2011 has been another wonderful year for South American football. Here’s a quick look at the best, worst, weirdest and wackiest of the year.

Best Team: Universidad de Chile

Jorge Sampaoli’s side won an unprecedented treble, grabbing both the Apertura and Clausura Chilean league titles plus the Copa Sudamericana, enjoying an astonishing 36 game unbeaten run that saw them hammering anyone and everyone that got in their way. Special mention for Uruguay: worthy winners of the Copa America and currently by far the best of the Conmebol nations.


Best Coach: Jorge Sampaoli (Universidad de Chile)


A Marcelo Bielsa disciple, the Argentinian is very much the contemporary coach (his Tony Pulis-like attire aside) with his high-pressing, high-tempo, high-energy, high-pretty-much-everything style a joy to behold - and bloody effective, too.


Best New Coach: Marcelo Gallardo (Nacional)


The former River Plate enganche took his first coaching role at Uruguayan club Nacional this season and, at just 35, promptly led his side to the league title; the icing on the cake being one Alvaro Recoba grabbing the title-winning goal.


Best Veteran: Rolando Schiavi


When Boca Juniors coach Julio Falcioni brought 38 year-old Rolando ‘I-once-had-an-affair-with-Sandra-Bullock’ Schiavi back from Newell’s Old Boys to address Boca’s defensive frailties, most Argentinian football fans were left spitting out their Yerba in both shock and amusement. One unbeaten season, a league title, and the best defensive record in the history of Argentina’s short-season format later, old Roly’s the one laughing now.


Best Teenager: Neymar (Santos)


They say you learn more in defeat than victory, well 2011 has brought Brazilian football’s latest poster boy Neymar a fair bit of both. He followed up his side’s Copa Libertadores triumph with a disappointing Copa America campaign before ending the year with a spanking courtesy of Leo Messi and Barcelona. This year, the boy became a man.


Most Improved Player: Dede (Vasco)


Two years ago, Vasco defender Dede’s career had hit a brick wall. He couldn’t get a game for new club Vasco and was reported to be on his way either back down the Brazilian football ladder or off to Asia. In 2010 an injury crisis gave him his chance. He never looked back. He was brilliant last year, and even better this – earning just about every individual accolade available to him and seemingly a shoe-in to partner Thiago Silva at the heart of Brazil’s defence in 2014.


Best Fight: Santos vs Penarol


What better way to celebrate your first Copa Libertadores in almost half a century than with a massive dust-up.


Worst Fight: Luis Moreno vs the Owl


South American football wouldn’t be the same without a bit of random violence, but Deportivo Pereira’s Luis Moreno went a kick too far when he booted an injured owl off the pitch. He was quickly vilified in Colombia, but eventually found redemption through donations to an owl sanctuary or two and a series of teary-eyed apologies.


Best Dressed: Cesar Farias (Venezuela)


The young Vinotino coach means business, you get out of line you get w…


Worst Dressed: Julio Falcioni


An incongruously charming man when you get the chance to speak to him, Falcioni isn’t exactly the most photogenic of coaches. With Libertadores football coming next year, Falcioni’s stock is rising and he’ll have to address the stonewash-denim-and-cardigan combo in time for the big show next year. But at least he makes an effort when out on the town with Larry David.


Best Not-Quite-So-Pithy-In-English Label: The Baptism Five


‘The Baptism Five’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as ‘Cinco del Bautizo’, as the Chilean quintet of Jorge Valdivia, Arturo Vidal, Jean Beausejour, Gonzalo Jara and Carlos Carmona were dubbed after missing curfew following the baptism of little Valdivia. All five have since been handed a 10-game international ban by the Chilean football association.


Most Disappointingly Foiled Madcap Scheme: Pele playing at the Club World Cup


It would have been bloody good fun.


Best Wedding: Bruno Cortes keeps it real


The money and fame that football brings doesn’t go to everyone’s head. Botafogo left-back Bruno Cortes kept it real and got married to his childhood sweetheart at a fast food restaurant in Rio. “It was an unbelievable party,” he said. “I am thankful for my success, but I’m a humble guy. I always have been.”


Worst Move to Europe: Santiago Silva (Fiorentina)


Football should be fun, and Fiorentina striker Santiago Silva is definitely that. Thankfully, for us, he’s been rubbish for Fiorentina and is said to be on the verge of a return to Argentina. We’ll happily have him back.


Biggest Anticlimax: Santos v Barcelona


After six months of preparation, Santos were handed their rear ends in one of the most one-sided finals you’re likely to see in FIFA’s Club World Cup Final.


Worst Pitch: Estadio Ciudad de La Plata


Estudiantes’ new stadium is lovely; shame they seemed have forgotten what it was actually being built for. The pitch was dreadful – so too was every game played there in this year’s Copa America. The Brazil – Paraguay penalty shootout was a farce. Fred might be the only man ever to have hit a penalty on the volley.


Worst Party: Mexico’s Pre-Copa soirée


The Mexican youngsters venturing south for the Copa America wanted to let off some steam before the tournament started in earnest, so they threw a big party. Things didn’t exactly go according to plan.


Worst Excuse For Being Late For Training: Somalia (Botafogo)


Botafogo midfielder Somalia was running late for training one January morning, so did what any of us would do: faked his own kidnapping. He told police he had been kidnapped at gunpoint at 7am and driven around for a bit by his assailants, who threatened his life and asked for money. The Rio Police smelt something fishy, however, and subsequently found CCTV footage showing Somalia leaving his apartment complex two hours after the alleged kidnapping; other footage found was reported to have shown him arriving home much earlier with a female companion or two following a very late night out on the town.