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In a year that was believed to herald a new dominance of Brazilian club football with higher quality players, partially from repatriated imports, and ever-growing revenue, one can perhaps feel a little disappointed at the outcome and sense a change in direction is needed.

Despite Santos earning the country’s 15th Copa Libertadores title – still seven behind Argentina – they were not particularly convincing winners in a tournament where the other Brazilian clubs bowed out far too early. Shortly after came the abysmal Copa America performance from the national team followed by the crushing of supposed Brazilian powerhouses in the Copa Sudamericana by a side from Chile.

Santos only earned their first win in the 2011 Copa Libertadores on match-day four and only won one game by a margin of greater than a single goal – including aggregate scores. With qualification for the knockout stages scraped; as ninth seeds they drew the eight seeds – Club America of Mexico.

It was an extremely tight tie against a team that finished top in a group with Fluminense, Nacional (URU) and Argentinos Jrs. However, a solitary goal from Ganso in the first leg at the Vila Belmiro proved to be enough for Peixe. They were perhaps aided by the fact that America could not play the second leg at the daunting Azteca stadium, as U2 had hijacked it for a concert that night.

Such a level of fortune evaded the other Brazilian teams who were all eliminated in the round of 16 after Corinthians failed to even reach the group stage. Top-seed Cruzeiro and Fluminense both suffered second leg aggregate reverses to Once Caldas and Libertad respectively whilst Gremio’s exit came courtesy of two defeats at the hands of Universidad Catolica. A slow start to the second half in the second leg cost Internacional a spot in the quarter-finals to eventual finalists Penarol.

It was a night that severely shocked South America as one of the least impressive Brazilian sides were the ones to progress. The others had shown tremendous complacency as they succumbed to what was thought to be weaker opposition. With momentum against them a degree of petulancy emerged in the Brasileiro squads that damaged team morale and ultimately the outcome of the ties. There needed to be a shift in attitude of the Brazilian clubs and players who seemed to think the rest of the continent was out to get them.

As the Libertadores reached its conclusion the Copa America began shortly after, with a number of Brasileiro players forced to miss the early stages of the season in order to represent their country.

The tournament did not begin well for Mano Menezes’ side. A 0-0 draw with Venezuela was followed by a late goal from Fred to secure a 2-2 draw with Paraguay. They overcame Ecuador 4-2 in the final group game before being eliminated by Paraguay in the quarter-final via penalty shootout.

Menezes used a 4-2-2-2 formation for the tournament and his top-heavy line-ups have been a constant source of problems for the national team since. Against teams with three attackers, such as Paraguay, the full backs could not attack as they were occupied by the wingers. Everything therefore had to flow through the congested middle where Brazil were outnumbered.

Ganso was too heavily burdened by the immense responsibility in operating as the side’s number 10 and playmaker-in-chief. He was the only creative link in an attacking unit which lacked a focal point and was isolated from the deep-lying midfield duo of Ramires and Lucas Leiva.

Menezes managed to hold onto his job despite the appalling campaign and results have since improved, though his side still faces many of the same issues. He seems unwilling to alter his formation and is relatively inconsistent with his squad selection. Fortunately he has another 30 months to find the winning formula before the 2014 World Cup and can count on promising youth as the Under 20 side won the world title in Colombia this summer.

Though some of the most exciting players were lost to the Copa America, the Brasileiro did not fail to entertain. It was a great year with what seemed like 8 different teams contesting the title at different stages.

When the others fell away it was Vasco da Gama, Corinthians and Fluminense that remained in the title hunt with just two games left. A late goal from Bernardo ended Flu’s title hopes as Vasco won Rio de Janeiro’s Classico dos Gigantes in round 37. However the title ended up in Sao Paulo as Corinthians were crowned champions after a goalless draw against their Paulista rivals Palmeiras.

It was a truly fascinating season with the quality praised by many pundits. However, the evidence from the Copa Libertadores earlier in the year and the Copa Sudamericana suggest otherwise.

