Libertadores de América Cup 2011 Schedule

First Round

Corinthians (Brasil) - Alianza Lima (Perú) - Cerro Porteño (Paraguay) - Bolívar (Bolivia) - Independiente (Argentina) - Liverpool (Uruguay)

Deportes Tolima (Colombia) - Jaguares de Chiapas (México) - Deportivo Petare (Venezuela) - Unión Española (Chile) - Deportivo Quito (Ecuador) - Grêmio (Brasil)

G1

26/1: Corinthians - Tolima

2/2: Tolima - Corinthians

G2

26/1: Alianza Lima - Jaguares de Chiapas

1/2: Jaguares de Chiapas - Alianza Lima

G3

27/1: Cerro Porteño - Dep. Petare

3/2: Dep. Petare - Cerro Porteño

G4

27/1: Bolívar - Unión Española

3/2: Unión Española - Bolívar

G5

25/1: Independiente - Dep. Quito

1/2: Dep. Quito - Independiente

G6

26/1: Liverpool - Grêmio

2/2: Grêmio - Liverpool

Second Round

Group 1

Universidad de San Martín de Porres (Perú) - Libertad (Paraguay) - Once Caldas (Colombia) - San Luis (México)

15/2: San Luis - Libertad

16/2: Once Caldas - Univ. de San Martín

22/2: Univ. de San Martín - San Luis

22/2: Once Caldas - Libertad

2/3: San Luis - Once Caldas

8/3: Libertad - Univ. de San Martín

15/3: Univ. de San Martín - Libertad

15/3: Once Caldas - San Luis

22/3: Libertad - Once Caldas

22/3: San Luis - Univ. de San Martín

19/4: Libertad - San Luis

19/4: Univ. de San Martín - Once Caldas

Group 2

Junior (Colombia) - Oriente Petrolero (Bolivia) - León de Huánuco (Perú) - G6

17/2: León de Huánuco - Junior

17/2: G6 - Oriente Petrolero

23/2: León de Huánuco - Oriente Petrolero

24/2: Junior - G6

3/3: G6 - León de Huánuco

8/3: Oriente Petrolero - Junior

15/3: León de Huánuco - G6

17/3: Junior - Oriente Petrolero

24/3: Oriente Petrolero - León de Huánuco

5/4: G6 - Junior

14/4: Oriente Petrolero - G6

14/4: Junior - León de Huánuco

Group 3

Argentinos Juniors (Argentina) - Nacional (Uruguay) - Fluminense (Brasil) - América (México)

9/2: Fluminense - Argentinos Jrs.

15/2: América - Nacional

23/3: Fluminense - Nacional

24/2: Argentinos Jrs. - América

2/3: Nacional - Argentinos Jrs.

2/3: América - Fluminense

15/3: Argentinos Jrs. - Nacional

23/3: Fluminense - América

6/4: Nacional - Fluminense

6/4: América - Argentinos Jrs.

20/4: Nacional - América

20/4: Argentinos Jrs. - Fluminense

Group 4

Caracas FC (Venezuela) - Universidad Católica (Chile) - Vélez Sarsfield (Argentina) - G4

15/2: Vélez Sarsfield - Caracas FC

16/2: G4 - Universidad Católica

3/3: Vélez Sarsfield - Universidad Católica

3/3: Caracas FC - G4

9/3: Universidad Católica - Caracas FC

10/3: G4 - Vélez Sarsfield

22/3: Caracas FC - Universidad Católica

24/3: Vélez Sarsfield - G4

7/4: G4 - Caracas FC

7/4: Universidad Católica - Vélez Sarsfield

14/4: Universidad Católica - G4

14/4: Caracas FC - Vélez Sarsfield

Group 5

Santos (Brasil) - Colo Colo (Chile) - Deportivo Táchira (Venezuela) - G3

15/2: Dep. Táchira - Santos

17/2: G3 - Colo Colo

1/3: Dep. Táchira - Colo Colo

2/3: Santos - G3

10/3: G3 - Dep. Táchira

16/3: Colo Colo - Santos

5/4: Dep. Táchira - G3

6/4: Santos - Colo Colo

12/4: Colo Colo - Dep. Táchira

13/4: G3 - Santos

20/4: Santos - Dep. Táchira

20/4: Colo Colo - G3

Group 6

Internacional (Brasil) - Jorge Wilstermann (Bolivia) - Emelec (Ecuador) - G2

16/2: Emelec - Internacional

16/2: G2 - Jorge Wilstermann

22/2: Emelec - Jorge Wilstermann

23/2: Internacional - G2

8/3: G2 - Emelec

16/3: Jorge Wilstermann - Internacional

16/3: Emelec - G2

30/3: Internacional - Jorge Wilstermann

6/4: G2 - Internacional

7/4: Jorge Wilstermann - Emelec

19/4: Jorge Wilstermann - G2

19/4: Internacional - Emelec

Group 7

Estudiantes de La Plata (Argentina) - Guaraní (Paraguay) - Cruzeiro (Brasil) - G1

