Big injury problems litter Vélez's road back to the title

	Vélez must make do without the services of its most prolific scorer, Lucas Castromán. AP

Just like that, things can change on a dime in Argentina.

It was barely four months ago when Vélez Sársfield's outstanding closing half to the 2004-05 campaign captured the attention of the nation. The team's free-flowing brand of soccer had reached such a ravishing consistency, it was only natural to expect that the club from Buenos Aires' Liniers district would pick up more hardware as the year went on.

Since then, the injury bug has obliterated manager Miguel Angel Russo's  squad and has turned Vélez fans' stomachs completely sour. The defending champions currently sit in second place in the Apertura, but a depleted roster may be the decisive factor this winter, as title candidates Boca Juniors, Argentinos and Independiente keep getting stronger.

Whether Russo's side can continue to hold on in Argentina remains to be seen. But their first test couldn't be any tougher than a Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal clash on Wednesday night with Mexican giants América, a club that went undefeated for 28 league matches until two weeks ago.

Before we get to that, though, let's take a look at the unfortunate run of bad luck in Liniers. Vélez's injury problems started in the first week of the Apertura, when prolific striker Rolando Zárate -- who scored eight goals in last season's Clausura -- fractured his right hip, an injury that has kept him out of action for almost three months.

Zárate had been instrumental in Vélez's attacking success during the past few seasons: He netted another eight goals in the '04 Apertura, and was the league's top scorer in the '04 Clausura with 13.

Russo must also make do without the services of midfielder Marcelo Bravo, who, at age 20, may have to hang up his cleats after tests showed a serious heart problem that could be life-threatening if he continues to play soccer.

Bravo's case is eerily familiar: Soccer has seen some of its brightest young stars felled by heart attacks in recent years, including Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foé and Hungary's Miklos Feher, both of whom died on the pitch. Not surprisingly, the Vélez medical team thought it was best to give Bravo a rest until doctors have more time to treat him.

In the 11th week of the Apertura, against Arsenal, Vélez lost defender Maximiliano Pellegrino to a dislocated right shoulder, an injury that is likely to keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. This is a particularly big blow for Vélez since they sold their former captain, center-back Fabricio Fuentes, to Atlas of Mexico during the offseason.