[colocolo]

The ENTIRE Tourney is goinn to be played in Iquique ... :lazy:

CONFEDERACIÓN SUDAMERICANA DE FÚTBOL / SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION

Sudamericano Sub-17 Chile 2009 - Programa de Partidos
South American U-17 Championship Chile 2009 - Match Schedule

1a. FASE / 1st. STAGE
Nº FECHA SEDE GRUPO
No. DATE VENUE GROUP

1 17/04/2009 Iquique PARAGUAY vs. BRASIL A
2 17/04/2009 Iquique BOLIVIA vs. COLOMBIA A

3 18/04/2009 Iquique ARGENTINA vs. VENEZUELA B
4 18/04/2009 Iquique CHILE vs. URUGUAY B

5 20/04/2009 Iquique PARAGUAY vs. BOLIVIA A
6 20/04/2009 Iquique BRASIL vs. PERÚ A

7 21/04/2009 Iquique VENEZUELA vs. ECUADOR B
8 21/04/2009 Iquique ARGENTINA vs. CHILE B

9 23/04/2009 Iquique PARAGUAY vs. PERÚ A
10 23/04/2009 Iquique BRASIL vs. COLOMBIA A

11 24/04/2009 Iquique ARGENTINA vs. ECUADOR B
12 24/04/2009 Iquique VENEZUELA vs. URUGUAY B

13 26/04/2009 Iquique PARAGUAY vs. COLOMBIA A
14 26/04/2009 Iquique BOLIVIA vs. PERÚ A

15 27/04/2009 Iquique ARGENTINA vs. URUGUAY B
16 27/04/2009 Iquique CHILE vs. ECUADOR B

17 29/04/2009 Iquique BRASIL vs. BOLIVIA A
18 29/04/2009 Iquique COLOMBIA vs. PERÚ A

19 30/04/2009 Iquique URUGUAY vs. ECUADOR B
20 30/04/2009 Iquique VENEZUELA vs. CHILE B

FASE FINAL / FINAL STAGE
Nº FECHA SEDE
No. DATE VENUE

21 03/05/2009 Iquique 2do. B vs. 3ro. A
22 03/05/2009 Iquique 2do. A vs. 3ro. B
23 03/05/2009 Iquique 1ro. A vs. 1ro. B

24 06/05/2009 Iquique 3ro. A vs. 3ro. B
25 06/05/2009 Iquique 2do. A vs. 2do. B

26 09/05/2009 Iquique 2do. A vs. 3ro. A
27 09/05/2009 Iquique 2do. B vs. 3ro. B

Observación: el nº de los partidos no es definitivo, sino que dependerá de la programación final, con los horarios de inicio de los encuentros.
Note: match numbers are yet to be confirmed. They will depend on the final schedule (including kick-off times).

 

[colocolo]

17th of April...Getting closer to the kick-Off !!!!

 

[Assassin]

Yes. I personally can't wait to see Villalba, Aruajo, Lamela and co in action. I think Argentina has a fair chance of winning the whole thing.

 

[colocolo]

They also need to grow-up really fast...the Main team needs new blood in a hurry !!! :cap:

 

[Assassin]

They need new lungs not blood.

 

[colocolo]

Hey...Height is NOT a problem...Discipline is !!!!!

 

[Assassin]

How high is the stadium in Chile?

 

[colocolo]

How high is the stadium in Chile?

Santiago is no more than a couple of hundred meters above sea level...Other than Calama and El Salvador where 2 Professional Teams play in Chile...all or cities are almost sea level...So heights are not our bag of tea.

Iquique is right next to the Pacific Ocean ... 1 to 5 mtrs (If that much) above the water.

 

[colocolo]

How high is the stadium in Chile?

What the heck....Pooh...I just did a search..and this is what I found...basically what I told you earlier:

~Santiago is located at 543 meters above sea level, in Chile's central zone, 2,051 kms south of Arica, the country's northernmost city and 3,141 kms. north of Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world. The Pacific Ocean is located a hundred kilometers away and the Andean Mountain Range. 40 kms ~

I lived In the Valparaiso-Viña del Mar area and that is dirctly at the Pacific side :thumbsup:

 

[Assassin]

Good. Then no altitude shyte problems for the boys

 

[colocolo]

Not at all...And whats even better..NO humidity... Chile has very dry climate..Specially there Antofagasta and Iquique just N of the Atacama Desert

 

[colocolo]

I cant tell how old this picture is...But here is where all the games are to be played...The Name of the Stadium is "Tierra de Campeones" translated to "Land of Champions"




I will try to see if I can get a better and bigger shot of the Venue ...