9/2: G1 - Guaraní

16/2: Cruzeiro - Estudiantes de LP

22/2: Cruzeiro - Guaraní

23/2: Estudiantes de LP - G1

2/3: G1 - Cruzeiro

9/3: Guaraní - Estudiantes de LP

16/3: Cruzeiro - G1

17/3: Estudiantes de LP - Guaraní

30/3: G1 - Estudiantes de LP

31/3: Guaraní - Cruzeiro

13/4: Estudiantes de LP - Cruzeiro

13/4: Guaraní - G1

Group 8

LDU de Quito (Ecuador) - Peñarol (Uruguay) - Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba (Argentina) - G5

17/2: Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba - LDU de Quito

24/2: G5 - Peñarol

1/3: Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba - Peñarol

3/3: LDU de Quito - G5

9/3: Peñarol - LDU de Quito

10/3: G5 - Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba

17/3: LDU de Quito - Peñarol

23/3: Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba - G5

31/3: Peñarol - Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba

5/4: G5 - LDU de Quito

12/4: Peñarol - G5

12/4: LDU de Quito - Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba

Round of 16 (27/4 y 4/5 *)

1 - 16 - A

2 - 15 - B

3 - 14 - C

4 - 13 - D

5 - 12 - E

6 - 11 - F

7 - 10 - G

8 - 9 - H

Quarter Finals (11/5 y 18/5)

A - H - S1

B - G - S2

C - F - S3

D - E - S4

Semifinals (25/5 y 1/6 **)

S1 - S4

S2 - S3

Finals (15/6 y 22/6)

Libertadores de América Cup Winners

Year // Champion

1960 Peñarol

1961 Peñarol

1962 Santos

1963 Santos

1964 Independiente

1965 Independiente

1966 Peñarol

1967 Racing

1968 Estudiantes de La Plata

1969 Estudiantes de La Plata

1970 Estudiantes de La Plata

1971 Nacional

1972 Independiente

1973 Independiente

1974 Independiente

1975 Independiente

1976 Cruzeiro

1977 Boca Juniors

1978 Boca Juniors

1979 Olimpia

1980 Nacional

1981 Flamengo

1982 Peñarol

1983 Grêmio

1984 Independiente

1985 Argentinos Juniors

1986 River Plate

1987 Peñarol

1988 Nacional

1989 Atlético Nacional

1990 Olimpia

1991 Colo Colo

1992 São Paulo

1993 São Paulo

1994 Vélez Sarsfield

1995 Grêmio

1996 River Plate

1997 Cruzeiro

1998 Vasco da Gama

1999 Palmeiras

2000 Boca Juniors

2001 Boca Juniors

2002 Olimpia

2003 Boca Juniors

2004 Once Caldas

2005 São Paulo

2006 Internacional

2007 Boca Juniors

2008 LDU (Quito)

2009 Estudiantes de La Plata

2010 Internacional

Leadership, confidence lacking in French World Cup camp ahead of Uruguay game

France is struggling for leadership and confidence with four days remaining before its opening World Cup group game against Uruguay.

Coach Raymond Domenech's team looks rudderless in comparison to 2006 when it united behind Zinedine Zidane's inspired leadership to reach the final.

Former captain Thierry Henry is on the bench and Patrice Evra was only recently given the armband.

There is mounting expectation that the current crop of players is bound to flop and winger Sidney Govou says that France will only improve by pulling together quickly.

"We're lacking this little something for us to be a good team, a very good team," Govou said Monday. "This won't happen if we shoot each other down, putting the blame on such and such."

Some critics, like former France defender Marcel Desailly, are predicting the worst for Domenech's team.

Desailly played alongside Zidane when France won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship two years later.

A decade on, he is an outspoken media pundit. In his newspaper column for a South Africa's Sunday Times, he drew bleak and unfavourable comparisons with the team of four years ago. Desailly even predicted Domenech's team would not qualify from the group stage. Mexico and host South Africa are also in Group A.

"In 2006, the spine of the team was Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry — experienced players," Desailly wrote. "The young generation should be bringing enthusiasm but it's just not there."