Most Brazilian clubs field a second-string team for the Copa Sudamericana when focussing on the league. This year was no different. Of the four Brazilian clubs that made it to the round of 16 (the first round proper) only one side progressed – Vasco da Gama.

Sao Paulo’s first team were sent packing by Libertad and Botafogo’s second-string were thrashed by Santa Fe. But perhaps the most humbling defeat befell Flamengo.

With Ronaldinho and Thiago Neves in the starting line-up, they were destroyed 4-0 at home in the first leg by Jorge Sampaoli’s Universidad de Chile. The Chilean side adopt a 3-4-3 formation and press high, with great intensity, for a possession-based attacking game. The opposing 4-2-2-2 formation failed to cope as the full backs could not vacate their own half and the Chileans dominated the midfield.

They played, and won, with swiftness, flair and assurance as they surged to the title. They exposed similar weaknesses in Vasco da Gama in the semi-final, playing with traits traditionally attached to Brazilian football. Though clubs from Brazil may be streets ahead of their South American clubs in financial terms, it is not a wholly similar case for their football.

Another Brazilian club to be taught a footballing lesson was Santos as they were trounced 4-0 by Barcelona in the much-anticipated Club World Cup final on December 18th. Peixe never got anywhere near the Catalan giants who embarrassed the Copa Libertadores champions. Ganso and Neymar could not stamp their mark on the game as their team barely had the ball, allowing for little fight to be put up against the European champions.

As Tim Vickery has suggested, it shows the lack of players in Brazil of a similar make-up to Xavi and Iniesta who contribute hugely to possession control. Universidad de Chile possess Marcelo Diaz and Charles Aranguiz and though they are inferior in ability to the Spaniards, they have much the same role in the side.

The preference for attacking full backs has caused the production of creative midfield players in Brazil to be diminished. The country now seems to produce only holding midfielders and attacking midfielders. There is no middle ground in which a player like Xavi could operate as that position rarely exists in modern Brazilian football.

Barcelona have demonstrated that a player such as Daniel Alves can be used as an attacking full back, without compromising midfield creativity in a contemporary 4-3-3. The Brazilian game must no longer forego the innovative central midfielder in order to allow maximum forward roaming for a full back. Versatility has been sacrificed and therefore the teams have often become predictable and therefore beatable.

So 2011 has been a year of mixed fortunes for Brazilian football. It has lost a degree of the creativity and versatility that made it not only the best in the world, but also the most pleasing to watch. Results take precedence over displays in Brazil. This has created an extremely quick-to-sack nature in the Brasileiro which perhaps accounts for the tactical shift in the nation’s football.

Brazil is not the force that it once was. Change is needed. The game needs to evolve at both domestic and international level if both clubs and the national side are to maintain competitiveness. They must rejuvenate the spirit of traditional samba style football that has somewhat inspired sides such as Universidad de Chile and Barcelona to numerous titles.

Follow Tom on Twitter @thwebber

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Rodrigo Alborno (Libertad) – age: 17; midfield

Inter Milan have a talented and exciting player on their hands.

The Round of 16 is over and my word there were some fascinating results. Just a reminder; in the knockouts ties are decided by points, if points are equal then goal difference over the two ties is used as a tie-breaker, if this is level it moves to away goals to try to split the teams, and finally if all is level then the penalty shootout will settle it. The competition progresses in a tree format so potential opponents are known straight away, similar to that of the World Cup.

Santos were the first team to advance to the 1/4 finals on points after a 1-0 win at home versus Club America followed by a goalless draw away. Indeed the home advantage was not quite the same for America as the fixture was played at alternative venue as U2 had adopted the Azteca that night. It was a very tight tie with Ganso’s goal in the first leg proving to be the distance. Santos have been one of the weaker teams throughout the competition seeming to be just doing enough to scrape through. They will need to step it up for the 1/4 finals if they wish to carry on their journey.

