124th in FIFA’s rankings. Guatemala has a population of 14 million and football, the most popular sport, has been professionalised but resources remain thin. Overseas contracts are more alluring but few make the grade. Guillermo ‘Pando’ Ramirez, who has more than 100 caps, recently signed with Marathon in Honduras, midfielder Marco Pappa plays in the Major Soccer League with the Chicago Fire and has been joined in the MLS by itinerant striker Carlos Ruiz, now with Philadelphia Union.

Arenas and Korytoski’s ambition is to build a club big enough to win at home and abroad not just through big signings but by developing and producing home grown talent to keep that success going. “The good athlete does exist, players with vision, excellent technicians,” says Korytoski, who has formed Under-20, Under-18 and Under-16 at Antigua. “Many just need the opportunity to prove themselves day in and day out and be taught from an early age what their body needs to grow successfully.”

“I believe that most clubs here are very short-sighted and possibly can´t afford consistent success. The clubs in Mexico appear to be much deeper as far as depth goes, but to me, if one could develop a club with a youth structure capable of developing professionals then I think things would change. Guatemala needs more quality coaches - particularly at the youth level. Many training sessions are out-dated and I believe that the players never maximize their abilities. Simple concepts in the game are still being introduced to the older players, which limits the tactics in which they may be successful.”

“As of now, not many players are going overseas, and I want to help change that. I think most players here are developed by chance instead of the day-to-day grind of finding the right player, and making him better. The thing that I hope to show is possible is to create a club that can win the Champions League and not only qualify for it.”

Given the resources enjoyed by clubs in Mexico and the United States, that might seem unlikely but there is a precedent. Comunicaciones were CONCAF Champions League finalists in 1962 and 1969 before Municipal topped that performance by beating Transvaal of Surinam to the title in 1974. Comunicaciones reached the play-off for the final again in 1978 but the title was not contested due to disagreement over dates. Since then, overseas success for Guatemalan clubs – like the national team – has been sporadic at best and, as always dominated by the big two; Municipal reaching the Champions league final again in 1995 only to lose to the Costa Rican side, Saprissa.

The tournament was originally a ‘Champions Cup’ but graduated into a Champions League in 2008/09 with little impact from Guatemala. Can Antigua really change that? Korytoski believes so. “The process has been long, but I believe we are truly changing the way people think in regards to business versus development.”

GUADELOUPE: FRANCE´S TALENT FACTORY

When we consider the places that some of the most talented footballers of recent years have come from, a small island in the Caribbean is not a place that would immediately spring to mind. However, the island of Guadeloupe can claim links to a vast number of supremely talented footballers.

With a population just smaller than that of Bristol, the overseas region of France that was first discovered by Christopher Columbus in November 1493 seems an unlikely source of talent. However, had it been an independent country eligible to play in FIFA competitions, they could have fielded a wonderful team of players either born or with parental links to the country. It could have selected a strike-force consisting of former Arsenal and Barcelona star, Thierry Henry, Chelsea striker, Nicholas Anelka and French World Cup winner, Sylvain Wiltord; a front line that, at their peak, would strike fear into most international defences.

Speaking of defence, their back line would be pretty solid as well. They could call upon former Juventus and Barcelona defender, Lillian Thuram. Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender, William Gallas would be another option. One other former Barcelona defender, Philippe Christanval, would also be eligible. Looking around the Premiership throws up a few further names. Arsenal’s Gael Clichy, Blackburn’s Pascal Chimbonda and Wolves’ Ronald Zubar would all be eligible to represent Guadeloupe. Further afield, Werder Bremen’s Mikael Silvestre and up-and-coming Bordeaux defender, Michael Ciani, would also be options.

For a small island, it is a frightening list of talent. In the French starting XI and used substitutes in the 2006 World Cup final, four of them would have been eligible to represent Guadeloupe. In total, seven members of that squad were either born or had parental links to this small island.

Even without those players, Guadeloupe remains one of the strongest sides in the Caribbean. As part of France, Guadeloupe is not a FIFA recognised country, and so cannot play in any FIFA tournaments. As a result, they would be ineligible to ever appear in either the World Cup or the Confederations Cup.

However, they are a member of CONCACAF and can therefore play in any CONCACAF tournaments, including the Caribbean Cup and the Gold Cup. They have finished in third place in three Caribbean Cups, most recently in 2008, and were runners-up to Jamaica in the most recent edition.

However, despite opting to play for the French national side, it is clear that many of the players still retain a strong connection with their Caribbean roots. Players who have represented France are eligible to represent Guadeloupe if they serve a five-year ‘cooling off’ period.

Two high-profile players who have taken this root during the twilight of their careers are Jocelyn Angloma and David Sommeil. Angloma represented the French at two major international tournaments in 1992 and 1996, as well as being a Champions League winner at club level. Sommeil had gained extensive experience in the top flight in both France and England, as well as earning eight French caps. The fact that they wanted to play international football for the country of their birth shows how much it means to them.

However, within Guadeloupe, there is a curious relationship with the French national team. The people recognise that the only option for players who wish to play in major international tournaments is to join the French, but that does not necessarily mean that there is great support for the French within Guadeloupe.

