Ecuadorean side LDU Quito begins its quest for a fifth major South American title in less than three years as the Copa Sudamericana last-16 stage swings into action.
The Copa Sudamericana - South America's No. 2 club tournament after the Copa Libertadores - is finally down to the last 16 stage of the 2010 competition after two complicated preliminary rounds.
As reigning champion, Liga - or Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, to give the club its full name - got a bye to the last 16 and starts its campaign with a trip to Union San Felipe of Chile on Oct. 12.
Two round-of-16, first-leg matches kicked off last week with Uruguay's Defensor Sporting winning 1-0 win against Argentine club Independiente and Argentina's Banfield taking a 2-0 lead against Deportes Tolima of Colombia.
On Wednesday, Newell's Old Boys begins against San Jose of Bolivia, while the other last 16 matches to be played during October are Goias vs. Penarol, Universitario de Sucre vs. Palmeiras, Atletico Mineiro vs. Santa Fe and Emelec vs Avai.
The field looks weak, at least on paper.
Of Argentina's so-called big five clubs - Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, Racing Club and San Lorenzo - only Independiente qualified for this year's tournament.
Independiente's presence will not worry the others too much either - the club is third from bottom of the Argentine league and is still looking for a new coach after bad results cost Daniel Garnero his job.
Argentina has provided four of the eight past winners since the Copa Sudamericana began in 2002. Boca won back-to-back trophies in 2004 and 2005, San Lorenzo triumphed in 2002 and Arsenal, which has also failed to qualify, was champion in 2007.
Velez Sarsfield and Estudiantes - arguably the most consistent teams in Argentina recently - are further absentees after losing in the second qualifying round.
Brazil's four-strong contingent is also uncharacteristically weak.
Palmeiras, coached by World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari, is the biggest name.
"Our goal this year is to qualify for the Copa Libertadores by being among the top five teams in the Brazilian championship or winning the Copa Sudamericana. Palmeiras will be there," said Scolari at his unveiling as Palmeiras coach in July.
Nonetheless, the Sao Paulo giant has been inconsistent under its new coach and is only mid-table in the Brazilian championship.
Relative minnows Goias, Avai and Atletico Mineiro are the other Brazilian teams qualified for the last 16.
Mexican clubs, invited to take part since 2005, are also missing from this year's tournament. Mexico's Pachuca won the tournament in 2006.
The only other winner apart from Liga not to come from Argentina, Brazil or Mexico is Peru's Cienciano, the 2003 champion. Cienciano failed to qualify for the Sudamericana this year.
Liga's hopes of retaining the Sudamericana will be masterminded by Argentine coach Edgardo Bauza, in his second spell in charge.
Bauza led Liga to its surprise 2008 Copa Libertadores win, becoming the first Ecuadorean club to win an international title.
Liga seemed to enjoy the taste of continental success. Although Bauza resigned after losing the final of the 2008 Club World Cup to Manchester United, Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati continued the success in South America, adding the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana title, a two-legged match between the Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana champions Internacional.
Liga, with Fossati still in charge, then completed a rare sweep of South American trophies by winning the 2009 Copa Sudamericana.
Boca Juniors and Brazil's Internacional are the only other clubs to have won all three continental titles. Liga completed the feat in less than 18 months.
Bauza returned to coach Liga at the end of 2009 when Fossati left to take charge of Internacional.
The Argentine led the club to a second consecutive Recopa success with victory over Libertadores champion Estudiantes in August.
The lack of an obvious favorite - either from Argentina, Brazil or anywhere else - is probably good news for Liga, but could also boost the chances of clubs from other nations.
Uruguayan side Penarol, a powerhouse of South American football with five Copa Libertadores wins from the 1960s to the '80s, is one name that sticks out as a possible contender.
Penarol - whose last major continental trophy was the 1987
Libertadores - and compatriot Defensor Sporting will also be
anxious to show that Uruguayan club football is improving once
again following the national team's unexpected run to the World Cup
semifinal this year.
