Brazil's unprecedented domination of the Copa Libertadores -- no country has ever come close to winning seven titles in a row -- has come about despite the mammoth amount of minutes the nation's top players have to play.
Showing posts with label copa libertadores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label copa libertadores. Show all posts
Botafogo: 2024 Copa Libertadores Champions
Botafogo beat Atlético Mineiro 3-1 to win their first Copa Libertadores title despite being reduced to 10 men after former Inter Miami midfielder Gregore was sent off just 30 seconds into the contest at the Monumental Stadium on Saturday.
Fans barely had a chance to settle into their seats when Gregore was handed his marching orders for a foul on Fausto Vera, who was left with a bleeding head after being on the receiving end of a flying kick.
Mineiro tried to make the most of their numerical advantage and went on the attack with Hulk and Deyverson up front.
However, Botafogo opened the scoring in the 35th minute, when Thiago Almada put the ball right into Luiz Henrique's path to fire home into the net.
Botafogo were awarded a penalty seven minutes later when Éverson crashed into Luiz Henrique as he attempted to grab the ball and, after a VAR review, former Manchester United full-back Alex Telles converted the spot kick to make it 2-0.
Mineiro's hopes were restored immediately after the break when Eduardo Vargas headed home a corner from Hulk. They then went in search of an equaliser, with Deyverson and Vargas coming closest.
But Botafogo defended well and goalkeeper John kept Mineiro's efforts at bay as Junior Santos put the icing in the cake in added time in an enthralling encounter that gave coach Artur Jorge's side their first title in the South American competition.
The result also secured the Brazilian club a place in the expanded 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
Botafogo's success came after Novak Djokovic's involvement in the ceremony before kick-off in Buenos Aires.
The tennis star was in Argentina to play an exhibition match on Sunday with former U.S. Open champion Juan Martín del Potro, who is retiring from the sport.
Djokovic, owner of a men's record 24 Grand Slam titles, helped to carry the Copa trophy onto the pitch.
With two of its teams in the final, Brazilian football was assured of a sixth consecutive Copa Libertadores title and its 24th in history, just one less than clubs from Argentina have managed.
It was also the third straight title for teams from Rio de Janeiro, after Fluminense in 2023 and Flamengo in 2022.
Fluminense: 2023 Copa Libertadores Winners
John Kennedy struck a spectacular extra-time winner as Fluminense ended their long wait for a first ever Copa Libertadores crown on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Argentina's Boca Juniors.
Substitute Kennedy volleyed home from the edge of the area in the 99th minute of an ill-tempered final at Rio's Maracana Stadium after the match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Kennedy was promptly sent off for collecting a second yellow card for an over-exuberant celebration among Fluminense's delirious home fans following the goal.
The 21-year-old Kennedy – named by his history-loving father after the 35th President of the United States – had been a decisive influence for Fluminense after being brought on as a substitute for playmaker Ganso 10 minutes from the end of normal time.
At that point, Boca looked to be getting on top after equalising with a 72nd-minute shot from Peruvian international right back Luis Advincula which cancelled out Fluminense's 36th-minute opener from veteran forward German Cano.
But the arrival of Kennedy breathed fresh life into the Fluminense attack and in the first half of extra-time, the young forward made the breakthrough.
A deft touch by Keno teed up the ball for Kennedy in space, who crashed a thunderous right-foot volley beyond the dive of Boca's former Manchester United and Argentina international goalkeeper Sergio Romero.
Tempers flared near half-time of extra-time with an ugly multi-player melee after unsuccessful Boca appeals for a penalty.
- Cagey 90 minutes -
Boca's Frank Fabra was given his marching orders by Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan after a VAR review caught him aiming a slap at Fluminense defender Nino.
With both teams down to 10 men, Fluminense could have wrapped up victory but Guga's effort after a sweeping counter-attack came back off the inside of the post and rolled across the face of goal.
Fluminense, the four-time champions of Brazil, were one of just two of the country's 12 biggest clubs never to have won the Libertadores prior to Saturday’s victory.
But Kennedy's extra-time thunderbolt handed Fluminense a victory that gives Brazilian clubs a fifth straight win in the tournament since the introduction of single-match format finals in 2019.
The game had gone to extra-time after a cagey 90 minutes finished level at 1-1.
Fluminense had taken the lead with a well-worked opening goal from veteran striker Cano after 36 minutes.
