Like grandparents bickering over the last biscuit in the barrel the two greatest footballers of all time are at it again. This week Pelé made clear his view that Diego Maradona is not the right man to be leading Argentina to the World Cup in South Africa. Speaking in Mexico, Pelé said that long serving AFA president Julio Grondona should never have given the role of head coach to Maradona. “Maradona, as everyone says has no experience but it is not his fault, blame Mr. Grondona and the others who gave him the job.” The Brazilian appeared to be shining the spotlight on an error by Grondona but he stopped short of giving Maradona’s coaching abilities any sort of endorsement. “I think the whole controversy of Argentina’s classification was not the fault of Maradona. It is the first time he has worked as coach.” Incidentally Pelé is not alone in thinking Maradona is not the man for the job as a survey last year showed 70% of the Argentine public would also rather see another coach take them to the World Cup. It seems that Pelé and Maradona never miss the chance to put the boot into the other and these comments join the long list of existing jibes in the ongoing feud between the two. Last year Pelé took another swipe as he claimed Maradona is not even the best player to come out of Argentina let alone the best player in the world. Amazon.co.uk Widgets While Pelé admitted the that Maradona was a great player it is Alfredo Di Stéfano who the Brazilian rates as the greatest Argentine footballer of all time. “Maradona could not kick with his right foot and did not score with his head. The only time he scored an important goal with his head, he used his hand.” On that occasion Pelé found few in Argentina agreeing with him, despite Di Stéfano’s record of 418 goals in 510 games for Real Madrid. Pelé’s launched this attack in response to Maradona’s claims the same week that the Brazilian was less of a player for never testing himself in Europe’s top leagues. “He won more World Cups but playing in Europe is another thing.” While in Europe the Argentine guided Napoli to two Scudetto titles, the only Serie A wins in the club’s history. Pelé meanwhile never played for a European club, he did however come to prominence with his performances in Sweden during the 1958 World Cup. When Pelé did eventually leave his homeland to play for New York Cosmos of the North American League he best days were already behind him. Maradona on the other hand still had plenty to give when he returned home from Italy to play for Boca Juniors. The recent bickering between the two has put the bed the good feeling that was fostered between the two when Pele appeared on Maradona’s chatshow, La Noche del Diez , back in 2005. On the show Pelé thanked Maradona for sympathising with his son who was in jail at the time for drug offences. “You are an example for him because you are a conqueror. Your program is going out to the world, and I think together we can do many things in the world to help a lot of people.” The love-in continued as the two greats of the game swapped national shirts, had a game of head tennis and even got the guitars out for an impromptu jam session. After the show Maradona was cagy on the subject of which one of them really was the greatest player of all time. “My mother says it was me and Pelé’s mother says it was him.” Pelé’s appearance on the show was a surprise to the football community. A few years before both men had published autobiographies which contained disparaging remarks about the other. In Maradona’s book, I Am Diego , he made the allegation that Pelé has lost his virginity during a homosexual relationship he had as a teenager. This time Pelé chose not to respond, a move made out of respect to Maradona’s poor health at the time according the Brazilian’s close friend Celso Grellet. “Maradona said that Pelé had a homosexual experience. It is not true, but Pelé is a big man and decided that he would not respond.” “Pelé is heavily involved in the anti-drugs campaign, particularly the abuse of drugs in sport, and Maradona is clearly an ill man. Pelé thought it was best not to reply because no one could possibly take Maradona seriously.” In his book Maradona put Pelé at number one in his list of his favourite footballers of all time. Although he honoured him as a great player Maradona felt Pelé let football down. “As a player he had it all but didn't make the most of it to raise the status of football.” Maradona highlighted Pelé’s lack of action on protecting the welfare of footballers. “I'd have liked to see him put himself forward as president of an association to defend players’ rights like I did. I'd like to have seen him look after Garrincha and not let him die in misery. I'd like to see him fight the rich and powerful that are damaging football.” Celso Grellet was quick to nonsense these claims as well and put the whole thing down to jealousy on Maradona’s part. “There is no doubt that Maradona has made ludicrous allegations, the one about Pelé 's sexuality being just one of many, as a result of pure envy.” One event which angered Maradona was when Argentine president Carlos Menem invited Pelé to his country. Grellet explains how Maradona’s nose was put out of joint by the Brazilian and the then serving president. “Menem invited him to the country as his special guest because Pelé was his favourite player. It angered Maradona that the Argentine people might place Pelé above him.” The decade of disagreement between the two also kicked off at the gala ceremony to award the duo the joint honour of FIFA’s Player of the Century. It was decided that both men would receive the award but Maradona had other ideas about how the night should go. After picking up his award Maradona did not hang around on stage to welcome Pelé, instead the Argentine bolted for the exit. “I didn't like the fact that I had to go on before Pelé. I just didn't like it. I grabbed my prize and left.” With FIFA keen to acknowledge Pelé they came up with the idea of splitting the award after Maradona won the online poll by a distance. Maradona was at his controversial best as he accepted his award and then snubbed Pelé by fleeing. “I dedicate this award to the Argentine people, Fidel Castro, my wife Claudia and all the players in the world that I love and respect. The people voted for me. I feel good in my head, serene. I'm happy and proud.” By the time Pelé got to the platform Maradona was on his way to the airport, clearly in no mood to share his stage with anyone. “I would have liked Maradona to be there to join me on the platform, but he had already left.” So did FIFA make the right choice to award the Player of the Century to both men or should have Di Stéfano walked away with the honour? Everybody has their own opinion on who comes out on top in the debate between Pelé and Maradona. If you happen to see either of them on the street both men will be happy to put forward their own case to anyone willing to listen. © Tim Sturtridge & Soccerphile.com Tags Pele Maradona Brazilian football

