By Tim Vickery |
Pekerman must decide how to fit his talented players together |
Nine months ago Argentina beat Brazil to become the first South American team to qualify for the World Cup.
They looked bang on course for Germany, while Brazil had just had a huge question mark smashed into their preparations.
Now, with less than days to go til the big kick off, the tables have turned.
On that cold night in Buenos Aires last June, Brazil were playing one of the first games with the 'magic quartet' - two strikers backed up by Kaká and Ronaldinho.
They found themselves three down at half time, and learnt an invaluable lesson in those 45 minutes.
Such an attacking formation was only viable if they could get back behind the ball quickly when they lost possession.
They took the lesson on board, stuck with the formation and gained in confidence by winning the Confederations Cup and cruising through the remaining World Cup qualifiers.
'The magic quartet' is going to Germany, although just to be on the safe side Brazil have developed a variation - one of the front four dropping out and Edmilson of Barcelona coming
The big attraction of the Libertadores
After four of their six group games, they have just four points. On Tuesday, they face a crunch visit to Brazil's Palmeiras. Defeat could render their final match academic.
And the striking aspect of this rise and fall is that it is not particularly surprising.
In Europe, success is a virtuous circle. Good results lead to increased resources, allowing the squad to be strengthened which, theoretically at least, means that results remain good.
Of course, there is the danger of the club chasing the dream and over-reaching. But, as the results keep proving, sustaining success is much easier in Europe than it is in South America.
There are cases of clubs winning the Libertadores three times in a row. But that was decades ago.
In those days, fewer clubs took part, with the holders only entering in the closing stages.
And it was not only the structure of the competition that made consecutive wins much easier way back when. This was also before the opening of the global market and the mass exodus to Europe.
That European virtuous circle is much harder to apply on the other side of the Atlantic, where winning often means that the squad i
South American football can sometimes feel like time speeded up.
Carlos Tevez is likely to move to Europe |
You would need a calculator to keep track of all the coaches that any club in the continent has been through in the time that Sir Alex Ferguson has been at Manchester United.
Teams are built and broken up, rebuilt and broken up again.
One of the main reasons behind the constant change is the fact that while success in Europe is rewarded, in South America it can be punished.
Success in terms of winning titles can be a problem - it is not always possible to pay the bonus payments.
And success in grooming good players quickly attracts the attention of the European clubs.
Either way, the best players end up on the other side of the Atlantic - making vast sums of money for a few, but weakening the spectacle for the many.
Manuel Pellegrini, coach of Argentine giants River Plate, has plenty of cause to dwell on this sad state of affairs.
Pellegrini fretted on the sidelines on Sunday while his team disappointed once again.
A defeat at home to San Lorenzo leaves River - the reigning champions - languishing in the middle of the table.
The t
By Tim Vickery |
It has obstacles to be overcome. It has talent. It has heart and soul. The saga of Juan Sebastian Veron's progress in the Copa Libertadores is currently the most gripping story in South American football.
Veron now plays in Argentina with his first club Estudiantes |
He could have stayed in Europe, but he chose to go back to Argentina and round off his career with his first love, Estudiantes of La Plata.
At the end of , he carried them to the domestic title, their first since
But then came the problems. The team was broken up and Veron clashed with the directors.
He could have gone to the United States - a tempting offer was on the table - but he decided to patch up his differences with Estudiantes and lead them into the Libertadores.
After all, his surname and the club are synonymous with the competition.
Veron's father was the star player when Estudiantes came from nowhere to win three titles in-a-row in the late '60s.
Even one title with Veron Jr is going to be an uphill task. There are stronger squads in the field and Estudiantes are struggling to find the right blend.
They are tr
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