Central & South America

There is a soccer player named Yago Pikachu. We found this out and didn't know exactly what to do with this information so we are depositing it here.

(It turns out "Pikachu" is a nickname. For the rest of the article, let us joyously pretend this is not the case.)

Pikachu plays right back for Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, which is no stranger to incredible names (Vasco's all-time leading scorer is Roberto Dinamite). Pikachu made his Copa Libertadores debut on Wednesday. Vasco da Gama beat Universidad de Concepcion 4-0. 

The Oriente Petrolero versus Universitario match in the Copa Libertadores first stage was an emotional rollercoaster. Peruvian side Universitario was facing a 0-2 disadvantage as they hosted Bolivian side Oriente Petrolero in the return leg — you may recall the rather unusual goal celebration that took place in the first leg after Gerardo Freitas scored the second goal for Oriente Petrolero.

The story of Bruno Zuculini’s young career is one of fire, fury and loan moves. A product of Buenos Aires club Racing, Zuculini made his first team debut with the club, one of the “big five” clubs of Argentine football, at the tender age of 16. After establishing himself as one of the Primera Division’s top talents, Manchester City signed him at the age of 21 for $3.2 million in 2014.

The best free kick taker of all time turns 43 today, and we have found the perfect video to honor all of his greatest strikes.

The South American Under-20 Women’s Football Championship (which serves as CONMEBOL’s qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup) is underway in Ecuador with Brazil looking to secure their eighth-straight championship in the tournament’s eighth edition. 

The junior Seleção are exceedingly dominant in this competition, and the 2018 staging of the contest has been carried out in much the same vein. Brazil topped Group B play with four wins from four matches, scoring 13 goals while conceding zero.

Club America has issued a statement regarding the latest boneheaded actions of attacker Darwin Quintero after the Colombian international attempted to smash a football at the back of ESPN reporter Marcelino Fernandez’s head during training.

After scoring only three goals in his last 29 appearances for America, it should come as no surprise that the 30-year-old missed the target. Las Aguilas were actively shopping Quintero before the start of the Clausura season, and his latest piece of work isn’t going down well at the club.

Philippe Coutinho, who became the second most expensive footballer of all-time after joining Barcelona from Liverpool on Jan. 6, looks set for his Barca debut after returning to full first-team training following a spell on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

The 2018 Copa Libertadores kicked off last night with the first legs of the first qualifying round. Over in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Oriente Petrolero defeated Peru’s Universitario 2-0 with goals from Ronaldo Sanchez and Maximiliano Freitas.

Sanchez’s goal came in the 28th minute, and both teams were down to playing with 10 men by the 77th via red cards. 

In the 79th minute, Freitas came on as a substitute. One minute later, he scored Oriente’s second. He was subsequently booked for excessive celebration and here’s why.

Just before the new year, Puebla announced the signing of 26-year-old Bolivia international Alejandro Chumacero from La Paz club The Strongest. At 5-4, Chumacero is as diminutive as they come in the midfield/wide areas, but his talent was enough to earn a short-lived spell at Brazilian club Sport Recife at the age of 22. 

This is the end of an era. Ronaldinho, the last remaining active player not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to have won the Ballon d'Or, one of the most joyous and fun footballers of all time, has officially hung up his cleats.

Dinho hasn't actually played competitive football since 2015, but his retirement rules out any chance of a return. Unless, of course, he returns.