Santos would face the winner of Cruzeiro, the top seeded team from the Group Stages, against Once Caldas of Colombia. Cruzeiro took control in Colombia with a 2-1 win after a flurry of late goals. Cruzeiro were 2 goals to the good before Wason Renteria crossed the ball in the 87th minute and Luis Nunez got his header on target which scrambled in as Vitor could not do enough to keep the ball out. This goal would end up being crucial in deciding the tie. The teams met in Brazil for the second leg with Once running out 2-0 winners thanks to Diego Amaya opening the scoring, followed by Dayro Moreno 6 minutes later as he slammed the ball home. By this point both teams had 10 men and the end of the game was marred by some despicable playacting from Renteria. This was likely to simply waste some of the last few minutes and break the Brazilians flow, however it is a shame as Renteria has been one of the players of the tournament for me so far.

Elsewhere reigning champions Internacional were deposed by Penarol. The Uruguayans missed out on the win in Montevideo as Leandro Damiao equalised for the Brazilians to end the game 1-1. Oscar opened the scoring early on in the return leg only to have his effort cancelled out just after the break by Alejandro Martinuccio as he burst through the defence. Penarol then took the lead 5 minutes later after Luis Aguiar burnt pass two defenders on the wing allowing Olivera to finish the move off. The Uruguayans held on as Inter then pummeled the goal to try and get the two more goals they needed to survive. Damiao hit the post but it wasn’t enough and the Brazilians bowed out.

Universidad Catolica pulled off another shock with a 2-1 victory over Brazilian side Gremio in the first leg, who were reduced to 10 men with around 55 minutes remaining. Lucas Pratto got both the goals for the Chileans with what was an excellent first leg win. They secured passage to the next round with a 1-0 victory at home with a very self assured display. Milovan Mirosevic headed the winner late on to knock yet another Brazilian team out of the competition. They have a good chance of making the Semi’s as they will face Penarol, however they will need Pratto, Eluchans and Canete to be on top form.

The Cerro Porteno and Estudiantes tie was the first and only tie of this Copa to be decided by a penalty shootout. Both games finished 0-0 so the shootout was to take place in Paraguay. Juan Iturbe came on as a substitute, the 17 year old was promising but couldn’t unlock the Argentine’s defence. Ivan Torres also had a good solid game in the centre of the park for Cerro. He is also another one to watch. The Paraguayans won the shootout 5-3 by scoring all their penalties, sending another favourite out of the competition.

This meant that Cerro would face either Atletico Junior or Jaguares de Chiapas in the 1/4 finals. Despite the Colombians taking an early lead in the first leg in Mexico, Jaguares were not deterred and levelled the score, giving them a better chance to qualify. The return match in Colombia was definitely one for the neutrals. The game was in the balance continually shifting back and forth from Atletico to Jaguares. Both teams were reduced to 10 men late on with the score standing at 3-2 to the Colombians, this meant a goal would still send the Mexicans through. That is precisely what they got as Edgar Andrade scored a goal worthy of winning any game to give Jaguares a date with Cerro Porteno in the 1/4 finals.

Velez Sarsfield never looked like losing in either leg against LDU Quito. They won the first leg 3-0 but this did not put the tie beyond doubt as they had to travel to Quito for the second leg at close to 10000 feet above sea level. The game was halted for roughly 15 minutes due to issues with the floodlights at the Casa Blanca stadium. When the game resumed Ricardo Alvarez put the Argentines into the lead deep into the 17 minutes of stoppage time! This effectively ended the tie as Liga would need 5 to qualify and Ivan Bella made it a 5-0 aggregate rout for Velez in the 81st minute.