Corinthians president Andrés Sanchez has a lust for glory Three years ago Brazilian club Corinthians embarked on an ambitious project to fill an embarrassing hole in their trophy cabinet. Andrés Sanchez came into office as the president of Corinthians with a clear mandate to deliver the Copa Libertadores. The situation back then was grim for the Corinthians with the club having suffered relegation to the second tier of the Brazilian league for the first time in their history. The signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano a few years earlier had turned out to be yet another false dawn as irregular finances brought the São Paulo outfit to their knees. Sanchez’s claims that the club would win the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in the coming years was met with bemusement in Brazil. Despite having a rich history and over 30 million fans in Brazil the team calling itself the Campeão dos Campeões has never tasted success in South America’s premier club competition. The new president’s first move was to install Mano Menezes as head coach at Corinthians. The youthful coach had already proved himself fit for the task ahead by guiding Grêmio back to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A after they themselves had suffered the misfortune of relegation. Amazon.co.uk Widgets Another achievement on Menezes’ CV which made him so appealing for Sanchez was Grêmio’s appearance in 2007 Copa Libertadores final, just two years after being promoted back to the top flight. Lightening seems to be striking twice for Menezes at Corinthians as once again he won promotion to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A at the first attempt. Menezes also brought home the regional Campeonato Paulista to Corinthians the following year just as he had won the Campeonato Gaúcho while at Grêmio. The head coach of Corinthians then went on to plant an even bigger smile on the face of Sanchez as the club won the Copa do Brasil in July last year to book an early berth in this year’s Copa Libertadores. This week Corinthians took their bow in the 2010 Copa Libertadores just three short years after suffering relegation. The fairytale dreamt up by Sanchez is one step closer to coming true with the added magic of this year marking Corinthians’ centenary of existence. As well as drafting in Menezes the president of Corinthians has surpassed himself in the transfer market by pouring a generous helping of stardust on his team. Sanchez has proven very creative in securing his marquee signings with private companies queuing up to help out with the wage bill in return for endorsements. The signing of Ronaldo was undoubtedly a gamble but it has already paid dividends for Corinthians. The three time World Footballer of the Year scored the goals to claim both the Campeonato Paulista and the Copa do Brasil and therefore a place in the Copa Libertadores. Now Ronaldo’s fellow geriat-tico Roberto Carlos has signed up for the project. With the whole project geared around one successful Copa Libertadores campaign the age of these players is not the issue, one more season is all that is required. While the former Real Madrid stars are household names across the world Sanchez has also been able to bring other players with a wealth of Copa Libertadores experience. Creative midfielder Tcheco is a player Menezes knows well from his time at Grêmio and at 33-years-old he still has the game to unlock a well drilled defence. Also in for this season is 35-year-old forward Iarley who won the Copa Libertadores and the FIFA Club World Cup with Internacional. Despite reaching the autumn of his career Iarley remains one of the most exciting players to watch in Brazil. Another player who has been on the books at Corinthians for less than a year is the attacking Argentine Matías Defederico. At a mere 20-years-old Defederico is from a different generation than most of his team-mates but has proven he has the skills to keep up with the very best. With signings of this calibre it is evident that Sanchez’s dream does not stop at merely wining the Copa Libertadores but doing it in style. As it turned out Corinthians were less than inspiring in their Copa Libertadores opener this week as they came from behind to beat Uruguayan minnows Racing Club at home. A capacity Pacaembu was rocked when the visitors took the lead in the first minute through Martin Cauteruccio. Corinthians responded 10 minutes later when clever play from Ronaldo and Tcheco created an opening for Elias to stroke the ball home and level the scores. Elias is generally known for his work in the engine room but it was he who popped again with what turned out to be the game’s winning goal 20 minutes from time. With three points in the bag Corinthians have taken an early lead in Group 1 of the Copa Libertadores. Another huge step has been taken on the road to glory for Sanchez and his centurions. © Tim Sturtridge & Soccerphile.com Tags Corinthians Brazilian football

Every supporter of a team from time to time feels that the squad could do with a shake up and followers of the Bolivian national side have been afforded just that. The whole of Bolivia's squad have vowed not to show up for next month's two World Cup qualifications games. Some may argue that they have barely been present in the campaign so far, chalking up ten defeats in 16 matches making qualification for South Africa an impossibility. The next two matches are scheduled for 10th and 13th October with the Bolivians entertaining Brazil in La Paz before travelling to Lima for a game against Peru.

