With the European leagues heading into their midwinter breaks (see “Soccer Watch Online” for a midseason recap), the big news this week came from South America, where two legendary clubs won titles. Santos of Rio de Janeiro, Pele’s old club, took their second Brazilian championship in three years with a home win on the last day of the season. Meanwhile, Boca Juniors lifted the Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the UEFA Cup, with a win at home in Buenos Aires over unheralded Bolivar, the first Bolivian club ever to make the final of an international tournament. Bocas legend Diego Maradona was in the stands, having interrupted his drug treatment in Cuba, against doctors’ orders, in order to be at home in Argentina for the holidays.

This article appears in December 24 • 2004.

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