Copa Libertadores
The Copa Libertadores de América ("Liberators of the Americas Cup") is an international football cup competition played annually by the top clubs of South America. In recent years, top clubs from Mexico have also competed.
In its early years, only the national champions of the major nations took part, but the vice-champions were allowed in the 1970s. The competition was later extended to 24, 32, 36, and now 38 teams. The 2005 edition will have the competitors distributed this way:
The lowest-ranked team from each country, plus the second lowest-ranked team from the nation of the previous year's champion, will enter a qualifying round, with the winners joining the other 26 teams in the main draw.
The competition is organized and run annually in a similar manner to the Champions League in Europe. The Copa Libertadores has a preliminary round and a first round where then the teams are divided into groups of four. The top two teams from each group are then drawn in the second round, which consists of a two-legged knockout tie. From that point, the competition proceeds with two-legged knockout ties to quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. Between 1960 and 1979 the previous winners did not enter the competition until the semi-final stage, making it much easier to retain the cup.
Note that unlike European club competitions, the Copa Libertadores has never used extra time or away goals to decide a tie that is level on aggregate. From 1960 to 1987, two-legged ties were decided on points, without taking goal difference into consideration. If both teams were level on points after two legs, a third match would be played at a neutral site. Goal difference would only come into play if the third match was drawn. If the third match did not produce an immediate winner, either by a clear win or by goal difference, a penalty shootout was used to determine a winner. Since 1988, ties have been decided on aggregate goals, with an immediate penalty shootout if the tie is level on aggregate after full time of the second leg. Several times, the event would have had a different champion if it followed European rules. For example, the 2004 champions, Colombian club Once Caldas, would have exited the competition in the second round if the away goals rule had been used, and would also have lost the final on away goals.
The first cup was competed for in 1960 and was won by Club Atlético Peñarol of Uruguay. As of 2004, 20 different teams have won the cup. The most successful club has been the Argentinian side Club Atlético Independiente, winners seven times including four in a row from 1972 to 1975.
Brazilians complain that especially in the early years the referees were often biased against the Brazilian teams and the rules were often obscure or unfair. Argentinians answer to this remarking that the Brazilian teams were often uninterested in playing abroad. However, it is remarkable that Argentina and Uruguay are so superior to Brazil in this particular competition, while they are equaled in others.
Over the years the competiton has kept alive a healthy sport rivalry between the competing countries, especially between Brazil and Argentina, Argentina and Uruguay, Uruguay and Brazil, and Bolivia and Chile. Unfortunately episodes of violence are not rare and the pressure for players on the field is tremendous.
