Copa Lib 2012 snapshots: Groups 7, 8

Thanks to the team from SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk ( Anthony Wright, Nicholas Rosano, Brian Maxwell, James Walker-Roberts and FOX Soccer's own Rupert Fryer) we know which of the tournament's 32 remaining clubs can be expected to be around after the group stage of the 2012 Copa Libertadores. The competition starts in earnest on Tuesday. Here are their Group 7 and 8 snapshots:

GROUP 7
Full group 7 snapshot (SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk)

Thanks to the less-than-convincing form of Group 7's two big names, this may be the weakest group in the competition. While that would normally represent an open door for an upstart, it would be unwise to write off Velez or Chivas.

Velez Sarsfield

Country: Argentina
Best Finish(es): Winners in 1994
Key Player: Juan Manuel Martinez
Expectations: Make a deep run in the tournament
FOX Soccer prediction: Group winner

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: Velez go into the Copa Libertadores off a disappointing Apertura campaign which was not helped by the departures of Maxi Moralez, Ricky Alvarez and Santiago Silva. The club have brought in Federico Insua and Mauro Obolo in the close season to bolster their squad for the tournament. Coach Ricardo Gareca says not only are the club “ready to fight on all fronts” but that they “must win something” this year.

Guadalajara

Country: Mexico
Best Finish(es): Runners-up 2010
Key Player: Patricio Araujo
Expectations: Make it out of group
FOX Soccer prediction: Second place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk:  All is not well with Chivas, who have undergone a number of managerial changes recently, sacking Jose Luis Real in October to bring in Fernando Quirarte, who was then replaced by Ignacio Ambriz. Ambriz must now get his house in order and improve the struggling Guadalajara side, particularly in front of goal where young Erick Torres is currently shouldering most of the burden. Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Patricio Araujo must rediscover his form that made him one of the league’s best players at the start of last year’s Apertura.

Deportivo Quito

Country: Ecuador
Best Finish(es): Second round in 1989
Key Player: Fidel Martinez
Expectations: Try to sneak past Chivas
FOX Soccer prediction: Third place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: The careful management of Argentine coach Carlos Ischia has been vital, as he realized the club lacked the strength to compete for both the Copa Sudamericana and the league title. Deportivo’s first-round exit in the Sudamericana clearly paid dividends in the long run, and the team can now focus on another Libertadores campaign.

Defensor Sporting

Country: Uruguay
Best Finish(es): Quarterfinalists in 2007 and 2009
Key Player: Johnnier Montano
Expectations: Compete for a knockout round spot
FOX Soccer prediction: Fourth place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: Defensor will be without the services of Brahian Aleman after the 22-year-old left for Godoy Cruz following a series of impressive displays with la Viola. Coach Gustavo Díaz will be charged with using the club’s youth players to a greater degree than his predecessor as they search for the next Sebastián Abreu or Martín Cáceres. That player could come in the form of talented defender Ramón Arias.

GROUP 8
Full group 8 snapshot (SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk)

One of the continent's newest powers is a group with one of its traditional titans in Group 8, another group that has two clear favorites for knockout round soccer.

Universidad de Chile

Country: Chile
Best Finish(es): Semifinals in 1970, 1996, 2010
Key Player: Francisco Castro
Expectations: Compete for the title
FOX Soccer prediction: Group winner

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: La U conquered all before them in 2011, lifting both domestic championships and the club’s first ever continental crown when it saw off LDU de Quito to grab the Copa Sudamericana. Coach Jorge Sampaoli will see no reason why his side can’t write more history by becoming only the second Chilean club to lift South America’s premier club competition, despite the loss of their standout star Eduardo Vargas.

Penarol

Country: Uruguay
Best Finish(es): Winners in 1960, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1987
Key Player: Marcelo Zalayeta
Expectations: Get out of group, do some damage in the next round
FOX Soccer prediction: Second place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: Last year’s beaten finalists, Penarol has had a change in the dugout, with coach Gregorio Perez succeeding Diego Aguirre. Former Juventus striker Marcelo Zalayeta, who finished as the Apertura’s top scorer last season, has returned to help out. While they won’t be among the favorites, write them off at your peril. Any Penarol fan will tell you that the Copa Libertadores is their obsession.

Godoy Cruz

Country: Argentina
Best Finish(es): Group stage in 2011
Key Player: Ruben Ramirez
Expectations: Be competitive
FOX Soccer prediction: Third place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: The objective for new coach Nery Pumpido will simply be to improve on the club’s first-round exit last season, when the side from Mendoza made their Copa Libertadores debut. Pumpido says he will need two teams to compete both in the league and the Libertadores, so something will have to give. Having failed to make it out of the group stage in their inaugural Copa last season, qualification for the second round will be the winemakers’ aim.

Atletico Nacional

Country: Colombia
Best Finish(es): Winners in 1989
Key Player: Darlon Pabon
Expectations: None, really
FOX Soccer prediction: Fourth place

Via SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk: Nacional became the first Colombian club to lift the Copa Libertadores nearly a quarter of a century ago, and they return to the competition for the first time since 2008 after grabbing Colombia’s Apertura league title. Carlos Rentería finished as the league’s top goalscorer, and his ability to take that form into the Libertadores will be vital, but Colombia international Dorlan Pabon will likely be the most important to Nacional’s hopes of bettering their second-round exit last time out.

For more on this year's Copa Libertadores as well as the rest of South American soccer, please visit SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk.