Brazilian clubs have won seven straight Copa Libertadores titles, a run without precedent in South American football, even as the national team has struggled on the World Cup stage. This week that streak faces its sternest test, as defending champions Flamengo open their semifinal against Argentina's Estudiantes de La Plata, the lone side left capable of derailing another Brazilian coronation in Montevideo on Nov. 28.
Brazil's Grip on the Continent
One Brazilian finalist is already guaranteed. Palmeiras and Fluminense meet over two legs for a place in the final, with the winner likely to face Flamengo in a rematch of last year's showpiece - or, should Fluminense advance, an all-Rio "Fla-Flu" final on foreign soil. Either scenario would extend a decade in which Palmeiras and Flamengo, in particular, have dominated Brazilian and continental competition alike, including this year's chase for the domestic title.
Where Are River Plate and Boca Juniors?
What makes this year's Libertadores notable is the absence of Argentina's two traditional giants from the title picture. River Plate failed even to qualify for this year's Libertadores and were eliminated early from the Copa Sudamericana by Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe, despite the financial lift from last year's Club World Cup and their newly expanded stadium. Boca Juniors endured a poor first half of the season, finishing third in their Libertadores group before rallying in the Sudamericana, where they now face Vasco da Gama in the semifinals of that competition. Neither has the resources edge translated into continental contention this year.
Estudiantes Carry Argentina's Hopes - Again
That leaves Estudiantes, a club with pedigree far exceeding its modest size, to fly Argentina's flag. Estudiantes won three consecutive Libertadores titles between 1968 and 1970 under the inspiration of Juan Ramón Verón, long before River or Boca had lifted the trophy, and added a fourth in 2009 with his son, Juan Sebastián Verón, running the midfield. Verón Jr. is now the club's president, and the current squad - featuring Guido Carrillo, Joaquín Correa, veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and the returning Marcos Rojo - plays with the same resilience that has defined the club's history.
The two sides are no strangers. Flamengo needed penalties to eliminate Estudiantes in last year's quarterfinal, and this year's group stage produced a narrow aggregate edge for the Brazilians, decided by a single Muslera error in Rio. Estudiantes have twice needed late goals to survive this year's knockout rounds, underlining a team built on fight rather than financial muscle. Whether that is enough to stop Flamengo - and with it, an eighth straight Brazilian triumph - will become clearer when the first leg kicks off in La Plata on Thursday.