 

[colocolo]

Estadio "Tierra de Campeones"

 

[colocolo]

Colombia

Apr 12, 2009

A year of hard work will come together when Colombia arrive in Chile from Bogota on Tuesday April 17th

Earlier this year, Colombia met South America rivals Bolivia and Peru with mixed results.

A 2-1 defeat to Bolivia was put to bed when Colombia played Peru two days later. Even though Peru managed to take the lead Colombia fought back in fine fashion, running out 5-1 winners.

During this quadrangular tournament, Colombia also beat Costa Rica 1-0

Colombia now meet Bolivia and Peru in Group A along with Brazil and Paraguay and will hope their experience will count against the opposition.

The Coffee Growers have come to the fore in the recent history of the South American U-17 championships. In the past three tournaments Colombia have finished third, fourth and more recently second in 2007.

Two years ago, it was a lean defence that allowed the Colombians to keep pace with tournament winners Brazil and book a place at the following World Cup.

A tough group awaited Colombia in Korea as they were drawn alongside eventual semi-finalists Germany and Ghana.

After a thrilling 3-3 draw with Germany and a 5-0 tonking of Trinidad & Tobago, they bowed out after a narrow defeat to Ghana in the final group game.

Unfortunately for Colombia, they have failed to get out of their group on three of the four occasions they have reached the U-17 World Cup.

The one time they did reach the knockout stages came at the 2003 World Cup in Finland. On their way to a fourth place finish, Colombia had the audacity to spank their hosts 9-1 during the group stage.

Colombia are one of only four teams to win the South American U-17 championships. Their single victory came in 1993 when they played host to the tournament.

Their fans will hope that this current crop can continue the country’s proud tradition at this level.

Fixtures

17/4 vs. Bolivia
21/4 vs. Brazil
24/4 vs. Paraguay
30/4 vs. Peru

Star Player

Edwin Cardona - Club Atlético Nacional (COL) – Aged 16

Colombia's main strength in big games may be the counter-attack, which will require the kind of pace and potency that could make Edwin Cardona, a striker who can create his own chances and convert them, an invaluable asset.

In a recent friendly tournament, Cardona found the net three times in two days as he terrorized the backlines of Peru and Bolivia.

His presence on the teamsheet maybe enough to tip the physiological advantage towards Colombia before a ball is kicked when the teams meet again in Chile.

Coach

Ramiro Viafara came into the job last year after replacing the popular Eduardo Lana as head coach of the U-17 side.

Lana guided Colombia to the World Cup finals in 2007 and 2003 and Viáfara will have to go some to replicate these achievements.

Viafara has had the squad together for a month before the tournament and will hope that the work he and his coaches have done pays off when the tournament roles around.

Viafara´s assistant coach, Harold Rivera, took time out to comment on the expectations within the team for this year’s tournament in Iquique.

“We have done important work with the boys so far,” the former pro said. “We’re training hard to achieve qualification to the World Cup in Nigeria.”

Squad

To be confirmed

 

[colocolo]

Uruguay


Apr 12, 2009

Uruguay arrive in Chile hoping to disrupt the natural order of things in South America.

The majority of the squad were present at the U-15 equivalent of the tournament two years ago. On that occasion, Uruguay finished second only to hosts Brazil and the same players are looking forward to a rematch on neutral ground.

Off the back of his performances in 2007, Uruguayan captain Diego Polenta was snapped up by the Italian outfit Genoa. The defensive lynchpin looked in fine form recently in friendlies against Bolivia and the U.S.A.

Uruguay played out a one-all draw with Bolivia but came alive two days later, putting the States to the sword by three goals to one.

Overseas interest has also come looking at forwards Jhon Pirez and Nicholas Mezquida, from Chelsea and Schalke 04 respectively.

Another striker, Emiliano González has crossed the Rio de la Plata to sign for River Plate, so there’s plenty of pedigree up front as well as in defence for Uruguay.

