A surprise could be lurking in this year's Libertadores

With scoring ace Adriano on loan from Inter Milan, attack-minded São Paulo is a favorite to win its fourth Copa Libertadores title. AP

MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Gregory Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Each year the Copa Libertadores treats South American soccer fans with excitement of the highest order, rivaling -- and in many cases, surpassing -- that of Europe's Champions League.

This year will be no different. The continent's most prestigious club competition kicks off Tuesday night and it promises thrills, chills and the unexpected.

Last year's winners, Boca Juniors, who trounced Grêmio of Porto Alegre 5-0 on aggregate in the finals, have dominated South American soccer in recent years. And although Boca is expected to challenge for the title again this year, there are several other clubs that look equally strong.

The likes of São Paulo, Cruzeiro and River Plate all have enough talent to win the competition, which would seem to reinforce the trend of Brazilian and Argentine clubs ruling the continent. But we see a break this year.

Even though only two clubs from outside the Big Two have won the tournament in the last 16 editions, the recent emergence of exciting clubs --Colombia's Cúcuta Deportivo, Uruguay's Defensor Sporting and Paraguay's Libertad -- seems to indicate that this year's champion could come from elsewhere.

Traditionally, the quality of the competition has been of a very high standard, and recent trends suggest that the globalization of soccer means that soon the Argentine and Brazilian domination could be over.

But for now, clubs from those two countries are still a cut above the rest. Even their smaller clubs, such as Copa Sudamericana champ Arsenal de Sarandí, have proven their worth lately. Here's a rundown of what we can expect from the 49th edition of the Copa Libertadores:

The Group of Death

There are a number of incredibly even-matched groups in this edition of the Libertadores, but the group that stands out from the rest is Group 5, featuring River Plate, Club América, Universidad Católica and Universidad San Martín.

Obviously, River and América are expected to advance from the group, but both clubs will be fought all the way by a Católica side which has improved enormously in recent years. San Martín, which was founded only four years ago, is the outsider at this stage, but may raise some eyebrows after winning the Peruvian Apertura championship in style last year.

Why will River Plate top the group? The Argentine powerhouse did extremely well in the Argentine preseason, and seems to have found a new effective style of play under former Argentine international Diego Simeone. One player to keep an eye on is highly rated Uruguayan international Sebastián Abreu. El Loco has now played for 13 different clubs in his career and was one of River's stand-out performers during the preseason.

First-round matchups to watch

These are the kinds of matches everyone wants to see at this early stage of the competition. And the best thing about it is that this year, fans will be treated to several outstanding clashes between exciting teams that could go all the way.

Probably the biggest of them all is the showdown between River and América, two teams who have enough ammunition to fight for the title. Both teams are traditionally amongst the top two sides of their respective nations, Argentina and Mexico, and both legs should be a thrill to watch.

Another exciting clash will be the one between San Lorenzo and Cruzeiro. Whenever Argentine and Brazilian clubs meet in competitions of this magnitude, things always get heated. The best thing about this meeting is that both teams are well-respected in their leagues, but haven't won any international hardware in a number of years. Both will be desperate to get things right this year.

1 of 2