Copa Libertadores 2012, Matchday 1: Cruz Azul Win, Vasco da Gama Upset

Fluminense found an early goal against Arsenal di Sarandi in impressive fashion, but that would be one of the last moments of good football in the Copa Libertadores match between the two teams. This one featured very few clear-cut chances, but a whole lots of fouling and fighting. Flu was able to hold onto their lead and finish with a 1-0 win to grab three points, but they probably won’t be pleased with their showing at home against a team with an average defense.

The goal was scored by Brazilian international and Fluminense captain Fred, who has been absolutely spectacular since joining from Olympique Lyonnais. His goal came on a neat finish from the edge of the penalty area, though Arsenal keeper Cristian Campestrini probably could have done a bit more to save it.

The hosts didn’t have much reply, and by and large Velez had the better of the second half. With the game at 1-0, things would always be tense, however, and the game got fairly tetchy at one point. Fortunately for Velez, they were able to wrap things up when a rebound broke kindly for Ivan Obolo to make things secure with 81 minutes got. There was just enough time for Sebastian Dominguez to blast home a lovely free kick to make it 3-0, which is how it ended. It’s the perfect start to Velez’s Copa Libertadores campaign.

The start of the 2012 Copa Libertadores on Tuesday marks the start of a period of time when there is a ridiculous amount of football available for consumption. The Libertadores is the first major competition in a series of many that restarts this February and March, along with the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONCACAF Champions League, Major League Soccer and Russian Premier League. Time for football overload!

This year’s edition of the Libertadores is one of the strongest in recent memory. The entire Brazilian contingent is strong, while Universidad de Chile and Boca Juniors should present formidable challenges to those sides. The majority of the teams who qualify for the knockout stages should have enough talent to win the competition, and every group is well-balanced.