Their opponents would come from the Libertad Fluminense tie. The first leg was played in Brazil as Libertad where the higher seeded team. Fluminense won 3-1 with youngster Rodolfo Gamarra getting the away goal for the Paraguayans with an unlikely header. However, Marquinho and Conca scored goals of the highest quality to put Nense in command of the tie. It was a different story in Paraguay. Rojas opened the scoring in the 58th minute, giving Libertad the lead and offering a glimmer of hope for progression. Then Samudio scored the goal of the week in the 86th minute with a fantastic, cool and calm volley given the circumstances to put Libertad in charge as this scoreline would enable the to advance on the away goals rule. The tie was put beyond doubt by another youngster Jose Nunez in the dying moments of the game and ensure the Paraguayans ran out 3-0 winners and secure them a spot in the 1/4s against Velez.

Some shocking results have knocked out many of the big guns, including 4 of the 5 Brazilian teams, with Santos who were arguably one of the worst performers in the group stage left to carry the Brazilian torch. In the 8 ties, 5 of the teams that were knocked out were higher seeds than their opponents from the group stage. We may well have a Copa that could go anywhere now, with it becoming more likely that it will find a new home outside of Brazil or Argentina as only one side remain representing each of these countries. The upcoming games will certainly be even more intriguing as it seems impossible to predict the outcome of any of these games. The 1/4 finals shape up like this:

Santos vs Once Caldas
Cerro Porteno vs Jaguares
Libertad vs Velez
Universidad Catolica vs Penarol

The first legs will take place on May 10th with the return one week later on the 17th. Also please note that if both Cerro and Libertad qualify for the Semi’s the tree will be altered and they will face each other in that round. If the 1/4s are anything to go by then the next round of games should be great with the potential for some shock results!

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This weeks Copa saw a few more teams progress, and a few more bow out of the competition. Godoy Cruz crashed out of the competition with a 2-0 loss away to Ecuadorian side LDU Quito. A fantastic goal from Hernan Barcos as he picked the ball up in his own half, ran it to the corner and brought it back in to score the winning goal. This result meant that Independiente also fell at the Group Stages despite a 1-0 win away to Penarol. It will be great to see if Penarol can rekindle the glory of old in the knockouts with their last Libertadores win in 1987. They have great pedigree in the competition.

Santos kept their qualification hopes alive, without the suspended duo of Neymar and Elano, with a 2-1 win away to Cerro Porteno, including an absolute scorcher by Danilo. Colo Colo took advantage of the result in Paraguay to go top of Group 5, beating Deportivo Tachira at home by the same score. However, with one game left and just one point separating the top three, qualification still hangs in the balance. Santos appear to have the best chance as they face Tachira with home advantage, while anything could happen between Cerro and Colo in Chile. Both games take place on Wednesday of the 20th and will be extremely exciting climax to the group.

Cruzeiro secured top spot in Group 7 with a fantastic 3-0 win away to Estudiantes. This puts my personal favourites for the title through unbeaten, dropping just 2 points. Wallyson got on the score sheet again to bring his total in the tournament to 6. After finishing as top scorer in the 2010 Libertadores, Thiago Ribeiro continued his great scoring form too with another goal in Argentina. Elsewhere in the Group, Deportes Tolima won in Paraguay against Guarani. This game had no bearing on qualification but ensured Guarani exited the group stages without a single point.

Group 4 was also decided. Caracas narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout rounds after losing at home to Velez 3-0. This enable Universidad Catolica to win the group with a 2-1 victory over Union Espanola in Chile, in what was a very tight group. Catolica had to come from behind against the Chilean side with Marcelo Canete the catalyst. A fantastic assist and a deflected pea-roller that trickled into the bottom corner to win it. Velez will need to improve if they wish to progress through the knockouts as they will face a first placed team and have been very hit or miss in the Group stages.

Atletico Junior could only manage a 1-1 draw with Leon de Huanuco in Colombia. This gave Gremio the chance to win the Group despite Junior’s fantastic start. However, they could not capitalise and succumbed to a 3-0 loss to Oriente Petrolero in Bolivia. The Brazilians may rue the missed chance as they may face a potentially much trickier tie against a group winner. Junior will be pleased that their good form in the opening games has carried them through despite poor results in their last two games.

