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South Americans have told me they hate watching European football. They prefer domestic football. I couldn't believe it but then they explained why. In Europe today – you see system vs system. They've bred players to fulfill a role and not their individualism. The technology, the information, the science is so advanced that they're build a team almost to perfection in order to project that ideology on the pitch. You can buy a player for hundreds of millions. What if he underperforms? You dip into the market and get the next guy to best fill that hole to perfect a system. So most times you watch City, PSG, Barça, Madrid, Arsenal, etc it's 11 guys on the ball trying to beat 11 guys behind the ball. Predictable football that follows practiced patterns. You know what the better team is going to do – they tend to do it well. And you know what the worse team is going to do to counteract that. Sometimes the better team does something incredible and it's elite. A pleasure to watch. Sometimes the worse team wins and it's awesome. Of course this doesn't apply to everyone in Europe, but the best teams tend to fall into this category. And the best teams often supply European national teams with their talent. There's no denying Europe has better quality, better pitches, better broadcasts, better infrastructure. I can go on. So why do South Americans prefer to watch domestic football? I believe it's the lack of perfection that gets them off their seat. Because football isn't perfect. You cannot curate a superteam that can pass you to death or counterpress for 90 minutes. It's more about certain star players that can create chaos, disorganize a staunch defense with imagination and individual spirit. Supporters watch football that reprsents them on the pitch. The one they grew up playing on dirt pitches, barefoot, with shoes as the goalposts. Some kids become professionals. But the context doesn't change. The pitch has holes and patches. The stadium only has standing room terraces. The dressing rooms are cramped. Those kids are always reminded of their essence. Their identity isn't lost. And that chaos-creator thrives in these settings. They are encouraged to conjure magic, to keep the ball and go at it. You vs me. Dribble and defend. It's unpredictable. It's raw. It's imperfect. It's brilliant. Sometimes a team can't complete 4 passes in a row. Sometimes 11 players are hanging from their own crossbar. Sometimes it hurts your eyes to watch. And sometimes a team like Once Caldas or Olimpia can win the Copa Libertadores. Or Colón de Santa Fe can get to a Sudamericana final. So when Joshua Kimmich says "we haven't played top quality opposition" it feels myopic. As if only European football should be respected. South America is one of the few remaining strongholds of the football we once had. Football that had personality and gave each nation an identity. The football before the petrol clubs, the multi-club ownership, the advanced analytics, the sports science. Perhaps it's a silver lining of nations that have political and socioeconomic issues that suppress their potential as global powers. And it's what makes South American fútbol unique. It's still got an edge, a killer instinct for survival and an insatiable hunger for glory. From the players and the supporters. It's why yesterday the Paraguayans had Gemans playing Copa Libertadores football. It's why Huracán's striker, a reject at River, the centerbacks of Lanús and Palmeiras and the goalkeeper of San Lorenzo defeated a Champions League winning goalscorer, the centerbacks of Bayern and Real Madrid and arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time. And that's why true ball lovers in South America will NEVER abandon their fútbol.