Thread by @tranmerekev

Here we go, an 18 day thread, of up to 25 games across five countries in two continents.

Strap yourself in, or click that "unfollow" if random South American football is not your thing.

Match 1: 🇺🇾
Primera Division

River Plate 1 Rentistas 0

Ticket: 300 pesos (£5.85), though the club contacted me via Twitter and gave me a freebie.
They even followed up asking if I enjoyed it.

Att: Aprox 11-1200, with 100 away fans

A sumptuous pass from midfield to set up a tidy finish for the only goal of the game.
The away side can count themselves a tad unfortunate as they were better 2nd half, missing a gilt edged chance at the death.

Match 2: 🇺🇾
Segunda Division

Central Espanol 1 Cerro 2

Ticket: 200 Pesos (£3.90) local price. Non residents pay more.

A much better game, and atmosphere.

Crowd was pretty much split 50/50 on either side of the stadium (behind goals were closed)

Cerro opened the scoring from the penalty spot, then the ref gave CS a pen then changed hid mind after talking to the linesman.
Add a red card to the mix, he wasn't a popular man at HT

The ten men of CE pulled it back, they got done with a 95th min goal that sent the Cerro fans into raptures.
They were superb all night.
Video doesn't do them justice as it was filmed on my 2nd (old) phone.

Proper S American stiff even if it was Div 2.
Noise, colour, fireworks

Parque Palermo is very close to Stadio Centenario, so I had a quick mooch around it.

Parque Luis Mendez Piana, home of Miramar Misiones is also close by, but I didn't get to see it, though they have invited me for Sunday's game.
Sadly I have other plans (games)

Match 3:🇺🇾
Primera Division. 6pm

Defensor Sporting 0 Nacional 2

Ticket: With Nacional being a big club, home tickets were strictly Socios only.
Thanks to a local journalist who contacted me via Twitter, who put me in touch with
someone at the club, I managed to snaffle a ticket

A rip roaring atmosphere by both sets of fans, but Defensors hardy band of Ultras couldn't
match Nacional for noise, constant noise.

Quite different on the pitch. Despite falling behind inside 5 mins, Defensor were superb,
and it's no exaggeration to say the could have scored 6.

2nd half was more even, but still Defensor looked the more likey before being caught on the
counter.

Ticket for Defensor was 400 Pesos (£8)

Match 4:🇺🇾
Primera Division, 8.30pm

Wanderers 1 Montevideo City Torque 1

Ticket: 350 Pesos (£7)

A taxi was needed for this (approx £7.50) which got me there in time for kick off

Wanderers were by far the better side early on

and deservedly took the lead.
City Torque hit back from a rebounded penalty before going down to 10 men after a bit of
handbags on the stroke of HT.

The vistiors deservedly held out for a draw after Wanderers huffed and puffed their way through
the 2nd half.

Match 5: 🇺🇾

Estadio Parque Capurro

Fenix 0 Danubio 0

Ticket: 400 Pesos (£8)

By far the worst game of the trip, and you could tell early on there would no goals.

But the view was stunning.

Fair play to Joao, a Brazilian who lives along the coast in Punta del Este, who not only sorted my tickets, but picked me up and took me to both games. Top lad.

Match 6 🇺🇾
Primera Division

Estadio Jardines del Hipodromo (home of Danubio)

Albion 2 Cerrito 2

Tickets: 300 Pesos (£6)

The oldest club in Uruguay are nomadic. They have no stadium, so play where they can.

This was the proverbial relegation six pointer

We missed the first goal after being held back by the police at Fenix so they could let the away fans go, but was a decent game, with Albion deservedly equalising in the 95th minute

Match 7 🇦🇷
Primera Nacional

Ferro Carril Oeste 1 Guillermo Brown 0

Ticket: 1000 Pesos (£6.80)

An early red card for the vistiors was telling.
Down to ten men after 15, it didn't take long for the Batigol wannabe in the no 9 shirt for Ferro to open the scoring.

Ferro came out 2nd half disjointed, and GB had two gilt edged chances to equalise, and can feel hard done not to get a point.

Ferro move 36th in the table up to 30th. Yes, you read that right 😀

Decent atmosphere, with the highlight an inflatable/deflatable tunnel.

Match 8 🇦🇷

Copa Libertadores

Boca Juniors 1 Corinthians 1

Ticket: Free (pending a claim to get my money back on an undelivered ticket)

A proper Bucket List stadium, and it didn't disappoint, even if the match did slightly.

The Brazilian side opened the scoring early, with Boca equalising just before HT after a defensive slip up.

The ref lost control of game in the 2nd half, but Boca really should have won it at the death with a free header

Another inflatable tunnel

The fans were relentless with their noise and their songs, and I don't speak Spanish, there wasn't a hint of negativity, even when they were losing.

Match 9 🇦🇷
Copa Sudamericana

Racing 1 FBC Melgar 0

Ticket: 2500 Pesos (£17.50)

Racing quick out of the blocks, but Melgar always looking to counter.

This paid off, sort of, when a break down the right led to the Racing keeper coming out of his area and handling the ball.

A red card was rightly issues despite the protests.
Heads didn't go down, fans and players alike, and six minutes later the home side took the lead.

Despite doing all they could to get a Melgar player sent off, Racing couldn't get a foothold in the 2nd half, but despite

..all the possession the Peruvians had, other than two over head kicks straight down the throat of the sub keeper, it was a relatively comfortable night for Racing.
First souvenir bought from this trip, something I've found hard to come by.

Match 10🇦🇷
Copa Libertadores

Rivet Plate 4 Colo Colo 0

Ticket: £80, but that was guided in a group of 12 by two River fans, and including beer and food.

Stadium wasn't quite full, and I was told tickets were available earlier in the week.

How to get hold of them is a ..

..matter. Was it worth it? Probably, possibly, its a once in a lifetime trip, but atmosphere wasn't as good as Racing or Boca, and Independiente were at home same night.
The group was mainly Latinos, from Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador & even Chile.
Not my scene being guided..

And it's not as I ever felt threatened or in danger at 4 games in Argentina.

As for the game, final pass from River was poor, and Colo Colo looked half decent.
Goals aside of HT settled them, and then it was a case of how many.
Rivers keeper did make one decent save late though

Match 11: 🇵🇾
Division Intermedia

Estadio Emiliano Ghezzi
Ticket: 30,000 Guarani (roughly £3)

Fernando de la Mora 0 San Lorenzo 2

The home side were hapless and totally bereft of confidence, as San Lorenzo dominated throughout, and should have scored more

Some pictures

And the home sides hardy little band of Ultras.

Probably only 200-250 here in total, but San Lorenzo had about 50, in what was a relaxed atmosphere

On the final whistle, I jumped into a £2 Uber and ten minutes later I was at.

Match 12 🇵🇾
Primera Division

Estadio River Plate.
Ticket: 30,000 (£3)

Tacuary 1 Ameliano 0

This was billed as a "Barrio" derby, and the police presence reflected that.
Piss easy 3 hours overtime😄

Ameliano were by far the better side, creating numerous chances, and having a tight offside goal disallowed.

Tacuary did have the occasional chance, but a red card for the vistiors proved telling, with Tacuary securing a fortuitous victory in the 90th minute.

Watched first half with home fans, and the riot police, then most of the 2nd half with the away fans.
No idea what the stand behind rhe goal was all about

Not sure who it was, but there was quite fireworks display outside the ground as the players entered the field.

It carried on long after I stopped filming

Match 13: 🇵🇾
Primera Division

Resistencia 0 Sol de América 0

Ticket: 30,000 (£3.70)

A first half shaded by the home team, who had the only two chances. Two close range efforts put over the bar.

2nd half the vistiors were much better, creating a couple of half chances.

Match 14
Division Intermedia

Estadio Martin Torres
Sportivo Trinidense 1 Atyra 0

Ticket: 20,000 (£2.40)

The game was marred by an injury to the home keeper, who had to be taken to hospital, although he did manage to walk into the ambulance, so hopefully it was precautionary.