Goal of the week belongs to the aforementioned Danilo for his cracker that set Santos on their way to victory in Asuncion. He shrugs off a tackle then drops a shoulder to skin a player in midfield before launching an unstoppable strike. Enjoy!

The 19th and 20th of the month will play host to the final group games, all of which involve a team vying for a place in the knockouts. The conclusion to Group 3 will be superb as not one team is sure of qualification and the stand out match being Argentinos Jrs. welcoming Fluminense to the Diego Armando Maradona. It is going to be a fantastic end to the group stages so make sure you watch!

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The coming weeks will see the competition really heat up. Any reservations you had about watching South American football should be put aside now. Forget what people say about it being a lower standard than the European Game. With only a couple of games left for most teams, some still with 3, only 2 teams through to the next round and only 2 out altogether, the upcoming matches are going to be much higher stakes.

The group stages have only produced three 0-0′s in 64 games. That means that 95.3% of games have included at least one goal. Just under half the group stage matches have also included 3 or more goals. Everyone wants to see goals and it is the attacking prowess of these teams that will deliver them to fans. Defending is by no means woeful, it suggests relentless attack. These games do not stand still and will, more often than not, keep you entertained.

Don’t be put off by not knowing the teams. Go in with an open mind. You may be wondering who Oriente Petrolero are, and asking who are Leon de Huanuco?

While they may not be two of the best teams in South America, they played out a decent match this week. Oriente, the 2010 Bolivian Champions, won 2-0 to an audience of roughly 15,000 inside the Estdaio Tahuichi Aguilera. You would not have guessed it from the sound. The Bolivian fans were phenomenal, really getting behind their team, chanting and dancing continually.

Fireworks were again let off from the stands which still amazes me. The passion was truly impressive. This can make what seems like, on paper, a match between two of the lesser teams in the competition so compelling. Leon, the Peruvian Championship runners up put in a good shift, but home advantage saw Oriente through.

You may not know the teams but that is just due to a lack of marketing in Europe. It doesn’t take long to learn where the teams are from and who their best players are. Not only will it help you on Football Manager but it can offer an alternative, or supplement, to the European game.

As I mentioned before in a previous piece, it is the atmosphere can often make these games seem so special. In Asuncion, Paraguay, as already qualified Libertad faced Once Caldas of Colombia, who needed a result, in what is one of the smallest stadiums in the Copa Libertadores, you could have predicted a rather stale affair. The outcome couldn’t have been much more different. Once burst out the blocks and grabbed the opening goal through Wason Renteria, much to the crowds displeasure. After veteran striker, Nicolas Pavlovich equalised, Once went straight back ahead through Renteria, grabbing his second of the game with a stunning placed curler into the top corner.

The crowd really got behind their team and provided a great atmosphere, giving tremendous eruptions at any Libertad chance. This crescendoed as Pavlovich equalised again in the 93rd minute. This could not be matched by the single Colombian fan running about the stands waving his flag that the cameras focused on. Even in the smaller stadia, the passion is unbelievable.

I know the time difference can be a bit of a pain. It means you have to wait until about half 10 in the UK for the first game to kick off, but you could still be tucked up in bed at just gone midnight. If you haven’t considered watching one or do not know when to watch them, Wednesday March 30th is the date for Deportes Tolima – the team who knocked Corinthians out in the Preliminaries – to face Estudiantes LP. This will kick off at 23:30 UK time and should be a good game. Tolima need a win if they are to have any hope of progressing, while Estudiantes need a win in order to keep the pressure on Cruzeiro. Don’t miss it!

The pace and style of the game is so easy on the eye and very appealing. Some great moves can be created with unconstrained individual flair. There are no Emile Heskey stepovers in the Copa. Execution is often much better, even if the end product is occasionally lacking. Rodolfo Gamarra had a great game for Libertad. Through his performances, he embodies what football in South America is about. Pace, flair, confidence and style.

Goal of the week is Michael Arroyo’s cracking volley against Universidad San Martin. He played a part in every goal, scoring two and assisting the opening goal. He has been performing at a consistently high level throughout the tournament. The Ecuadorian is certainly one to watch.

