Sport's Group in the Libertadores

Yesterday CONMEBOL held the drawing for next year's Libertadores, and Sport didn't get an easy group. Sport's group will include LDU, the defending champions, the eventual champion of Chile's Torneo Clausura, and the winner of a play-in match between the fourth-placed team in this year's Brasileirão (either Flamengo, Palmeiras, or Cruzeiro) and a Bolivian team. Sure, things could be more worse, but the group certainly could have been easier.

Nelsinho Batista commented, "Even without knowing who the specific teams will be, it's possible to analyse the group we will confront. LDU is a known quantity, and Chilean teams are fast, technically skilled, and don't play violent football. And we could have a Brazilian opponent, who will play against a team from Bolivia."

Nelsinho continued, "In a group like this, we will need to win all nine points at home and look for points away to classify for the second round. We are thinking about bringing quality players [to Sport], but above all athletes in good physical condition. We need to maintain balance between these characteristics."