Indeed, throughout the French Antillean region, which includes Guadeloupe alongside Martinique, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, there is a marked tendency to side with Brazil rather than with France. Partly due to their geographical location, culturally there are close ties with Brazil, but also because of the strong nationalist movements in those islands.

The inclusion of the Guadeloupean football team in CONCACAF and its eligibility to compete in their sanctioned tournaments was seen as a major boost for the nationalist movement on the island. Indeed, there has long been a connection between sport and the movement. The red and green colours of the national strip echo the prominent colours of the nationalist flag.

However, the strained relationship with the French national side came under even greater pressure following the poor performance at last summer’s World Cup in South Africa. Amongst certain groups in France, there was a backlash against so-called ‘immigrant’ players, who were blamed for the poor performance. The perceived image is that these players were devoid of national pride and loyalty to the flag.

The feelings of the likes of Guadeloupe and Martinique can be seen in the writings of a popular Martinican blogger in response to a French philosopher claiming that “this is all to be blamed on the suburbs scum, even those of the French team who don’t like France.”

He explained how “as long as the French West Indians win, they are part of the ‘rainbow nation’, everyone is colour-blind. But when the first cloud covers this blue sky, ‘people from the suburbs’ are sent back to their second-class citizenship.”

The ill feeling of the Guadeloupean and Martinican people is not directed toward the players who have opted to represent France – they understand that they have little option if they want to play on the biggest stage. Rather it is toward the mainland French and their perception of the so-called ‘people from the suburbs.’

The reception that Lillian Thuram received when he returned from the successful 1998 World Cup campaign showed the love that people on the island had for him. In addition, his decision to fly home to Guadeloupe almost immediately after the final to celebrate with the Guadeloupean people, rather than remain in France, showed the attachment that he retained for the island.

It is in the Gold Cup where they have surprised many people though. They reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 edition, where they were beaten by Costa Rica. However, they were the most successful Caribbean side in the competition, including a victory over Canada.

Back in 2007, having qualified for their first ever major international tournament, they were even more successful. Again, having beaten Canada in the group stage, they then stunned Honduras in the quarter-finals before giving the Mexicans a real scare in the semi-finals. They were eventually eliminated by a 70th minute goal from Pavel Pardo, but came out of the tournament with great credit.

They once again impressed in last year’s edition of the Caribbean Cup. They strolled through the first group stage with maximum points, following wins over Grenada, Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts and Nevis, before clinching their place in the semi-finals with results against Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda in the second group stage.

The strongly fancied Cubans were their opponents in the semi-final and despite going a goal behind at half time, they came back to qualify for the final with a 2-1 victory. They faced the favourites, Jamaica, in the final, who they had already been beaten by in the second group stage, but Ludovic Gotin’s equalizer sent the final to extra time, and eventually all the way to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, Jean-Luc Lambourde missed the decisive fifth penalty and the wait for a first international trophy continues.

Indeed, many observers feel that Guadeloupe would have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa had they been given the opportunity. Under the guidance of Roger Salnot, Guadeloupe are turning into a serious side in the Caribbean, even without the players who have left to seek success in France.

There are suggestions that Guadeloupe could potentially become a FIFA member in the future if France were willing to permit it. Whether FIFA would allow this without further devolution of the two is uncertain, but if it were ever to happen, it would surprise nobody to see Guadeloupe making a greater impression on the world stage, and who knows, maybe we may see them in a World Cup at some stage in the future.

CABEZA MÁGICA - THE KING OF ECUADOR

When one refers to the rich history of Latin American football, it can quite safely be assumed than one is normally speaking of the disproportionate amount of influence a country as small as Uruguay has had, the speed with which the beautiful game took off in the early part of the 20th century in Argentina or of course the way Brazilian football has mesmerised us in the later part. In the northern part of the continent, particularly in Venezuela and Ecuador, the game has never really taken off to the same extent.

Indeed as Ecuador’s debut World Cup appearance came as recently as the first competition of the 21st century in Japan and South Korea, and their record at the Copa America is largely dismal, one could be forgiven for taking 2002 as a kind of year X for the quintessential banana republic.

It also follows logically to assume that Ecuador’s finest footballer would be a product of the country’s recent emergence, most likely Antonio Valencia, whose meteoric rise from playing barefoot in the humble surroundings of his dusty hometown Nueva Loja on the border with Colombia to the glitz of gracing a Champions League final against Barcelona in a Manchester United shirt has captured the imagination of his countrymen. Valencia seemingly personifies the rapid rise of Ecuadorian Football, with his tough no-nonsense style, his indefatigable work-rate and his pinpoint crosses.

Ecuadorian Football as a serious entity is indeed largely a recent phenomenon and alongside Venezuela their evolution from perennial minnows to realistic World Cup contenders in a short space of time is as admirable as it is difficult to account for.

Amazingly though, a hugely influential Ecuadorian player, not only in his own country, but throughout Latin America, began his rise to fame some half a century ago. The curious hybrid name inscribed on the Municipal Guayaquil stadium on Avenida de las Américas leaves a lasting reminder of a phenomenal athlete: Alberto Spencer.