A good showing will make a welcome change for Uruguay at u-17 level. In their domestic championships, they have finished second twice, third twice and fourth once, but have never won the competition.

A major stumbling block for Uruguay in gaining qualification for the previous u-17 World Cups has been the dominance of Argentina and especially Brazil.

On the three occasions that La Celeste have reached the u-17 World Cup, the best they have managed was the quarter-finals, but there is real hope that this group can improve on that.

Uruguay can draw inspiration from their u-20 squad which pushed Brazil all the way at their championships earlier this year.

Even though the Sudamericano was eventually won by Brazil for the tenth time, it was Uruguay who scored the most goals and played the better football.

Fixtures

18/4 vs. Chile
24/4 vs. Venezuela
27/4 vs. Argentina
30/4 vs. Ecuador

Star Player

Diego Polenta - Genoa (ITA) – Aged 16

Diego Polenta has been in outstanding form for various Uruguay youth teams for many years now.

After captaining the u-15 side which finished second in Brazil two years ago, Polenta has graduated to take the armband at u-17 level.

In that time he has also been snapped up by Serie A´s Genoa and he hopes to join his countryman Ruben Olivera in the first team, sooner rather than later.

Polenta's main asset is his strength which, in junior football, allows him to easily out-muscle opposition attackers and snuff out attacks.

He also proved his worth at the other end of the field in a recent 3-1 friendly win over the U.S.A. A free-kick was sent into the box and Polenta leapt highest to nod the ball back across the face of goal, leaving Emiliano Gonzalez with the simplest of finishes.

Polenta´s bulk may mark him out at youth level but this advantage will diminish more and more as he nears senior football. It will be important for the defender to show off the finer aspects of his game at the tournament and prove there is more to his play than bulk alone.

Coach


Roland Marcenaro is being given another chance to coach the u-17 side after a disappointing showing two years ago.

At the 2007 u-17 championships in Ecuador, Marcenaro´s team failed to get out of their first round group. They trounced Venezuela in the first game but failed to go on and pick up another win.

Despite Marcenaro “putting all the meat on the grill” his side eventually finished fourth, behind Venezuela, who advanced ahead of Uruguay.

What makes the poor showing more alarming is that this year many of the same players managed to light up the South American u-20 championships.

Now Marcenaro inherits a group which performed excellently at u-15 level and with real expectation behind them.

Preparation seems to have gone well but in a recent 1-1 draw with Bolivia, the side seemed to lack the guile to land the killer blows to finish the game.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Salvador Ichazo (Danubio F.C.), Kevin Blanco (C. Nacional de F.)

Defenders: Ramón Arias (Defensor Sporting), Diego Polenta (Genoa ITA), Bruno Marchelli (C. Nacional de F.), Santiago Pereyra (C. Nacional de F.), Gastón Silvera (Defensor Sporting), Sebastián Sellanes (C. Nacional de F.)

Midfielders: Luis Miguel de los Santos (Danubio F.C.), Sebastián Gallegos (Danubio F.C.), Ignacio Avilés (Danubio F.C.), Nicolás Mezquida (C.A. Peñarol), Sebastián Rodríguez (Danubio F.C.), Nicolás Prieto (C. Nacional de F.)

Forwards: Emiliano González (C.A. River Plate), Octavio Rivero (Defensor Sporting), Jhon Pírez (Defensor Sporting), Bernardo Laureiro (Defensor Sporting), Gonzalo Barreto (Danubio F.C.), Adrián Luna (Defensor Sporting)

 

[colocolo]

Argentina

Apr 12, 2009

Great Expectations

The mood in the Argentine camp is high coming into this year’s tournament in Iquique, Chile. In their final preparation game Jose Luis Brown’s side swotted opposition from Guatemala 8-0 in Buenos Aires. Eduardo Rotondi bagged a brace while Gonzalo Olid Apaza, Esteban Orfano, Daniel Villalva, Matías Sosa, Sebastián González and Sergio Araujo all got a goal apiece.

Such a result has served to swell the confidence in the camp, which was already overflowing after Argentina beat the U.S.A 5-1 a week before. Again Villalva, Sosa and Rotondi got on the scoresheet, along with Jorge Balbuena plus an own goal by US captain Perry Kitchen.

These teenagers seemed to have an inbuilt appreciation of the game and their movement is frightening. They may well be due to come up against far tougher opposition than Guatemala or the U.S.A. when they arrive in Chile but still nothing less than qualification for the World Cup in Nigeria will do.