There are some cracking fixtures to look forward to including:
April 4, 01:00 GMT, Gremio (BRA) vs Junior (COL)
April 5, 22:45 GMT, Independiente (ARG) vs LDU Quito (ECU)
April 6, 03:50 GMT, Club America (MEX) vs Argentinos Jrs. (ARG)
April 13, 22:30 GMT, Cerro Porteno (PAR) vs Santos (BRA)
April 13, 01:15 GMT, Estudiantes LP (ARG) vs Cruzeiro (BRA)
April 20, 01:50 GMT, Argentinos Jrs (ARG) vs Fluminense (BRA)

Give the Copa a go and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

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South America is a continent of diverse geography. From the low-lying city of Buenos Aires in Argentina, to the mountainous city of Quito, Ecuador, standing at almost 9350 feet above sea level. There is a reason behind this little geography lesson, and it has its basis in a long running debate in the region: does playing at a higher altitude provide certain teams with an unfair advantage?

Playing at a higher altitude regularly enables players to become accustomed to the thinner air, which holds less oxygen. For teams coming from low-lying areas, it can be quite an ordeal playing a full 90 minutes when there is much less oxygen available than they are used to. This can have a negative impact on a team’s performance as they tire much quicker than normally. For example, in 2009 during the World Cup Qualifying rounds Bolivia beat Brazil 2-1, Argentina 6-1. Both these games took place in La Paz, almost 12000 feet above sea level. It is the highest capital city in the world. Despite results like this, Bolivia failed to qualify and finished second from bottom of the 10 team table. They were still beaten by Venezuela and by Ecuador in La Paz.

This week saw a couple of interesting ties taking place at altitude. Jorge Wilstermann (BOL) took on reigning Copa Libertadores champions Internacional (BRA) in Cochabamba at 8500 feet, whilst LDU Quito (ECU) took on Penarol (URU). Wilstermann took an early lead in their match through Juan Ignacio Brown and it looked like it might be their night. However, he then cancelled out his effort by heading a Leandro Damiao cross into his own net. Internacional then took control, despite the altitude, and went on to win 4-1 with Damiao putting in an excellent performance. Globo Esporte had reported that the Internacional side had taken oxygen tanks with them to the team hotel to combat the conditions. Clearly it worked in this case.

Last week Penarol played LDU in Montevideo. Penarol came out on top and won 1-0 in the town by the ocean. The result of this weeks game was much different. LDU came out on top in a 5-0 thrashing of the Uruguayan team. Did playing at such an elevation cause this result for Penarol?

LDU have become a respectable side in South American football. They won the 2008 Copa and are a strong side, but they have lost both away games in their group this year, whilst winning both their home games. They failed to qualify for last years Copa however. Walter Calderon did put in a fantastic performance after coming off the bench, grabbing himself two goals, winning a penalty, and putting a ball into the box that led to an own goal. In order to avoid their performance in the competition being criticised, they need to get some good results away from home to show it isn’t just the altitude seeing them through. Judging by these results it could be argued that their results are in fact down to their home altitude advantage.

Teams can train to acclimatise to the altitude by using multiple different methods. At the end of the day quality should see you through, as it did for Internacional in Bolivia. This is also why Bolivia still struggle to qualify for World Cups. Playing at higher altitude only improves fitness and stamina, not quality. I do not believe it provides an unfair advantage. A team should not be penalised just because of where they hail from. Teams who are used to playing in more hot and humid climes do not get the same attention despite the same detrimental effects it can have on performance. In the Libertadores a team still needs to have decent away form if they are to go all the way and win the tournament.

Leon de Huanuco (PER) also drew with Gremio (BRA) at just over 6000 feet after losing 2-0 to them in Brazil. However, they did lose at home earlier in the tournament to Junior (COL) who are based by the ocean in the Northern Colombian city Barranquilla. This shows that it is not always simply down to altitude and that the result is not certain before the game has begun. Altitude can of course still have a big part to play, but many teams in South America are used to the conditions such as Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru to a certain extent. However, it remains that Argentina and Brazil are still more successful in respect to the Libertadores and International Competitions.

