More than two months after the quarterfinal first-leg games, the Libertadores Cup picks up action this week. The delay between games came about because of FIFA's ruling that players must be available for World Cup preparation by May 17.

TUESDAY, July 18
LIBERTAD (Portugal) vs. RIVER PLATE (Argentina)
First leg: 2-2.
TV: Fox Sports en Espanol (live), 8 pm ET.

Libertad, known as "El Gumarelo," has lost Argentine forward Pablo Garnier to Argentine club Arsenal during the break. River Plate coach Daniel Passarella has lost a handful of players to transfers and injuries. Newcomer Ariel Ortega is ineligible because he played for Newell's Old Boys in earlier rounds.

WEDNESDAY, July 19
INTERNACIONAL (Brazil) vs. LDU QUITO (Ecuador)
First leg: Quito won, 2-1.
TV: Fox Sports en Espanol (live), 6 pm ET.

Playmaker Edison Mendez is among several LDU Quito players who helped Ecuador to its second-round appearance at the 2006 World Cup.

WEDNESDAY, July 19
SAO PAULO (Brazil) vs. ESTUDIANTES (Argentina)
First leg: Estudiantes won, 1-0.
TV: Fox Sports en Espanol 8:30 pm ET.

Diego Simeone took over the Estudiantes helm from Jorge Burruchaga on June 30. Juan Sebastian Veron arrived from Inter Milan but won't be eligible until the semifinals.

THURSDAY, July 20
VELEZ SARSFIELD (Argentina) vs. GUADALAJARA (Mexico)
First leg (0-0)
TV: Fox Soccer Channel and Fox en Espanol (live) 8:30 pm ET.

Chivas Guadalajara made it through the Libertadores Cup round of 16 and tied Argentina's Velez Sarsfield, 0-0, in the first leg of the quarterfinals despite missing six starters who were in Mexico's pre-World Cup camp. Back at full strength, besides Carlos Salcido, the left back who signed with PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup, Guadalajara travels to Buenos Aires on Thursday for the second leg against Velez Sarsfield, which lost playmaker Leonardo Gracian, who joined Mexico's Monterrey. In 2005, Chivas reached the semifinals despite losing players to Mexico's Confederations Cup campaign.