A decent game in pleasant surroundings. Although the away side haven't won all season, they matched the hosts for periods of the game.
Trinidense took the lead halfway through the 1st half.
Both sides had chances, but the hosts saw the game out relatively comfortably

Though we have to talk about the elephant in the room 😄

A ground very similar to Brisbane Road, home of Leyton Orient, where local residents can watch the game for free from certain vantage points

The ambulance takes the Trinidense goalkeeper yo hospital

Match 15: 🇵🇾
Primera Division

Estadio Defensores del Chaco (national stadium)
Olimpia 0 Cerro Porteno 4

Ticket: 100,000 (£11.20)

A game played in the national stadium as Olimpia's ground isn't really big enough to stage the Paraguayan Clasico.

Tickets are split equally.

Cracking game in what was a fantastic atmosphere, where both sets of fans gave their all for 90 mins.
A ridiculous police presence though in what was a very relaxed atmosphere.
Drums, singing, bouncing, pyro. I was close to the off field action 1st half in the Cerro section.

I did notice the police came into our section telling several fans to cover up their La Plaza t-shirts and banners.
La Plaza is Cerro's main Ultras group.

The Cerro fans started as they meant to go on with their non stop singing, as the players entered the field to a pyro show.

Cerro opened the scoring from their first chance. A penalty after a handball from a corner

The 2nd & 4th goals are well worth seeking out, and both sides attempting to score from their ien halves, as Cerro saw out the game comfortably.
Truth be told, they wasn't four goals better than Olimpia, but they were ruthless and clinical when it mattered.

Despite never likely to get back into the game, the Olimpia fans never gave up

But the real party was at the other end of the ground.

Match 16: 🇵🇾
Primera Division

Estadio Tigo La Huerta
Libertad 1 Nacional 0

Ticket: 20,000 (£2.40)

Not a bad price to pay to see the league leaders.

Quite an open game, until the red cards came out.
First it was a Libertad player for an elbow. This gave the visitors extra..

..incentive to attack, but that came to an end after they too had a man sent off, for two yellows.
It was a case of hold what you have, with the occasional counter attack.
Worked perfectly well until that old warhorse, Roque Santa Cruz popped up with a 90th minute winner.

Match 17 🇵🇾
Copa America Beach Football

Estadio Mundialista Los Pyrandi

Chile 6 Colombia 2

Ticket: Free

Blimey it was hot, and it took a while to work out the rules, but I'm glad I experienced this.

Chile led 4-0, Colombia half the deficit, before the better side...

Ran out comfortable winners

Match 18 🇵🇾
Division Intermedia

Estadio Feliciano Cáceres

Ticket: 20,000 (£2.40)

A cracking atmosphere in a packed end behind the goal, in a stadium with only two sides open.

The home side flew out of the blocks only for a mad 3 minutes to completely change the game.

A howler of a goal to give away was immediately followed by a red card for the home side after a reckless challenge.

This upset the home fans, and it kicked off, between themselves.

This was the first time I'd seen the heavy police presence, which has been a constant theme

Actually get involved

Luqueno started the 2nd like the first, determined to get back into it. They duly did with a goal from 25 yards.

Ledesma were happy with a point, but was still dangerous on the counter, indeed the keeper had to push a shot onto the bar.
But with 15 to go, the away side..

Silenced the crowd with a headed goal from a player called Ledesma, which absolutely killed the game and the atmosphere, and send the passionate blur and yellow army home disappointed.

Match 19 🇵🇾
Copa Paraguay
Estadio La Arboleda

1 de Marzo 3 Deportivo Humaita 2

Ticket: 20,000 (£2.40)

Today was the only non football day of the whole trip, because I obviously didn't do my homework.

But thankfully Adolfo from Asuncion, who has followed me on

My adventure via social media told me about some football taking place in the city.

Two games, though I wasn't aware that it was a double header at one stadium until it was too late, though I did catch the last 15 mins of the first game.

I did catch the game mentioned, where 1 de Marzo came from a goal down to comfortably win 3-2, with Dep Humaita making the score look respectable very late on.

The game was filmed, so worth checking out the absolute sitter 1 de Marzo missed at 0-0, but also their 3rd, a decent effort from the right wing.

The game was halted due to the sprinklers starting

Plus a dog added to the crowd, though not she paid the 20,000 I had to.