Spencer’s mother was Ecuadorian, but his father was a Jamaican of British origin who worked in Ecuador on behalf of the Anglo-Ecuadorian Oil Company, a subsidiary of what is now known as BP, a company whose presence in Ecuador continues to cause consternation, particularly among environmentalists to this day.

The fact that many fans in the English speaking world have never heard of Spencer can be explained by two important factors: Firstly, unlike Pelé, Spencer never graced a World Cup, which of course is the greatest stage for any footballer to be seen. Secondly, like many of the great South American players of his day, he never made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean to play for Europe’s top sides. Players like Di Stefano, who starred for Real Madrid, were the exception and not the rule.

The production line of South American players has always been prolific, the fundamental difference in Spencer’s era was that holding onto the players was possible, thus creating something akin to a level playing field between the two continents. Indeed, in the 60s, the South American teams could quite easily go toe-to-toe with their European counterparts and on many occasions came out on top in the annual Intercontinental Cup games.

Spencer was born in Ancón on the Santa Elena peninsula. He began playing football as a small kid with his older brother Marcos, who years later would bring him along to Guayaquil club Everest. Everest saw Spencer’s potential and immediately gave him his debut. Spencer quickly racked up a century of goals for Everest, and was spotted by Peñarol staff while the Uruguayan club were playing on tour in Ecuador. They immediately signed him, and he became a hugely important player in Peñarol’s all-conquering sides of the 60s.

He won an amazing seven league titles with Los Carboneros (the coalmen), along with three Copa Libertadores and two memorable Intercontinental Cup victories.

He scored both at home and away as the Uruguayans dismantled Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final of 1966. This feat didn’t go unnoticed with Europe’s top clubs, and Peñarol soon found themselves resisting the entreaties of Inter Milan. Whilst playing for Los Carboneros, Spencer went on to score an amazing 326 goals, justifying Peñarol’s stubborn refusal to sell him. Spencer holds the incredible record of being the all-time leading goalscorer in the Copa Libertadores. Spencer’s haul of 54 goals is not insurmountable, but surely to be beaten it would require an outstanding South American player to ignore the lure of Europe, with all it entails financially and in terms of prestige, to concentrate on achieving in his own continent. At this juncture that seems unlikely, though maybe in the future this may change, particularly with the emerging Brazilian economy.

A great number of fellow professionals from his era regarded him highly, with Pelé in particular alluding Spencer’s heading ability being the finest that he had ever seen. Curious then, that in the latter days of Spencer’s life (in 2004), when Pelé came to draw up (or put his name to) a list of the greatest living 100 players, Spencer was shunned in favour of a bizarre mishmash of manifestly PC selections aimed at including each of the World’s continents like El Hadji Diouf of Senegal, Hidetoshi Nakata of Japan, Hong Myong Bo of South Korea and Mia Hamm of the United States ladies team.

In time honoured gentlemanly Spencer style, when questioned about the matter, he declined to criticise the selections. This dignified response lies in stark contrast to Brazilian Gerson, who ripped up the list on Brazilian television and launched into an extraordinary rant about his exclusion.

Spencer was the first Ecuadorian player to score against England at Wembley in 1964. No mean feat considering that Ecuador’s national side have never played at Wembley. He scored the goal whilst representing Uruguay as a guest, something he did on a number of occasions in friendlies, whilst stating clearly that he would never abandon the country of his birth. He made 11 appearances for his homeland Ecuador, and continues to be revered there.

Indeed as a labour of love to his homeland, Spencer returned in 1970 to finish his career at Ecuador’s most emblematic club Barcelona of Guayaquil, where he added an Ecuadorian title to his illustrious list of honours before finally hanging up his boots. Such was the esteem in which he was held back in Montevideo, he was sent by the Ecuadorian government to remain there as honorary vice-consul at the embassy. He brought up his children in the Uruguayan capital and held the place in great affection.

A pervasive Eurocentric view (of the football world at least) is ever more difficult to resist as the economic gulf between the clubs of the two dominant football continents is more apparent than ever. Despite Neymar’s recent commitment to remain at Santos until the Brazil World Cup, realistically it is more a case of ‘when’ than ‘if’ he will one day play in Europe.

Equally it is sad in many ways that a player like Messi, who so clearly continues a distinguished tradition of Latin American No.10s, was uprooted and taken away from his own continent at such a young age, never representing his hometown club at senior level.

Spencer too, of course, was uprooted from his beloved homeland the moment his talent was discovered by the giants of Peñarol, but Spencer belongs in an era of more idealistic era of Latin American Football, when (Southern Cone) clubs aspired to keep their best players in order to prove their supremacy against their ex-colonial masters, rather than aspiring to supply Europe with players to ensure their own survival.

Peñarol indeed twice proved their supremacy against Real Madrid and Benfica in the 1960s, with Spencer’s goals playing a pivotal role. Little wonder then, that some four decades on, supporters of Las Manyas still hold banners and chant the name of Alberto Spencer, beyond any reasonable doubt Ecuador’s greatest ever player.