Elsewhere there were some great performances this week. Cruzeiro (BRA) won 6-1 against Deportes Tolima (COL) and Estudiantes (ARG) beat Guarani (PAR) 5-1 with a hat-trick from Hernan Rodrigo Lopez, including a superbly improvised headed lob. Enzo Perez had a magnificent game too as he ran the show in midfield before being substituted. There were some great contenders for goal of the week. As Elano’s 40-yard free kick has already been posted (I suggest you see it!) I thought I’d pick another. Jhasmani Campos’ strike for Oriente Petrolero (BOL) against Atletico Junior (COL) wins it, a great effort that crashed in off the bar. It is the first goal in the following clip.

This week saw the first qualifiers from the group stage. Libertad of Paraguay and Junior qualified for the last 16 while Cruzeiro and Estudiantes took huge steps towards qualification. Santos (BRA) were beaten away to Colo Colo (CHI) 3-2 in a surprise result that has left the Brazilians with it all to do to qualify. It will be interesting to see their next few games and see if they can progress.

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The Rumour

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez remains keen on Cruzeiro striker Kleber.

The 25 year-old revealed last month that Liverpool had made an offer for him.

And Globoesporte says Liverpool are still interested and Kleber could be the next to follow new Villarreal signing Nilmar to leave the Brazilian championship for a big European club.

The Source: (Globoesporte as reported on Tribalfootball.com)

The Analysis

Many sources have been quoting Rafa as being a big fan of the Cruzeiro striker Kleber for some time and now it appears that Liverpool are keen on putting in another offer to secure the former Dynamo Kiev forward, but I don’t see it happening myself.

Ask any Reds fans and they will tell you that the club could well do with another front man, either to play alongside Fernando Torres or to act as back up. This is no surprising when you consider the club is not overly blessed with other options up front. Dirk Kuyt has done a fantastic job in his new position out on the right but can of course fill in if needed, David N’Gog just doesn’t seem ready for the Premier League yet and I guess Ryan Babel could be used as an out and out striker if needed, in fact it could be a positional move that could resurrect his career.

The club also has some damn fine youngsters coming through in this area most notably in the shape of Krisztián Németh. There is no doubting that Kleber has talent but at 25 he is hardly up and coming and relatively inexperienced when it comes to European football and therefore in many ways would be a risky signing to make.

The Likelihood

Kleber to Liverpool: Don’t see it happening.

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The Rumour

White-hot Cruzeiro striker Kleber claims to have an offer on the table from Liverpool.

The 25-year-old Brazilian frontman has been on an absolute tear since returning to his homeland from Dynamo Kiev in February, tallying an astonishing 19 goals in as many games.

It was inevitable that European teams would come knocking again based on his sensational strike-rate, and the Premier League runners-up look to have budged to the front of the queue.

“I have a proposal from Liverpool for 7million euros (£6m). We are analysing [it]” Kleber revealed to SporTV, while being sure to stress that his first choice would be to remain at Belo Horizonte.

“I want to stay,” he insisted.”If Cruzeiro offer the same amount, or we talk, I’d prefer to stay. But we haven’t talked yet”.

The Source: (goal.com)

The Analysis

Kleber appears to be a very confident man. Holding his current employers who signed him from Dynamo Kiev and Liverpool to ransom, but I doubt very much whether Rafa will pursue this for too much longer.

The striker has indeed been in great form since returning to Brazil but we are still talking about a player who is yet to be capped by his national team at age 25 and also there is some doubting the quality of the national league’s quality hence the need for some clubs to send scouts repeatedly to keep an eye on the players exploits.

I think the players attitude needs to be questioned if these quotes are indeed accurate and I very much doubt whether the Cruzeiro man will get the move he clearly wishes to engineer.