Match 20: 🇵🇾
Copa Libertadores

Estadio General Pablo Rojas

Cerro Porteno 0 Olimpia 1.

Ticket: 130,000 (£16)

This was the game my whole trip was built around.

I'm relatively new to Paraguayan football, but it's got me hook, line and sinker.

And this was fucking brilliant

Let me rephrase that. The atmosphere was brilliant, Cerro were shocking, but got the job done, at the expense of rivals Olimpia, who now drop into the Copa Sudamericana.

Tonight and Sunday was like chalk and cheese, though I did say Cerro were not four goals better than Olimpia at the weekend.
Chiqui did make wholesale changes, and it showed in a somewhat disjointed display

Olimpia deservedly took the lead, and as poor as Cerro were, the gamble to rest players paid off though el decano fans never gave up.

Although a 1-0 defeat would be enough for Cerro to qualify they were awarded ..

A penalty in injury time. The miss summed up the whole performance, but come knock out time, few will remember the miss or the poor show

Match 21: 🇵🇾
Copa Libertadores

Estadio Defensores del Chaco

Libertad 4 The Strongest 1

Ticket: Free. A very kind Libertad bought & paid for it.

The scoreline pretty much sums the game.

Libertad were comfortable throughout, even though the Bolivians equalised just before HT

With pretty much their first attack.
The red card halfway through the 2nd half didn't help their cause, but they wouldn't have got result with XI men.
Roque Santa Cruz scored again, a tap in after a good save from The Strongest keeper.

Match 22: 🇨🇱
Tercera B (5th Div I think)

Estadio Municipal de Puente Alto

Municipal Puente Alto 2 Chimbarongo 2

Ticket: Free.

Not sure if you had to pay, but playing the dumb foreigner got me in, as long as I had my Covid Mobility Pass.

The home side led 2-0, though

Chimbarongo did miss an open goal moments before the first goal.

They did fight back, though there was a hint of off side to their first after the guy finished from a rebounded off the post.

Match 23: 🇨🇱

Primera B

Estadio Municipal de La Pintana

Santiago Morning 0 Cobreloa 1

Ticket: 5,400 Pesos (£5.40)

Strange one this as the stadium was 80% Cobreloa fans, and until someone pointed it out to me on Twitter, its a 3,100km round trip.
A remarkable following for

2nd Division club, so I suspect they have every justification of showing this banner

As for the game, Cobreloa dominated 1st half, creating four real good chances, though helped by the harsh red card for the big No 8 for Morning.

But what a 2nd half by the hosts. You wouldn't know they were down a man. Far better, created more chances, with the other Kevin

In the stadium, the Morning No 21 being the creative outlet, but they were done late on to deny them what would have been a well deserved point.

There was another red card issued. The Cobreloa coach was sent off for two yellows for moaning at the 4th official. I thought he had every right to for the 2nd as I thought the linesman made the wrong call.

Match 24: 🇨🇱

Primera B

Estadio Municipal Luis Navarro Aviles

Magallanes 2 Recoleta 1

Ticket: 5,500 Pesos (£5.30)

Top vs Bottom. The win put Magallanes 17 points clear at top of the 2nd Division, but it wasn't all plain sailing.

Recoleta had their chances, at 0-0, and even

After they were reduced to ten men. Still, the better side won, and could and should have scored a third, hitting the bar in the second half.

They also had the oldest Ultra I've seen on this trip.

This old dear, probably in her 70's or 80's constantly got the section I was in going

Match 25: 🇨🇱

Primera Division

Estadio Santa Laura (La Catedral)

Union Espanola 1 Union La Calera

Ticket: Two for one, 3,500 Pesos (£3.35)

League leaders vs relegation stragglers, but the vistiors were by far the better side, missing an absolute sitter in the first half

The home side lacked movement and support for their main striker and La Calera passed and moved it better. They did pay the price for their time wasting as the home side scored a cracking free kick in the 93rd minute.

Match 26: 🇬🇧

Finalissima

Wembley

Argentina 3 Italy 0

Ticket: £25

Finally got to see Messi in the flesh, and though he's in the twilight of his career, he's still got magic in those boots.

Argentina ran out convincing winners against a lacklustre Azzurri side.

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