Copa Libertadores: Here come the hired guns

By: Chris | May 2nd, 2007

The Round of 16 gets underway today in South America’s version of the Champions League, with a whopping 5 games on the slate.

América is the only Mexican team that will take the field tonight, as they host Colo Colo of Chile at the Azteca, starting at 6:30 p.m. EST on Fox Sports en Español.

América will also feature two new players in their side, Felipe Baloy and Mexican international Luis Pérez, both of Monterrey.

These players are not permanent transfers, just joining América for the remainder of the Libertadores.

This is a tradition every year in the tournament, as teams still participating in the tournament are allowed to submit changes to their rosters before the Round of 16. In Mexico, the teams plunder rosters of teams who have already been eliminated from the domestic competition.

Necaxa and Toluca, both of whom open the Round of 16 on Thursday, have also done the same.

Necaxa has added Leandro Gracián of Monterrey, Oscar Rojas of Jaguares and Federico Vilar of Atlante.

Toluca, meanwhile, welcomes Ignacio Scocco and Paco Palencia, both of Pumas.

A couple of talking points: Toluca pulled the biggest coup in getting Palencia, the leading Mexican scorer in the history of the competition. The Libertadores always brings the best out of the veteran, who has taken two teams deep in the competition, taking Cruz Azul to the final in 2001 where they lost to Boca Juniors on penalties and Chivas to the semifinals in 2005.

The addition of Vilar to Necaxa’s roster is also interesting, as it provides quite a conundrum for head coach José Luis Trejo. What will become of Iván Vásquez and Alexandro Álvarez, Necaxa’s goalkeeping pair? The move is reminiscent to 2005 when Pachuca brought in Toluca striker José Saturnino Cardozo and proceeded to bench legend Jared Borgetti in favor of the Paraguayan.

The resulting conflict led to Pachuca’s elimination in the Round of 16 against Chivas, memorable for Borgetti’s refusal to enter late in the 2nd leg with the tie already decided. The conflict led to Borgetti’s eventual exit from the team and move to England to play for Bolton.