Even though Argentina have never reached the final of the U-17 World Cup, they have made it to the semis four times.

With so may of the squad signed up to top domestic clubs such as River Plate and Boca Juniors, it is little wonder the quality and potential the Argentines are able to field.

They can boast a classic little and large combination upfront with the towering Araujo and the short, stocky Daniel Villalva. And coach Jose Luis Brown is pleased with how the duo have been working together so far.


“We have a mix of little players and big ones,” said the World Cup winner. “A very good balance. The little guys play quickly and it is an advantage to the whole team.”

One setback for the Argentines is an injury to teenage sensation Eric Lamela. The River Plate junior was offered £100,000 a month to sign for Barcelona four years ago but seems to have lost his race to be fit for the tournament.

Fixtures

18/4 vs. Venezuela
21/4 vs. Chile
24/4 vs. Ecuador
27/4 vs. Uruguay

Star Player

Daniel Villalva – River Plate (ARG) – 16 years old

Villalva has made a seamless transition from the U-15 squad to join up with Jose Luis Brown’s setup. The comparisons with Carlos Tevez, which have been made throughout the striker’s early career, stem not only from his build but also his canny trickery on the ball.

The frontman relies on instinct and the Argentine team usually have more fluidity in the final third whenever Villalva gets involved in a move.

One highlight against the U.S.A. was a run which took four defenders out of the game and allowed Villalva to slip the ball to an unmarked Araujo, who has left the simple task of tapping the ball in.

His strike partner will be looking forward to similar service in Chile and the team will hope the goals will come to fire them towards Nigeria.

Coach

Nicknamed Tata, Jose Luis Brown is already a living legend in his homeland of Argentina. Brown’s playing career kicked off with eight seasons at Estudiantes, where he won two league titles, before he embarked on a journeyman existence which took him to Colombia, France and Spain.


Brown starred in Argentina’s 3-2 win over West Germany in the World Cup final of Mexico 1986. The defender rose highest at the far post to head home the opening goal of the contest and when he injured his arm later in the game he played through the pain barrier to secure victory for his nation.


He was favoured by the AFA to work alongside his former team-mate Diego Maradona with the national side but the Argentine legend refused and demanded that the role of assistant went to Oscar Ruggeri.

Now coach of the U-17 squad, Jose Luis Brown knows he has a special group of players on his hands.

“We are a very confident team and we are a country which is very passionate about football,” The coach who worked with Argentina’s 2008 Olympic gold medal team said.

“When we play we respect every team because we know everyone wants to beat Argentina.”

Squad

Goalkeepers: Damián Martínez (Independiente), Ignacio Arce (Unión de Santa Fe), Lucas Petrich (Rosario Central)

Defenders: Leandro Marín (Boca Juniors), Benjamín Rosales (Lanús), Rodrigo Díaz (Argentinos Juniors), Esteban Espíndola (River Plate), Leandro Gonzaález Pirez (River Plate), Lucas Krupszky (Independiente), Nicolás Tagliafico (Banfield), Ignacio Ameli (Sporting de Lisboa)

Midfielders: Walter Arce (Vélez Sársfield), Esteban Orfano (Boca Juniors), Jorge Balbuena (Lanús), Gonzalo Olid Apaza (River Plate), Diego Martínez (River Plate), Ezequiel Cirigliano (River Plate), Fernando Ledesma (Newell's Old Boys), Sebastiaán González (San Lorenzo de Almagro), Alexis Quintulen (Sporting de Lisboa),

Forwards: Sergio Araujo (Boca Juniors), Juan Montero (River Plate), Daniel Villalva (River Plate), Eduardo Rotondi (Argentinos Juniors), Juan Sánchez Martínez (Independiente), Matías Sosa (Estudiantes de La Plata)

 

[colocolo]

Other Nations reports...commin up soon .....

 

[Assassin]

Erik Lamela will not travel to Chile. He is injured.

 

[colocolo]

Mañana it all gets underway !!!!

Go Lads Go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[colocolo]

Great....I just Found our that Gol TV is goinn to carry the Tourney...For those out of the USA check www.rojadirecta.com ... If its in the air the web site should also have it on-line.

Cheers !!!!!