Copa Libertadores Final 2011, Santos FC Vs. Peñarol: Preview, Leg 1

If you believe the hype, the games over the next two to three weeks will be the last that Neymar plays for Santos FC. He has been kept in Brazil much longer than most players that achieve his level of skill, partially due to the club he plays for. Santos are the former club of Pele, a great developer of young Brazilian talent, and a club able to pay well to keep him and other great youngsters around. Tonight and next week in the Copa Libertadores Final against Peñarol, Neymar has a chance to cement his legacy with the club at just 19 years old and leave for Europe on the best possible terms.

Over the years, the knockout stages of Copa Libertadores have provided a springboard for some careers while saving others. Last season, a reeling Chivas de Guadalajara side, struggling after the departure of ‘Chicharito’ Javier Hernandez, laid the groundwork for their much improved Clausura run with their trip to the finals. That final also exposed the world to Sandro, Taison, and Guiliano, who have all been sold to clubs in Europe. The previous year, Juan Sebastien Veron revived his career and earned a place on the Argentina world cup squad as Estudiantes La Plata won, while runners up Cruzeiro exposed the world to Ramires.

Unfortunately, if scouts and fans of A.C. Milan are looking to catch a glimpse of their rumored signing Paulo Henrique Ganso, they won’t get it tonight. The young star playmaker is expected to be fit for the second leg of the final, but he is not expected to play tonight. Even a spot on the bench would be a big shock, but it would probably send Santos fans - and Milanistas, for that matter - into raptures.

As a result, Neymar will once again have to take on a leadership role and if things go south for Santos, prove that he can take over a game. Future Genoa striker Ze Eduardo and former Manchester City midfielder Elano take a lot of the slack off of the young superstar, but not having Ganso in the lineup is a huge blow.

While Santos are favorites with or without Ganso, their opponents Peñarol are not to be taken lightly. Current football players aside, Peñarol are a massive club and it’s fantastic to see such a historically great club return to the spotlight in South America after a bit of a slump. Their crowd in the first leg will be fantastic as usual, and their home record in this competition speaks for itself.

Peñarol’s recent form in their domestic league isn’t great, but that has much more to do with their tie against Velez Sarsfield and their previous league position than anything else. They had no chance at the title, but a Copa Libertadores qualifying spot locked up in the final weeks, so they opted to rest their starters for their Copa Libertadores campaign. Their strategy worked, and they defeated Velez, denying what would have been a real glamour final for most neutrals.

Velez became the champions of Argentina over the weekend and they have a variety of exciting players. Neymar and company against the champions of Argentina would have been just about the best possible final, but two weeks ago, Peñarol spoiled the party.

They did it just like they’ve done it against all of the other opponents they’ve upset. They’re a team that keeps their shape exceptionally well and counter attacks down the wings in a very effective manner. Their resume in this tournament is impeccable, and based on the teams they’ve run through, it’s almost impossible that Santos is going to take them lightly.

In the group stages, Peñarol got through a group with Ecuadorian champions LDU Quito, Copa Sudamericana champions Independiente, and Godoy Cruz, who finished 5th in Argentina’s Apertura and currently sit 3rd in the Clausura. In the Round of 16, they defeated defending champions Internacional. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Universidad Catolica, the regular season winners and playoff runners up in Chile. In the semifinals, they defeated Velez. Their road has been about as difficult as possible, and they have met every single challenge.

Tonight, the crowd at Estadio Centenario will be massive and loud, and Peñarol will have to use that to their advantage. They’re good enough to beat anyone, as their record proves, but they are not as good as Santos. There’s no reason to sugar coat what’s going on in this final - Peñarol is second best in almost every single footballing aspect. Intangibles and tactics have brought them this far. Let’s see if those are good enough for one more massive upset.