And at last it gets interesting. Well, sort of. Now we, and they – though some more than others – can start taking it seriously. The Copa Sudamericana (South America’s Europa League) has reached the quarter-final stage and not only is there a continental crown on offer for the victors, but there’s now the added incentive of a ticket to the biggest show in the Americas: The Copa Libertadores. With international television markets increasingly opening new revenue streams to South American football’s governing body, Conmebol, the Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition, is the place to be.

Having undergone numerous incarnations, Conmebol decided that, to increase interest in its secondary club competition, a Libertadores spot will be granted to the winners. And so as this year’s Sudamericana reached the last eight this past week, and we had finally kissed goodbye to the perplexingly convoluted preliminary stages, it was time to crank things up a notch. The Libertadores is at stake, it was time to get serious.

The only problem was, of the right quarter-finalists that played their respective first legs this past week, half of them are already there. Brazilian club Vasco da Gama breathed a fresh breath of life into the competition in the last round with a thrilling 8-3 victory over Bolivian club Aurora, overturning a 3-1 deficit from a first leg in which they elected to a field a reserve side. They did the same this past week, losing the initial meeting their quarter-final with Universitario of Peru 2-0 in Lima. Locked on points at the top of the Brasileirao table with Corinthians, Juninho Pernambucano and co. have more important things to worry than the Sudamericana; especially as they’ve already qualified for the Libertadores via their Copa do Brasil success earlier this year.

Vasco won one of the Sudamericana’s many predecessors in 2000 when they lifted the Copa Mercosur, but their prioritises clearly lie elsewhere, with centre back Dede admitting he is looking at the competition merely as dry run for when the real tests arrive next year. “I think it is a test, yes, but the competition is totally different,” he told Globo this week. “The Libertadores will take us to a different level. To me, [the Sudamericana] will school us for the Libertadores.”

Argentinian quarter-finalists Arsenal de Sarandi and Velez Sarsfield have also already booked their places in the Libertadores; Velez by way of winning the Clausura 2011 league championship, while Arsenal earned their spot by making it the furthest of any Argentinian club in this year’s Sudamericana excluding those already qualified. Arsenal are a young club, formed by current AFA President, and Senior Vice-President of FIFA, Julio Grondona in 1957. They won the competition four years ago and are one team that do have their eyes firmly on the prize. “This is far from over,” said midfielder Jorge Ortiz after their 2-1 defeat to Universidad de Chile. “We have go to Chile with a winning mentality.”

Velez are real contenders, though aren’t taking the tournament quite as seriously as their compatriots. Despite the loss of diminutive playmaker Maxi Moralez in the summer, El Fotin would have fancied their chances of conquering all before them this season, however, the sudden loss of Santiago Silva was a devastating blow. With a late domestic charge looking to have arrived too late to challenge runaway leaders Boca Juniors, coach Ricardo Gareca would like to clinch his first intercontinental title since leading Talleres to another of the Sudamericana’s predecessors, the Copa Conmebol in 1998, but admits his first priority is finishing the domestic season strongly. “We have to see how we ended the local championship,” he said following his side’s 1-1 draw with Colombian club Santa Fe in Bogota, “and then see if we can move forward in the Copa Sudamericana.”

Jorge Sampaoli’s exciting young Universidad de Chile side are another to have already secured Libertadores football, having clinched the Chilean Apertura title with a stunning 4-1 victory to over rivals Universidad Catolica in one of the most thrilling games on the continent this year. La U hammered Ronaldinho’s Flamengo 4-0 in Rio in the last round and are running away with the Clausura title; they set a new Chilean Primera Division record earlier this year when they defeated O’Higgins to clinch their ninth straight league victory. La U are the in-form team left in the competition, and admit they want it all. “We’re in a good moment,” said goalkeeper Johnny Herrera. “The goal is to win both tournaments.”

In the remaining quarter final, Libertad of Paraguay are hoping to overturn a single goal first leg defeat in Quito to Ecuadorian club, LDU, who are desperate to continue their recent tradition of intercontinental success after claiming four titles under three years.

The Copa Sudamericana is far from perfect, but seeing the pride with which LDU lifted the title in 2009, the tears of joy that followed Independiente’s triumph last year, or even just Sampaoli’s leaping fist pump at the final whistle in Buenos Aires on Thursday evening, it’s tough not to get a little caught up in it all as the final approaches. One of two of the players and coaches may not care all that much, but the Sudamericana looks like it’s here to stay – and ask any fan and they’ll tell you, there’s few things worth more bragging rights than in South America than an intercontinental title.