Desailly questions the wisdom of Domenech's sudden decision to switch from a defensive 4-2-3-1 formation to a more attacking 4-3-3 lineup only two weeks ago, suggesting it was arranged too hastily and has confused the players.

"They are now at the end of their preparation and should be at their best, but I'm annoyed that we still don't have a starting lineup and are undecided over tactics," said Desailly, who played 116 times for France. "A team that's going to win the World Cup should already know these things."

Domenech appears to have left the team largely to its own devices, with the players expected to find the answers.

"We don't have any instructions, we don't have any restrictions," Govou said. "We need to make this 4-3-3 system work, so that we play as well as possible in defence or in attack."

The new system started brightly enough when France beat Costa Rica 2-1 two weeks ago, but France then drew 1-1 at Tunisia and lost 1-0 against China last Friday.

"We're obviously disappointed by our last two matches," Govou said. "We have problems in a collective sense, (problems) playing collectively all the time."

France is crying out for a leader to step in and sort things out, but circumstances have worked against the team.

Henry was dropped to the bench by Domenech for the three warmup matches and therefore has been unable to rally the team on the field, while veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira was not picked in Domenech's squad.

Henry had a poor season for Barcelona, used sparingly as a substitute to now lack match fitness. Now that he's been benched and with Vieira out of the squad, Domenech had to find a captain. Evra was chosen after his outstanding season for Manchester United.

Arsenal defender William Gallas had previously led France on two occasions. As the most senior player in Domenech's starting team with more than 80 appearances, many expected him to receive the captain's armband with Henry and Vieira missing.

But Domenech had doubts over Gallas' fitness following his difficult recovery from a calf tear. Some French reports speculate that Gallas is deeply unhappy with the decision, although the player has not spoken to the media.

Desailly feels there are no longer enough influential France players around.

"You need a team of leaders to win the World Cup," Desailly said.

While some France players insist the team does have strong leadership, they do not sound very convincing.

"Thierry (Henry) is a leader, William Gallas is a leader, Pat Evra is (one as well) ... I could name you a lot of leaders," France midfielder Alou Diarra said. "Franck (Ribery) is a leader ... I could name you a lot of leaders."

Diarra's statement merely underlines how no one truly stands out as a natural leader, the way Zidane did in 2006.

South Africa 2010 t-shirts, colours, kits

All the National squads are ready, at least his t-shirts.

Brands Standings:

Adidas: 12 National Teams

Nike: 9

Puma:7

Hummel (North Korea)

Joma (Honduras)

Brooks (Chile)

Umbro (England)

All t-shirts:

GROUP A

South Africa

México

Uruguay

France

GROUP B

Argentina

Nigeria

South Korea

Grecia

GROUP C

England

United States

Algeria

ESlovenia

GROUP D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

GROUP E

The Netherlands

Denmak

Japan

Cameroon

GROUP F

Italy

Paraguay

New Zealand

Slovak Republic

GROUP G

Brazil

North Korea

Ivory Coast

Portugal

GROUP H

Spain

Switzerland

Honduras

Chile

Diego Forlán in; Cristian “Cebolla” Rodriguez left out of World Cup squad

The absence of Porto forward Cristian Rodríguez was the only surprise in Uruguay's 26-man preliminary World Cup squad announced Monday.

Among the players called up by coach Oscar Washington Tabarez were strikers Diego Forlan of Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez of Ajax and Botafogo's Sebastian Abreu, along with defender and captain Diego Lugano of Turkish club Fenerbahce.

The list, which will be reduced to 23 men by June 1, included only four Uruguay-based players. Rodríguez was suspended for four games after receiving a red card in the last match of the South American qualifying campaign and missed the two-legged playoff that secured Uruguay's qualification. The ban meant he would have missed the first two games in South Africa.

Suárez, top scorer with Dutch club Ajax this season, said Monday playing in a World Cup was "the maximum".

Uruguay squad:

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Juan Castillo (Deportivo Cali), Martín Silva (Defensor Sporting).

Defenders: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Andrés Scotti (Colo Colo), Jorge Fucile (Porto), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica).

Midfielders: Walter Gargano (Napoli), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Peñarol), Sebastian Eguren (AIK Stockholm), Diego Pérez (Monaco), Alvaro Pereira (Porto), Alvaro Fernández (Universidad de Chile), Jorge Rodríguez (River Plate), Álvaro González (Nacional), Ignacio González (Valencia), Nicolás Lodeiro (Ajax).

Forwards: Luis Suárez (Ajax), Diego Forlán (Atlético Madrid), Sebastián Abreu (Botafogo), Edinson Cavani (Palermo), Jorge Martínez (Catania) Sebastián Fernández (Banfield).