In 2008 a record 1,176 Brazilian footballers left their homeland to ply their trade abroad, 762 of them ended up in Europe with Portugal unsurprisingly the most popular destination. In total 209 players headed back to the ‘motherland’ while Germany claimed 58, Switzerland took 46 and Spain snapped up 34. The figure represented a 8.4% rise in Samba Stars fleeing for foreign lands compared with 2007. The maths demonstrate that the production line of talent in Brazil shows no sign of letting up. Another trend creeping into the Brazilian transfer system is players leaving for distant shores at a younger age. Long serving international full-backs Cafu and Roberto Carlos spent a collective 11 seasons in their native top flight before securing moves to Europe.

Brazil have been crowned South American under-20 champions in Venezuela without kicking a ball. The 2-2 draw between Uruguay and Paraguay meant that Brazil could not be caught at the top of the final group stage. The result delivered Brazil their tenth under-20 Sudamericano and means the squad now travel to the World Cup in Egypt as hot favourites. Uruguay tried keeping the pressure on Brazil and they took the lead against Paraguay through Jonathan Urretaviscaya in the 13th minute in their final game. The winger who plays his club football in Portugal with Benfica slotted home a cool finish to give Uruguay a dream start. The joy was short lived for the Uruguayans as Paraguay levelled two minutes later when poor defending allowed Aldo Paniagua in to equalise. This goal saw Paraguay take hold of the game as they sought revenge for their first round 4-2 defeat to Uruguay. Paraguay took the lead on the half hour mark as Paniagua once again popped up in the right place at the right time. Uruguay came out galvanised after the break and looked to get back into the game. A bombardment of the Paraguayan goal followed with substitutes Abel Hernandez and Santiago Garcia impressing for Uruguay. An equaliser eventually came 15 minutes from time when Hernandez struck from range and Uruguay continued to press and look to breach the Paraguay defence for a third time. A winning goal did not come and Uruguay had to settle for a place at the World Cup rather than claim the South American title. Four wins on the spin had propelled Brazil to the top of the final hexagonal stage of the competition. Wins over Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia put the Canarinha into such an unassailable lead they were able to lose their final game against Paraguay with the trophy already in their grasp. After their point against Uruguay it was Paraguay who found themselves with something to play for against incumbent champions Brazil in the last game of the tournament. A win would guarantee Paraguay a place at the under-20 World Cup and keep football in the country riding on the crest of a wave following the recent good results of the senior team. However Brazil seemed determined to go out in style and peppered the Paraguay goal from the get go. Good efforts from Giuliano and Alan Kardec were saved in style by Joel Silva in the Paraguayan goal and star striker Walter fluffed a gilt edged chance for Brazil. Joel Silva was eventually beaten in the second half by a wicked free-kick from midfield wizard Douglas Costa, this time it was the woodwork that came to Paraguay’s rescue. Then the Brazilian goalkeeper, Rafael, was called upon to make a routine save after being a virtual spectator all game and he committed a howler. This gaff allowed Hernan Perez to fire home and put Paraguay into an expected lead very much against the run of play. Brazil continued to mount wave after wave of attacks but Joel Silva was not to be beaten and his man of the match performance brought home three points, the runners-up spot and a place at the World Cup in Egypt for Paraguay. Brazil had previously failed to convince in the first round group stage with a defeat against Uruguay and a draw against Paraguay. Question marks were appearing above much hyped players such as Douglas Costa and Walter. Their division for the first round stage certainly lived up to its billing as The Group of Death with qualifiers Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay claiming the top three places in the final hexagonal group. These three teams will now travel to the under-20 World Cup in Egypt later this year along with hosts Venezuela who finished up fourth. One team that won’t be travelling to North Africa is current under-20 word champions Argentina and participants in the World Cup for the past 16 years. Argentina’s campaign eventually came to an end with a one-nil defeat to Colombia, the other team to miss out on a World Cup berth from the final hexagonal tournament. Argentina's exemplary record at this level has seen then win five of the last seven under-20 World Cups but they will not be there to defend their title this time around. The Argentines only managed to record one victory at the tournament. This two-one win against a Peru team who lost every game was backed up with five draws and three defeats. Tim Sturtridge Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Far