Only Good Stickers: Copa Sudamericana 2011

venerdì 8 novembre 2013

Copa Sudamericana 2011 - Nuevo Siglo

This is the first album dedicated to the "Copa Sudamericana", a competition between South American clubs organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. This cup is the second most prestigious competition in the South American football, behind the Copa Libertadores. There are teams partecipating from 10 different countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The album we present here was published by Nuevo Siglo in Uruguay and Mexico. It is a simple album, both for graphics and teams/players details, but it includes together with some of the best South American football stars some teams that never appeared on other sticker albums.

Opening the album there is the table of content on the left and the presentation of the album on the right. The first stickers appear on the following pages. There are four collage pictures placed each on one page of the album about the Copa Sudamericana logo (4 stickers), the Trophy (6 stickers), the ball "Balòn Oficial" (4 stickers), and the championsof 2010 Independiente (4 stickers).

The first teams to appear on the album are the one partecipating in the first stage of the competition (Pre-Sudamericana). For each of these clubs there are 4 stickers (club badge, uniform and 2x team squad). These 16 clubs appear in this order: San Josè (Bolivia), Nacional (Paraguay), Universidad César Vallejo (Peru), Santa Fé (Colombia), Universidad de Chile (Chile), Fénix (Uruguay), Deportivo de Quito (Ecuador), Anzoàtegui (Venezuela), Olimpia (Paraguay), The Strongest (Bolivia), La Equidad (Colombia), Juan Aurich (Peru), Bella Vista (Uruguay), Universidad Catòlica (Chile), Yaracuyanos (Venezuela), LDU Quito (Ecuador).

It is particular to notice that the final of the tournament 2011 was between Universidad de Chile and LDU Quito, two teams that started the competition in the first stage. Universidad de Chile won 1-0 in Quito with a goal of E. Vargas and 3-0 (Vargas (2), Lorenzetti) six days later in Santiago, rising the Copa Sudamericana's cup. It was December 14, 2011.

The 23 teams that started the competition from the second stage have one full page of the album each. For each team we have 14 stickers: club badge, stadium, uniform, and 11 players. The teams appear with this order: Nacional (Uru), Estudiantes (Arg), Arsenal (Arg), Flamengo (Bra), Sao Paulo (Bra), Palmeiras (Bra), Vasco da Gama (Bra), Botafogo (Bra), Atletico MG (Bra), Atletico PR (Bra), Cearà (Bra), Argentinos Jrs (Arg), Velez (Arg), Independiente (Arg), Lanus (Arg), Godoy Cruz (Arg), Libertad (Par), Universitario (Per), Deportivo Cali (Col), Emelec (Ecu), Trujillanos (Ven), Aurora (Bol), Iquique (Chi). These teams, which are mostly from Argentina (7) and Brasil (8), were quite disappointing in the competition; only Velez and Vasco da Gama reached the semifinals.

Some well known players have a sticker in this album: Alvaro Recoba (ex Inter back to Nacional), Veron (Estudiantes), Ronaldinho (Flamengo), the Sao Paulo trio Casemiro (now at Real Madrid), Lucas (now at PSG) and Rivaldo (ex Barcelona and Milan), Juninho Pernambucano (Vasco, ex Lyon), German Denis (Independiente, now at Atalanta), and Andy Polo (young prospect of Universitario).