San Lorenzo: Assessing one of WSW's possible Club World Cup opponents

In only a month, the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off, and has many of us licking our lips at the prospect of the Western Sydney Wanderers locking horns with some of the best clubs in the world.

Others are keen to see Real Madrid wrap up another title, but newly crowned Copa Libertadores champions, Argentinian giants San Lorenzo, are the club most likely to challenge Los Blancos in the final.

There is a slim chance of Western Sydney facing San Lorenzo in the tournament, because if Western Sydney overcome Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul in the quarter final they will face none other than Real Madrid. The script is written for another South American-European final, but many onlookers will not know too much about this San Lorenzo side.

Those who follow the Argentinian Primera Division (myself included), will be quick to point out that the Azulgrana have endured a poor season domestically, and are currently languishing in 14th position.

After years of being the victim of jokes due to being the only member of Argentina’s traditional ‘Big Five’ clubs to never win the Copa Libertadores, San Lorenzo finally brought their first Copa Libertadores home to the Estadio Pedro Bidegain in August, after seeing off Nacional of Paraguay 2-1 on aggregate in the final.

However, since the club captured their maiden Libertadores and the 2013 Torneo Inicial, they have offloaded three key players in defensive stalwart Santiago Gentiletti, midfielder Ignacio Piatti and their hugely talented young striker Angel Correa.

Despite their recent troubles though, San Lorenzo still boast a hugely talented squad. The departure of Angel Correa to La Liga champions Atletico Madrid has been a blow to the Libertadores holders, however in Hector Villalba (who is arguably the quickest player in Argentina) and young speedster Gonzalo Veron, San Lorenzo boast two wingers who are capable of troubling any defence with their frightening pace.

Martin Cauteruccio and Mauro Matos as well as former Boca Juniors striker Nicolas Blandi are a very experienced trio of strikers too, giving San Lorenzo a wealth of options in attack. San Lorenzo’s technically superb number 10 Leandro Romagnoli is the club’s main creative force in midfield and has been so for many seasons.

Romagnoli is a fan favourite at the Estadio Pedro Bidegain, and along with Paraguayan powerhouse Nestor Ortigoza (scorer of the decisive goal in the Libertadores final), Juan Mercier, Pablo Barrientos and the rampaging Julio Buffarini, helps to form one of the strongest midfields in South American football.

Buffarini can play as a rampaging right wing back too, and San Lorenzo’s other full back, left-sided player Emmanuel Mas is also a formidable force in the San Lorenzo backline. Centre backs Mario Yepes, Walter Kannemann and Mauro Cetto as well as former Argentinian international goalkeeper Leo Franco help complete a team that is more than capable of doing what Brazilian side Corinthians did in 2012, and snatch the Club World Cup from under the nose of a European giant.

Were they to meet Real Madrid in the final it would be a huge task to overcome the ten-time European champions, but in football anything can happen.

Keep an eye out for Hector Villalba who could well light up the Club World Cup in the same way young Mexican star Jesus Corona did for Liga MX side Monterrey in 2012.

They might be struggling domestically, but were San Lorenzo to bring the Club World Cup back home to South America, Pope Francis (a boyhood San Lorenzo fan) will have no complaints, and the club will have finished off the finest year in the club’s 106-year history in some style.