Copa Libertadores 2013, Matchday 1: Toluca steal a win in Argentina

While there were no goals quite as good as Tuesday’s strike by Damian Diaz during Wednesday’s slate of Copa Libertadores games, most of the games were of a much higher quality. The two biggest games of the round, Atletico Mineiro - Sao Paulo and Boca Juniors - Toluca, were fantastic from beginning to end. Elsewhere, favorites Peñarol and Fluminense were challenged in tough road tests, but ultimately rose to the occasion.

Atletico Mineiro 2-1 Sao Paulo

Ronaldinho brought back memories of his Barcelona glory days on Wednesday night in Belo Horizonte. The Brazilian was lively and creative, setting up chances left and right, two of which earned him assists as Atletico Mineiro downed Sao Paulo 2-1 in the opening match of the Copa Libertadores group stage.

The match was all Atletico to start and paid off 13 minutes in when Ronaldinho set up the first goal of the match. He took a throw in down the right and found himself free inside the 18. Jo was making a quick run right up the middle and Ronaldinho delivered a low ross right on the money. Jo didn’t even have to shoot, which he didn’t. Instead, he just tumbled over the ball from a yard out, but that was enough to get it over the line and put Atletico in front.

Sinha, the legendary Toluca playmaker, is old. He’s had a tough start to the season for the Red Devils, because he is old, and he’s recently been dropped from the Mexico team by “Chepo” Jose Manuel de la Torre, his former coach who loves him and who also has an old man fetish. For all intents and purposes, Sinha’s career appeared to be coming to an end.

Somehow, he found new life on Tuesday night. He put in a man of the match performance against Boca Juniors at La Bombonera, assisting both of his team’s goals in an unlikely 2-1 victory.

I’ve been looking for an opportunity to use a “Radio Ga Ga”/Fernando Gago headline for about six years. Please don’t hate me. The Argentine international made his debut for Velez Sarsfield on Tuesday, but unfortunately for them, his team didn’t play their best football on the night. Emelec kicked and scrapped their way to an important win, picking up 20 fouls and six yellow cards in the process. In other action, La U got their Copa Libertadores campaign off to an excellent start, while Barcelona and Nacional played a thriller in Montevideo.

Nacional 2-2 Barcelona

What’s the best way to start a tournament? How about a 25-yard rocket on the half-volley?

Barcelona SC’s Damian Diaz made it happen.

It’s time for the busiest part of the world football calendar. While European leagues wind down and the UEFA Champions League knockout stages begin, football also resumes in the Americas. Qualifying started at the end of January, but Copa Libertadores proper finally kicks off on Tuesday.

Defending South American and world champions Corinthians enter the tournament as one of the big favorites, as hard as it is to repeat in the Libertadores. They’ll be rivaled by Boca Juniors and Fluminense, who are expected to prioritize the continental championship over domestic competition in 2013. A number of solid dark horses lurk just behind them, and none of those three teams are so strong that an early knockout stage exit would be surprising.