from the tinderbox of the Gaza strip there’s a pocket of South America where you can see the Palestine flag flying high and football fans decked out in keffiyeh headdresses. These fans are the loyal followers of Club Deportivo Palestino, a team that narrowly missed out on Chile’s Primera División last season. They lost to Colo Colo in the championship play-off decider and were denied the third league title of their history. Chile has the largest population of displaced Palestinians outside the Middle East region and in 1920 a group of them decided to start a football team in Santiago. While in its infancy Palestino competed in the colonial championships of Osorno. These days home games are played at Cisterna Municipality Stadium and a capacity crowd produces a 12,000 strong sea of red, green and black. When a national league was established by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile in 1952 Palestino joined the second division and won an instant promotion to the top-flight. Three years later they won the national championship under the guidance of former Argentine captain Guillermo Coll. Their only other title came in 1978 with a league and cup double, this time with legendary Chilean captain Elías Figueroa at the helm. Another familiar face to have passed through the ranks at Palestino is former Chilean international midfield Clarence Acuña who had a spell at Newcastle United as well as appearing at 1998 World Cup for Chile. Despite Palestine remaining unrecognised as a country by everybody from the United Nations to Myspace, FIFA has allowed a Palestinian national team compete in World Cup qualifiers for the last 10 years. Faced with the problems of assembling a team able to compete within World Cup qualifiers the then Palestine national coach Nicola Shahwan hatched a scheme to tap into Chilean talent with Palestine heritage. Players from Club Deportivo Palestino and others started to make themselves available for the Palestine national team. Players such as Roberto Kettlun, Pablo Abdulla and Roberto Bishara were able to take advantage of FIFA’s grandparents rule and became eligible to play for Palestine. These player’s grandparents were not refugees from the 1948 war with Israel but instead Palestine Christians who were forced out by the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. The naturalisation of footballers to another country is not a new phenomenon, Alfredo Di Stefano switched his allegiances across the Atlantic many moons ago. Presently, Uruguayan born striker Sebastian Sona’s goals are helping Qatar towards a place at South Africa 2010. Palestine’s Chilean contingent do however have a genuine historical connection with the area and their link courses through their veins. Nicola Shahwan and the Palestine FA were finally in a position to field these Chilean-born players in the national team in time for the 2003 Pan Arab Cup in Kuwait. The West Asian-South American axis of the side managed draws with Jordan, hosts Kuwait and Sudan. Defeat and elimination came after a 3-1 reverse against a strong Moroccan side. Despite the exit Palestine won plaudits for combining flair and a physical approach which is now the blueprint for the country’s style of play. Pablo Abdulla’s blond frizzy hair-do, reminiscent of Carlos Valderrama in his pomp, may have looked slightly out of place in Kuwait but the South American posse’s commitment to cause was there for all to see. Nicola Shahwan had pulled off a masterstroke to get the Chileans involved and Palestine were able to fast forward the development of their national team. There are seven Chilean-born players currently involved in the Palestine national set-up. They are Club Deportivo Palestino’s captain Roberto Bishara, Roberto Kettlun Pesce, Bruno Pesce, Luis Musrri, Francisco Alam, Edgardo Abdala, Leonardo Zamora. Some of these names were able to line-up when Palestine played their first ‘home’ game in a newly built stadium in the West Bank last October. The match, attended by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, marked the team’s return from exile. All of Palestine’s previous home games had been played in neighbouring Jordan and Qatar. Since establishing the Chile connection the Palestine FA has made further efforts to recruit players eligible through ancestry. An advert in the German football magazine Kicker was taken out with the hope more players would step forward. But nothing is straight-forward when it comes to Palestine. Two Croatian brothers, one playing in his National League and the other playing for Al Wahada in the Emirates say they received Death threats over the phone, and have refused to play. With such singular stories it’s little wonder the Palestine football team has attracted filmmakers from all over the world to capture their unique struggle. One such film was a fly-on-the-wall style documentary by Chilean filmmaker Marcelo Pina Pina grew up in a Chile under the control of General Pinochet and is also well aware of his homeland’s connection with Palestine. The filmmaker was able to use this knowledge and experience to empathise with the