The Likelihood

Kleber to Liverpool: Nope!

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Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima, the original Ronaldo, is often looked down upon as a man who never truly made the most of what he had, often through media pressures and bad injuries. However, examine his career in statistics, not headlines, and it tells a different story:

• All-time top scorer in World Cup Finals
• Three time World Player Of The Year
• Four World Cup tournaments, three finals, one single-handed win
• Trophies in four countries with six different clubs

When you finish that list, you begin to understand why I consider Ronaldo alongside players like Paolo Maldini for this series. Although he was caught up in a ridiculous scandal in recent months, nothing takes away from what this man has achieved.

As would happen with many South American players in the future, Ronaldo was plucked from Cruzeiro at the age of 17 to play in Europe for PSV Eindhoven. He had scored 12 goals in 13 games, and this was enough for PSV and the Brazil national team to sit up, take note and give him his chance. The $6 million PSV paid Cruzeiro would seem like a bargain as, over two seasons, Ronaldo terrorised Dutch defences with an incredible 55 goals in 57 games. He won the World Player Of The Year award for 1996, the youngest ever winner at just 19.

Barcelona, led by English manager Sir Bobby Robson, swooped for Ronaldo. He repaid them by firing 47 goals in 49 appearances, keeping up his phenomenal scoring rate of just under one every game. After winning the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup with Barca in 1996/97, he was once again named the best player in the world. Ronaldo moved on again, this time for a world record fee, to Serie A.

Inter Milan paid Barcelona £18 million for Ronaldo’s services in 1997, beating the £15 million Newcastle United paid for Alan Shearer in 1995. He continued his scoring feats, with 34 goals in 47 appearances in the 1997/98 season, culminating in winning the UEFA Cup.

Staying with Inter, he travelled to France ’98 with World champions Brazil. The world was watching. They wanted to see this talented 22-year-old tear the world apart and fire Brazil to a second-successive World Cup trophy. It all went to plan. All of it, except the final. Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit the night before and the media went into a frenzy as to why he had suffered a fit and if he would play. He was to be excluded by coach Mario Zagallo, before pleading to play. He did. But not well. He was a shadow of his former self and, not helped by a collision with France keeper Fabian Barthez, was lethargic, off-pace and nowhere near peak condition. Brazil lost 3-0 and Ronaldo began a dark period in his career.

He returned to Inter, continuing his goalscoring with 14 in 20 league appearances, but suffered a ruptured tendon in his right knee and would require surgery. He was ruled out for the 1998/99 season. On his comeback in April 2000, he suffered the same injury again. Once again he was out for the season. After two operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo returned to the Inter Milan first team. His aim was to regain his fitness in time for the 2002 World Cup. He returned and showed his class once again, scoring 7 goals in 10 league games.

Brazil went to the 2002 World Cup having only just qualifed, but Ronaldo led the team once more and scored in every round, bar the quarter-finals against England, as Brazil reached the final. Ronaldo then laid to rest the ghosts of his injuries and the 1998 Final with a solo performance to beat Germany 2-0, scoring both goals. He was named 2002 World Player of the Year. Ronaldo was back.

He joined European Champions Real Madrid’s ‘galacticos’ for £25m after the World Cup, scoring twice on his debut. He stayed at Madrid for four-and-a-half years, scoring 102 goals and endearing himself to Real’s fans. He moved on, perhaps for the final time of his career, to Ac Milan in January 2007 for around £5 million, although injuries have overshadowed his return to the San Siro.

He was cup-tied for their run to the 2007 Champions League trophy, the closest he ever got in his phenomenal career. He will go down as one of the greatest players to have never won Europe’s greatest prize, although he can console himself with his three World Player of the Year trophies and his World Cup winner’s medal.

If he is not respected for the sheer amount of trophies he was won and goals he has scored, then surely it should be for his determination to return from such a crippling injury, twice, to reach the heights he had before, World Player of the Year. Thus, he must be considered a living legend.