In a year in which one could find the most tightly contested battle for this award ever, El País divulged on Wednesday the shortlist of players that are up for the South American Player of the Year Award.
Teófilo Gutiérrez is one of the favorites to win this award after a stellar year with both River Plate and the Colombian national team. The Barranquilla native is looking to become the first Colombian since Carlos Valderrama back in 1987 to win this award.
Gutiérrez was the catalyst offensively for River Plater as they won the Argentine league, the annual title and the Copa Sudamericana. River also came in second place in the Torneo Transición behind eventual champs Racing Club.
He was also a fundamental part of the Colombian national squad in Brazil during the World Cup. The former Cruz Azul and Junior man scored a goal and played in four matches as Colombia reached the quarterfinals for the first time in history.
Lucas Silva was a key part of Cruzeiro’s repeat in the Brasileirão. The 21-year-old currently being sought after by Real Madrid was able to shine amid a very deep and talented attacking squad that ran away with the national tournament for a second consecutive year. A Raposa also ended up in the final of the Copa do Brasil, losing to archrivals Atlético-MG.
SIlva’s numbers weren’t mindblowing, but it was his technical abilities and also his propencity to find space to attack defenses made him such a dangerous weapon in Marcelo Oliveira’s arsenal.
Ignacio Piatti was another player that got some plaudits but there are certain arguments that would go against him. Piatti is a player that was shortlisted despite having played only half a year in South America; part of the reality facing the game in this part of the world.
Piatti was the engine for San Lorenzo and was the player behind Ángel Correa (now with Atlético Madrid) and Martín Cauteruccio. Piatti was fundamental in helping the Boedo win the Copa Libertadores for the first time, although he only played the away leg against Paraguayan side Nacional.
Piatti would sign with Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact and there he would have an impact almost immediately. In the just six matches, he became the team’s fourth leading scorer with four goals. Piatti would suffer a season.
Charles Aránguiz was one of the best foreign players in the Brasileirão this season. The Chilean was also instrumental in the midfield as he took up the slack for the injured Arturo Vidal in the midfield as La Roja got out of the group stage in the World Cup. Aránguiz scored his only goal of the tournament against Spain, knocking out the defending champs.
Another player that gets shortlisted on basically a half a year to stand on was Leandro Pisculichi. The River Plate playemaker came on in the second half of the year and was their set piece genius; scoring very timely goals, especially against Boca Juniors, en route to the Copa Sudamericana crown. The former Mallorca and Shandong Luneng man struggled mightily during the first half of 2014 with Argentinos Juniors, eventually seeing the team go into relegation.
His arrival at River was a new opportunity to shine and he did excel greatly under Marcelo Gallardo.
Carlos Sánchez helped River return to the first division two years ago and upon his return he was vital to helping them win their first international title in 18 years. Sánchez was also one of the newer pieces that Oscar Washington Tabárez began featuring in midfield post-World Cup. Yet the problem with his is the same, he only played productively for half of the season.
