Youth profits from lack of protection

By Tim Vickery

Carlos Tevez has lifted Boca to the verge of the Copa Libertadores final

Michael Owen had it. Wayne Rooney has had plenty of it. But South America's teenage starlets almost never receive it.

I'm referring to the protection given to young players by their coaches - the idea that 'he's only a kid, he has a lot to learn and we shouldn't expect too much from him at this stage.'

In South America there is nowhere to hide - from interviews or from expectations of success.

With big name players constantly being sold to Europe, the next generation don't have to wait long for an opportunity - but have to be able to cope with the responsibility.

In some cases the most important players in the side are still in their teens - and this year's Copa Libertadores offers ample evidence.

The finalists in South America's version of the Champions League will be defined this week.

The most likely final would seem to be between Santos of Brazil and Boca Juniors of Argentina - a repeat of the 1963 decider.

Both teams travel to Colombia this week for the second leg of their semi-final. Santos face Independiente of Medellin while Boca take on America of Cali.

Both are defending first leg leads built up in front of their own fans. And in both cases the most important player is a teenager whose parents are probably too young to remember that final between the two sides 40 years ago.

The dismal final of the Champions League shows that European football has plenty to learn from the fearlessness of youth

Santos are conducted by 18-year-old playmaker Diego, who exploded onto the scene as the club won last year's Brazilian Championship.

Santos coach Emerson Leão claims that Diego "organises the attack better than Zico" and the young man's talent has been put to the test in the Copa Libertadores.

Fellow teenage wonderkid Robinho is struggling for form. Centre forward Ricardo Oliveira, top scorer in the competition, has been out injured for the past month.

The burden of carrying the attack is all falling on the shoulders of Diego, and nobody wants to make allowances for the fact that he is only 18.

It is a similar story with Boca Juniors and their 19-year-old Carlos Tevez.

After breaking through last year as an attacking midfielder, Tevez now seems to have found his true position in a more advanced role.

With his stocky build, low centre of gravity and ability on the turn he can be very difficult to stop - and so it proved in last week's semi-final first leg.

The current Boca side are very pedestrian in midfield, and the injury to senior striker Guillermo Barros Schelotto was a real blow to their hopes of eliminating America.

Spark and audacity

But the belief before the game was that if Tevez performed to his potential then Boca had a chance of building up a commanding lead.

If not, then the Colombians would be favourites to seal a place in the final in front of their own fans.

Tevez rose to the challenge of playing the most important game of his life.

He was at the heart of everything good that Boca did in the game, and crowned his display with a vital last-minute goal, surprising the defence with a turn and curling left foot to give Boca a two-goal cushion.

The likes of Diego and Tevez may lack the protection that a promising European player would receive - but maybe they don't need it.

Certainly football is all the better for their spark and audacity.

Perhaps the dismal final of the Champions League shows that European football has plenty to learn from the fearlessness of youth.