Palestinian people as he followed the team’s failed attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. “It’s not easy when you’re an occupied country. You can talk about how success in football can lift a nation, which is true, but it’s not that simple. “There’s also the fact that Chile is home to a large population of people whose ancestors had emigrated to South America from Palestine. We now have the chance to highlight their problems. It goes beyond football. We want to show the world the difficulties faced by these people.” Said the Chicago based Pina. Pina realised soon into his venture that the trials of the football team were rife with material which highlighting the problems ordinary Palestinians faced daily. There were good times in the campaign such as two wins against Taiwan which included an 8-0 thumping but these moments were tempered by the tragedies which are an unavoidable part of life in Palestine. Pina watched on as the Palestine captain, Saeb Jundiya, was pushed against a wall and searched by Israeli soldiers just two blocks from his home in Gaza. “That was the second time in a couple of months it happened to him,” Pina remarked. Another story involving Jundiya that Pina recalls is when the Palestine players had to think on their feet to reach their goal. “After the Uzbekistan match, it took us 40 hours to cross the Egyptian border into Rafah. It was only 100 metres from the Egyptian side to the Palestine side. It was jammed with traffic that was not moving. So the players, with their luggage, had to travel that distance on donkey.” Pina said. Frontman Ziad Al Kourd returned from this game to find his house in the Gaza Strip town of Dier al-Balah had been flattened by soldiers looking for arms-smuggling tunnels. Al Kourd has since been banned from travelling outside Gaza as he is deemed a security threat. There is certainly more to Palestine football than the joke popular with English fans about being buried in the kit of a supremely talented Geordie. A people are trying their heart out to express themselves through football and this has brought them closer to their not so distant cousins in South American. Tim Sturtridge Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

For those looking for a sneak preview of the names that will light up World Cups and the UEFA Champions League in the near future it’s eyes down for a full house in Venezuela. Scorching heat and searing ambition mark the kick-off of the South American under-20 championships in the north-east tip of the continent. From January 19th through to February 8th youngsters from the top 10 Latin American footballing countries will contest the championship. As well as aiming to achieve glory for their nations the players will also be hoping to leave their mark on the scouts in the stands. A host of luminaries have already chosen the Suamericano tournament to showcase their talent to the world. Enzo Francescoli, Romario and Adriano have all topped the goal scorers chart at this prestigious championship. With so much pride at stake the super-powers of South America never take this competition lightly. Brazil have won the tournament a record nine times, Uruguay have seven titles and Argentina have bagged four along the way. This year’s championship will be contested in three stadiums throughout Venezuela. The three stadiums will be Puerto Ordaz, Maturin and Puerto La Cruz which were all put to use when Venezuela hosted the 2007 Copa America Venezuela stepped in to host this tournament when Peru were stripped of their right to play host by FIFA last year due to political interference from their football association. The competition’s format is two initial groups of five teams which play each other once. Group A is made up of Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and hosts Venezuela. Group B contains Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay. As with every group stage competition the championship has a ‘group of death’ and that tag is bestowed on Group B in Venezuela. The top three sides in each group then proceed to a final group stage of six teams. The country on top after this six team round-robin will be crowded the 2009 South American under-20 champions. Only the four top teams from the event will qualify for the FIFA under-20 World Cup in Egypt later this year. Seven of the last eight winners of this youth World Cup have been CONMEBOL sides. In total the competition will feature a whooping 35 games, an ample dose for any football fan with an eye on the latest players to drop off the South American production line and into Europe’s top leagues. Team-by-team insight: Argentina The Albiceleste come into the tournament with a very strong pedigree. The winners of the under-20 FIFA World Cup in Canada two years ago have Argentina’s 2008 Olympic gold medal coach Sergio Batista in charge. Even though Franco Di Santo and Pablo Piatti have not been released by Chelsea and Almeria respectively the squad is still as strong as any at the competition. Batista was able to prize away Emiliano Insua , the left-back who was enjoying a run in Liverpool’s first team in the