Neymar South American Footballer of Year
Reuters - Saturday 31 December 2011, 15:22
Brazil's teenage
striker Neymar, who won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, has
been voted South American football's Footballer of the Year.
Uruguay's Oscar Washington Tabarez was named coach of the
year for the second time in a row after steering his World Cup
semi-finalists to a record 15th Copa America crown in July.
Neymar, who inspired Santos to victory over Penarol of
Uruguay in the Copa Libertadores final in June, succeeds
Argentine midfielder Andres D'Alessandro of Brazil's
Internacional in the annual South American poll conducted by the
Uruguayan daily El Pais.
The 19-year-old took 130 votes to 70 for second-placed
Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas, whose exploits in helping
Universidad de Chile win the Copa Sudamericana and both domestic
league titles this year earned him a transfer to Napoli.
Neymar's Santos team-mate Paulo Henrique Ganso was third,
while Universidad de Chile's Argentine trainer Jorge Sampaoli
was voted second among the coaches.