Half the bracket has been completed, with Graham MacAree seeing Barcelona through to Wembley while I have Inter Milan getting through the North American region. That identifies the destiny of 31 if our 68 teams. Now's the time to get to the other side of the bracket.
Soccer Bracketology: Picking The Games, South America Region Edition
To get you up to date, SB Nation Soccer has done an homage to the NCAA basketball tournament, identifying the 68 clubs worldwide that would compete in a similar tournament. The matches will be “played out” (in our imaginations, on your pages) over the next three weeks as we conduct our tournament along side their’s.
And for now, we forecast. Here’s how the South America region is likely to play out:
First Four Round
Santos over Braga. Can Domingos Pacienca hold-off Elano, Paulo Henrique Ganso, Rodrigo, Keirrison and Neymar? The Brazilians go through.
First Round
1. Real Madrid over 16. FC Seoul. You know how Madrid has a habit of making some matches closer than they need be? They also occasionally post a big number. This will be one of those matches.
12. Santos over 5. Schalke. Playing in Mexico helps the talented Brazilians, with Felix Magath's team out of their element so far from home, so far above sea level.
4. Valencia over 13. Panathinaikos. Los Che will be happy to see Schalke eliminated before a Champions League rematch.
6. FC Twente over 11. Monterrey. This will be a great match of contrasting styles, but Twente’s defending and opportunism is able to hold-off the defending champions from Mexico.
3. Marseille over 14. CFR Cluj. The Romanians outclassed, pure and simple, part of the reason Didier Deschamps gives some of his reserves the start after a long trip from France.
10. Udinese over 7. CSKA Moscow. Udinese is much better than a number 10 seed. CSKA gets the misfortune of having drawn them.
2. Arsenal over 15. Colorado Rapids. Possibly the most lopsided of the first round match-ups, though Arsenal's style will be too much for most high seeds.
Second Round
1. Real Madrid over 8. Napoli. As much as I want to think Walter Mazzarri set-up will trouble Madrid, all that would lead to is a shootout. Ronaldo scores multiple goals in this one.
4. Valencia over 12. Santos. For all the options Santos has, Valencia has as many, better, more experienced options. This could be an exciting one, but at some point Unai Emery will be able to control the match with Ever Banega and Mehmet Topal.
3. Marseille over 6. FC Twente. This could be a close match, but one decisive factor could be Marseille’s relative cake walk in the Round of 64. Twente will have to deal with Monterrey, and with both teams’ recoveries inhibited by the long trip from Europe, Marseille will have the advantage.
2. Arsenal over 10. Udinese. Of course, Arsenal could lose this one, but an open match could allow them to out gun Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Di Natale. In an example of the best defense is a good attack, Arsenal will have to play a smart possession game to limit their exposure to Udinese's dynamic duo.
Regional Semifinals
1. Real Madrid over Valencia. An incredibly pro-Madrid crowd packs the Maracana in Rio to see their idols struggle for most of the match. Eventually, José Mourinho’s side gets a result, but it won’t be easy.
2. Arsenal over 3. Marseille. Marseille has few answers for how the Gunners go about their football, with the Arsenal passing game picking apart the l’OM defense. The Gunners move on.
Regional Final
1. Real Madrid over 2. Arsenal. In a match-up worthy of the final match, Arsenal never truly looks themselves. Meanwhile Mourinho has his team primed for the occasion. Playing as if it were the final, Real Madrid books their ticket to London.
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