Brazil midfielder Thiago Neves is to sign for Hamburg this Saturday ... Click to continue reading...

Fluminense and Brazil midfielder, Thiago Neves, could be on his way to sunny Manchester for around 12 million euros ... Click to continue reading...

We kick off round 22 of the Campeonato Brasileiro with Fluminense as they take on Sport Recife. Cuca took charge of the strugglers last week and got off to a winning start against Atlético Mineiro ... Click to continue reading...

Stuff to read while you portray yourself as an adult video inspector..... Football questions you never knew you needed answered. (Metro) How to survive the relegation fight. (Cagliari Offside) Lots of men from New Zealand auditioning for a Michael Jackson Thriller remake. (Champions League Blog) The insanity of Cologne's fans. Click to continue reading...

Celso Roth's team ensured they'd stay leaders at the halfway point of the Campeonato Brasileiro after demolishing Atlético Mineiro 4-0 in Belo Horizonte ... Click to continue reading...

Ariel Ortega agreed with the River Plate board on Tuesday to go out on loan for a season to Mendoza club Independiente Rivadavia, of Primera B Nacional. Ortega turned down the chance to move to the United Arab Emirates to play a season for Al Mir Sports due to the distance from his family and [...] Click to continue reading...

As if to prove that he can put together quite a handy team without including the Olympic-bound Lionel Messi, Juan Román Riquelme, Sergio Agüero et al, Alfio Basile has named the Argentina squad to face Belarus in a friendly in Minsk, two weeks from today (Weds). There are a couple of surprises in the all-Europe [. Click to continue reading...

We start our coverage of round 17 of the Campeonato Brasileiro at the estádio Maracanã for Fluminense as they take on Internacional ... Click to continue reading...

For Saturday's game, we'll be set up at the estádio Maracanã for Fluminense against Cruzeiro. Nearly all the pundits were expecting Fluminense to be challenging for one of the top slots by this stage of the championship ... Click to continue reading...

If you've been following this blog or Latin American soccer you should be very familiar with the name Thiago Neves. The Fluminense midfielder notched a hat trick in the finale of the Copa Libertadores--ultimately in a losing cause, as his club lost to Ecuador's LDU Quito.

"Thiago is a 23 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder who was capped a few times by Brazil's Under 23 national team but somehow was never signed by a European club.

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On Saturday, we take our first look at two clubs with widely contrasting fortunes in the league as we head to Rio's estádio Maracanã for Fluminense vs Vitória. Fluminense made it all the way to the finals of the Libertadores only to come away empty-handed against Ecuador's LDU. The Brasileiro was secondary while Flu maintained an interest [. Click to continue reading...

After ten rounds of most competitions in world football, the average punter often has a reasonable idea of how things are going to pan out at the end of the season. However, the same cannot be said for Brazil's league championship - the Campeonato Brasileiro ... Click to continue reading...

Nothing major to report on the transfer front. Most of the info from Inara's last transfer post is still up to date. Here's the latest:

OUT:

Gregory Coupet: Greg's transfer to Atletico Madrid has been finalized.

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World Soccer News

For week of 07/08

LDU Quito sensational Latin America champs

Absence of the away-goals rule in the Copa Libertadores finals cost dearly Fluminense of Rio, but instead helped LDU of Quito to become the first Ecuadorian team to become the winners of the prime club competition in Latin America. Click to continue reading...

It's time for the post-Copa Libertadores version of the World Club Rankings Top 25. Obviously, the big news since the last ranking is the historic victory by LDU Quito in the Copa Libertadores. Liga took a two-goal lead into Rio de Janiero for the second leg of the final against Fluminense. When Liga scored early in the second leg, it looked like it was all over. Click to continue reading...

Get ready Manchester United fans and hope that Cristiano Ronaldo is still on your team and over his ankle injury because here come LDU Quito, newly crowned winners of the Copa Libertadores and the first Ecuadorian team to have won the cup. It was an amazing game where Fluminense of Brazil fought back from a 4-2 deficit in the first leg to even things up with a 3-1 scoreline before they lost on penalty kicks. Click to continue reading...

More images of the ecstatic Liga Diportiva (Ecuador) after wining the 2008 Copa Libertadores (South American Championship Cup) against the Fluminense (Brazil) in Brazil - July 2, 2008. Congratulations! Image courtesy of Newscom.com Technorati Tags: copa libertadores 2008,libertadores cup 2008,2008 libertadores cup,soccer,soccer news,soccer cup,south america cup,libertadores championship,liga de quito,fluminense,liga dipotiva Share This Click to continue reading...

Fluminense's Dodo (right) goes all Matrix to win the ball from LDU Quito's Vicente Ambrossi in last night's Copa Libertadores finale. The two-legged final finished 5-5 on aggregate, with LDU taking the trophy on penalties. Photo credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Moraes Click to continue reading...

Fluminense midfielder Thiago Nieves scored a hat-trick as the tie finished 5-5 on aggregate but his efforts were in vain as LDU won the shootout 3-1 to stun the 86,000 crowd at the Maracana. Click to continue reading...

In a two-game series that saw 10 goals scored you wouldn't expect a goalkeeper to be the hero, but Liga de Quito goalkeeper Jose Francisco Cevallos was just that for Liga. Cevallos made three penalty kick saves to help Liga de Quito beat Brazilian club Fluminense, 3-1, in penalty kicks to capture the Copa Libertadores title last night at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

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After a 3-1 finish, the 2008 Copa Libertadores final went to penalties, and the Ecuadorians came out on top, claiming the tropy and the $2.6 million cash prize.

It is interesting to note that if the tie had been played under European rules, Fluminense would have claimed the title.

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Ecuador's Liga de Quito pose with their newly acquired Libertadores Championship Cup after beating Brazil's Fluminense in the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - July 2, 2008. Image courtesy of Newscom. Technorati Tags: copa libertadores 2008,libertadores cup 2008,2008 libertadores cup,soccer,soccer news,soccer cup,south america cup,libertadores championship,liga de quito,fluminense Share This Click to continue reading...

L.D.U (Quito) CAMPEON
Originally uploaded by Jonnathan Heras Fluminense (BRA) 3-1 Liga Deportiva Universitaria (ECU)
penales 1-2

Copa Libertadores Partido de Vuelta Final

Fue una final dramática, al final le anularon un gol legitimo a la Liga al Flu no le marcaron un penal, el portero Ceballos hizo mas tiempo que un reloj suizo y en la serie final de penales el colmillo de este portero se comió a los delanteros cariocas. Click to continue reading...

Ecuador's LDU are the new champions of the Copa Libertadores 2008 after they beat Brazil's Fluminense in a truly breath-taking game in estádio Maracanã ... Click to continue reading...

Tonight's second leg will determine the 2008 Copa Libertadores champion. LDU Quito won the first leg 4-2. Click to continue reading...