‘El País’ Top Ten South American Players 2006

Matías Fernandez Tops South American Player Awards
Uruguayan paper ‘El País’ has released its yearly list of the top ten football players in South America. The winner was Chilean midfielder Matías Fernandez, ex-Colo Colo after being presented yesterday as a new Villarreal player.

Matías Fernandez followed in the footsteps of striker Marcelo Salas, the first Chilean to win the award in 1997. The number 14 was the heart and soul of Colo Colo’s recent Sudamericana Cup conquest as well as both the Apertura and Clausura in his native Chile.

In second and third places came two Argentineans who play(ed) for Boca Juniors; the recently transferred Gago and transfer target Palacio. São Paulo’s record-breaking free-kicking goalkeeping Captain Rogério Ceni came fourth in the same year that the keeper surpassed Paraguay’s Chilavert as the highest goal scoring keeper ever.

Internacional de Porto Alegre Captain Fernandão and Colo Colo’s Humberto Suazo were both tied in fifth with veteran Juan Sebastian Verón making it to a respectable sixth in his return to Argentina with Apertura-winning Estudiantes.

Filling out the top ten are a brace of Xeneizes – Hugo Ibarra and Daniel Díaz – as well as the Gonzalo Higuaín who’s now moved to Madrid. São Paulo centre-back Fabão, now playing in Japan, caps the list off with the tenth place.

Matías Fernandez’s win brings to an end the three-year spree enjoyed by a Carlitos Tevez who doesn’t seem to have made a great adaptation to Europe yet. The last Brazilian to win the award was Romário in 2000.

‘El País’ Top Ten South American Players 2006

1- Matías Fernandez (ex-Colo Colo)
2- Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)
3- Fernando Gago (ex-Boca Juniors)
4- Rogério Ceni (São Paulo)
5- Fernandão (Internacional) and Humberto Suazo (Colo Colo)
6- Juan Sebastian Verón (Estudiantes)
7- Hugo Ibarra (Boca Juniors)
8- Daniel Díaz (Boca Juniors)
9- Gonzalo Higuaín (ex-River Plate)
10- Fabão (ex-São Paulo)

‘El País’ Team America 2006 (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Rogério Ceni (BRA)

Defenders: Hugo Ibarra (ARG), Daniel Díaz (ARG) and Fabão (BRA)

Midfielders: Juan Sebastián Verón (ARG), Fernando Gago (ARG), Humberto Suazo (CHI) and Matías Fernández (CHI)

Strikers: Gonzalo Higuaín (FRA), Rodrigo Palacio (ARG) and Fernandão (BRA).

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i posted this here because Fernandez, Gago and Higuaín now play in Europe.

i think Rodrigo Palacio will be the next big player to move to Europe, he was linked to Juve last season.

The list is missing important players like Mineiro and Fabiano Eller.

Palacio is very good, but I don't think that he will move to Europe soon because Boca sold Gago and right now they don't need money.

sheva7 wrote:The list is missing important players like Mineiro and Fabiano Eller.

Palacio is very good, but I don't think that he will move to Europe soon because Boca sold Gago and right now they don't need money.

Where'd Fabão go? I hope he went to La Liga.

Fabao isn't going anywhere. He is already 29 and honestly he is not that good.

Apparently we bid 18 million euros for Palacio and had it turned down.

if boca want anything more than 18 million Euros for him they can go and fuck them selvies

Lucas Mareque formerly of Riverplate, anyone know anything about this guy?

He's a recent arrival to Portugal, FC Porto to be exact.

Batman wrote:‘El País’ Top Ten South American Players 2006

1- Matías Fernandez (ex-Colo Colo)
2- Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)
3- Fernando Gago (ex-Boca Juniors)

Swap Gago and Palacio and that would be my top 3. Fernandez is a phenomenon. I hope Palacio comes to Turin.

I rate Ceni more than Palacio, IMO Ceni could command a spot at most top European clubs

Tweedle wrote:I rate Ceni more than Palacio, IMO Ceni could command a spot at most top European clubs

You must be mad, or a "psychotic maniac" perhaps or at least not have seen them play much. Palacio is what, 23, lightning fast, super technique, assists galore, good finisher. Ceni would be just another gk if not for his set pieces.

waft the hapless youth wrote:

Tweedle wrote:I rate Ceni more than Palacio, IMO Ceni could command a spot at most top European clubs

You must be mad, or a "psychotic maniac" perhaps or at least not have seen them play much. Palacio is what, 23, lightning fast, super technique, assists galore, good finisher. Ceni would be just another gk if not for his set pieces.

Ceni is a great keeper without his freekicks, Palacio is another Argentine forward that could either be very good or more likely not quite capable enough and end out wasting his time on the bench at some top European club (like higuain)

Just another Argentine forward? Nonsense, best forward for one of the top-5 teams in the world.

I've never seen Fernandez play, and hadn't heard of him until the Villareal transfer. From what I've seen of Palacio (albeit very little) I think he looks a capable forward, but not on the same level as Messi, Aguero or Tevez though. Like Palacio, I've only seen Gago in a handful of games, and I've been very impressed.

Haven't seen any of the others play before either, except Veron and Ceni (a couple of games).

waft the hapless youth wrote:Just another Argentine forward? Nonsense, best forward for one of the top-5 teams in the world.

Agreed. Boca-- this past Apertura's squad especially-- is a serious team, and I imagine they could top most European teams without too much trouble. I hope people aren't underestimating them (or the Argentine league in general) simply because they're not from Europe.

As for Palacio (fantastic player, a standout even in the Argentine league), it's not so much a matter of the money not being enough for Boca, it's more that he's sworn himself to Boca and supposedly doesn't want to leave. As much as I'd love to see him play in Europe, I think he made a very admirable decision. He may change his mind in the future, but for now, I don't think he's going anywhere.

Messiah wrote:if boca want anything more than 18 million Euros for him they can go and fuck them selvies

A bit harsh... but it makes no sense trying to get a player that is perfectly happy where he is. Also paying that much for a player that hasn't played in Europe yet is a massive risk (Saviola and Riquelme took quite some time to properly adapt.. despite their obvious talent).