Central & South America

The surreal run of Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle almost came to an end in Quito on Wednesday. There’s still another leg to play in Medellin, but a loss at home would’ve almost certainly doomed del Valle. That wasn’t in the cards — the fairy tale added another chapter when Arturo Mina Meza snatched an 87th minute equalizer against Colombia’s Atletico Nacional. 

The first leg draw means that del Valle need a win in regular time, extra time or penalties in Colombia to be crowned Copa Libertadores champions. 

We are three weeks away from the opening ceremony of the Olympics and, as the date approaches, I can't help but wonder: does Neymar have more pressure to win than any other athlete competing this summer? 

With all the turmoil that has surrounded these Olympics and the unrest in the host country, I feel there is nothing the citizens of Brazil would love more than to see their young superstar lead their nation's team to a gold medal in the sport that they hold so near and dear to their hearts. 

To say things have been a bit rocky of late for one of the giants in world soccer would be a massive understatement. After three consecutive runner-up finishes at the World Cup and two Copa Americas, Argentina find themselves in a place where few international powerhouses have ever been. They can reach their ultimate goal, come near enough to touch it but they just can’t take the final step.

Hey there, it's time to check in with our friends at the Argentine Football Association.

Oh no.

The court of Catalonia has sentenced Lionel Messi and his father Jorge to 21 months in prison for evading more than €4 million in owed tax payments. However, since the sentence is less than two years and both of the accused have a clean criminal record, they’ll likely escape serving any time behind bars.

Chile is the best team in all of the Americas, of that there is no doubt. What Chile have accomplished over the last year is nothing short of remarkable, but just how did they do it? How did they survive and thrive in the tumultuous CONMEBOL and best the likes of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, twice? The answers are management, teamwork and spirit. This generation of Chilean footballers embodies everything you would want in a team, and it all started with Marcelo Bielsa.

If Lionel Messi was trying to make a political statement when he announced his retirement from the Argentina National Team, he got the attention of the man in whose direction such things are usually pointed: Argentina President Mauricio Macri.

Macri tweeted yesterday that he hopes the to watch La Pulga play for La Albiceleste "for years to come."

We know it as the beautiful game. And yet, soccer has had more than its share of horrible moments. 

Argentina bulldozed team USA Tuesday, but it wasn’t all rainbows for La Albiceleste in Houston. Forward Ezequiel Lavezzi had a good game for Argentina. He netted the first goal of the match and was helping the visitors control the tempo of the game and dominate the American squad.