Premier League. One to watch: Eduardo Silva (Lanus) Bolivia Oscar Villegas has kept together the majority of the under-17 group which excelled in their age bracket two years ago in Ecuador. Several of the team are also first team regulars for clubs in the Bolivian top-flight. Villegas has been brave enough to include three 16-year-olds in his squad who he believes are ready to step up. Anyone who doubts Bolivia’s ability to go far at the tournament can’t have seen their recent friendly defeat of Argentina. One to watch: Diego Suárez (Dynamo Kiev) Brazil The holders of the South American under-20 championships are never likely to field a weak side. The man in charge of the current Canarinha is national boss Dunga’s right hand man Rogério Moraes Lourenço. All of Brazil’s squad play in their homeland courtesy of the legislation which now makes it illegal for players to ply their trade abroad before their 18th birthday. It’s not even as if the national side were struggling, with seven World Cup titles in the under-20 and under-17 categories already beside their name. The Brazilian youth teams have also managed to collect silverware at a further seventeen South American tournaments. One to watch: Douglas Costa (Gremio) Colombia A tricky task lies ahead for Colombia as first they try to advance from the initial group stage. Coach José Helmer Silva has only recently taken up the post and must organise his troops well if they are to stand any chance in the competition. Failure to qualify for the last under-20 World Cup could provide the spur needed for the only nation to have broken Brazil and Argentina’s dominance of this competition in the last 25 years. Another plus for the Colombians is that their fans do not have far to travel and should turn out in numbers to support their team. One to watch: Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe) Chile Expectation is high in Chile after the country finished third in the under-20 FIFA World Cup in Canada three years ago. The trouble is that coach José Sulantay and most of the team have since moved on. Replacement coach Ivo Basay must work with the players he has at his disposal to manage expectations as best as he can. Chile have already been robbed of the influential Eduardo Vargas who was forced to withdraw with an injury. One to watch: Marcos Medel (Audax Italiano) Ecuador Many of Ecuador’s squad have already tasted success when their country scooped the gold medal at the Pan-American Games two years ago in Rio de Janeiro. Coached by Julio Caesar Rosero, known simply as The Emperor, Ecuador will be going all out to bag one of the four under-20 FIFA World Cup spots up for grabs. Anything less than qualification for the tournament in Egypt later this year would be viewed as a disappointment for this talented bunch. One to watch: Joao Rojas (Tecnico Universitario) Paraguay With the senior team riding high in the qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa it is hoped that success can trickle down to the under-20 squad. Paraguay have not won this competition since 1971 and have failed to reach the last two under-20 World Cups. Argentinean Adrián Coria coaches a team with players who have already left Latin America to play in Europe. One to watch: Fernando Duarte (Vasco da Gama) Peru The Incas have the son of one of their favourite sons in charge of their team at these championships. Although Héctor Eleazar 'Tito' Chumpitaz has never coached at the top level it is hoped he will provide the magic to steer Peru to some level of success. The players will also have extra motivation to succeed after their country was robbed of its right to host the tournament after a dispute with FIFA. Further bad news came for Peru when striker Jairsinho Baylón was ruled out for four months and so misses the championships. One to watch: Carlos Zambrano (Schalke 04) Uruguay Legendary Uruguayan striker Diego Aguirre leads the Celeste in their quest for glory in the 2009 under-20 South American championships. The trophy has eluded Uruguay for the past 27 years but now the country can boast a side with genuine aspirations of bringing the silverware back to Montevideo. Certainly coach Aguirre is not thinking just of World Cup qualification but “to win the Sudamericano” trophy which has escaped his country’s grasp since 1981. One to watch: Jonathan Urretavizcaya (Benfica) Venezuela The hosts will surely never have a better chance to qualify for their first under-20 FIFA World Cup as they are cheered on by their home crowd in every match. The fact that the head coach of the senior team, Caesar Farías, is taking charge of the side for this tournament is testament to how important a good showing is to the nation of Venezuela. With squad members already snapped up by clubs in Italy and Spain the team should be good enough to stay in the competition long enough to keep the locals interested. Also local laws mean more young players now play in the Venezuela First Division and this is bearing fruit for the youth squad. One to watch: Rafael Acosta (Cagliari) © Tim Sturtridge & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football Betting