Keno was involved in that goal too, playing a neat 1-2 with Jhon Arias before pulling back for Cano, who swept in an emphatic low finish.
The final looked to be Fluminense's for the taking against a toothless Boca side who had just one shot in the first half.
The second-half began in much the same way, but as Boca began to press for an equaliser, Fluminense dropped deeper and looked increasingly nervous.
They paid the price for that approach on 72 minutes when right back Advincula advanced on goal, cutting in from the flank and unleashing a superb effort into the far corner beyond the dive of Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio.
The goal silenced the Maracana as Fluminense's fans feared the worst against the Argentine giants.
But Kennedy's arrival wrested momentum back in favour of the Rio club, setting up his extra-time winner.
Palmeiras: 2021 Copa Libertadores Winners
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Palmeiras won the Copa Libertadores for the second year in a row as an extra-time goal from Deyverson secured a 2-1 win over Flamengo in an absorbing all-Brazilian final.
It is the third time the São Paulo club have won South America’s equivalent of Europe’s Champions League, following victories in 1999 and 2020.
Raphael Veiga put Palmeiras ahead after five minutes in Montevideo. A counterattack started by the defender Gustavo Gómez found the right-back Mayke, who was played onside by the former Arsenal defender David Luiz, and his low cross reached was slotted past Diego Alves by Veiga.
Flamengo’s equaliser did not arrive until the 72nd minute, courtesy of Gabriel Barbosa – the scorer of both goals in Flamengo’s 2-1 win against River Plate in the 2019 final. The man nicknamed Gabigol beat Weverton in Palmeiras’s goal from close range, after being set up by Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
Nothing could separate the sides after an evenly-matched 90 minutes but it did not take long for Palmeiras to regain the upper hand in extra time as a slip by the Manchester United loanee Andreas Pereira five minutes into the extra period let Deyverson in to calmly beat Alves.
Deyverson, who had only just come on in place of a fatigued Veiga, returned to Palmeiras in June after a loan to Alavés, and was in tears after his first goal in this season’s Copa Libertadores.
The result is a personal triumph for Palmeiras’s Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira, who becomes the first European to win the Libertadores twice following victory over Santos in January. It is also the first time a team have successfully defended the Libertadores title since Boca Juniors in 2001, while Palmeiras’s success was the eighth since 2010 for a Brazilian club.
Palmeiras: 2020-21 Copa Libertadores Champions
A goal eight minutes into stoppage time won Palmeiras the Copa Libertadores on Saturday as a Breno Lopes header earned the Sao Paulo club a 1-0 win over Santos.
The final of South America's equivalent of Europe's Champions League was played on a roasting hot afternoon in Rio de Janeiro and chances were few and far between.
Just as a lacklustre match looked sure to go to extra-time, however, substitute Lopes timed his jump perfectly at the back post to loop a header into the net.
His goal, moments after Santos coach Cuca was sent off for a fracas on the touchline, provoked wild celebrations from Palmeiras fans who had gathered to watch the game in Sao Paulo, ignoring socially distancing rules.
With the temperature in Rio de Janeiro topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, neither side was able to make an early impact in the final of the continent's major tournament.
Although the game opened up slightly towards the end of the second half, it failed to live up to expectations of TV viewers in 191 countries or the 5,000 specially invited guests who watched the match live at the Maracana.
Victory, however, continued a superb season for Palmeiras and their recently appointed 42-year old coach Abel Ferreira.
The club won the Paulista state championship in August and they play Gremio in the Copa do Brasil final in February.
This was Palmeiras' second Libertadores title -- and their first since 1999 -- and the third time in four years that a Brazilian team have won South America's biggest club competition.
The final was originally scheduled to be held in November but the tournament was halted for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Flamengo: 2019 Copa Libertadores Champions
Gabriel Barbosa scored twice in a dramatic final five minutes as Flamengo came from a goal down to beat River Plate and win their first Copa Libertadores title since 1981.
The Brazilian giants were second best for much of the match after Rafael Santos Borre swept home from Matias Suarez's pull-back in the 14th minute to the delight of the River fans inside the 80,000-capacity Estadio Monumental in Lima.
The 24-year-old Colombian was then inches away from making it 2-0 with a sweet strike from 25 yards out.
Flamengo's best chances of an equaliser came in the space of a few seconds when Barbosa had a shot blocked and Everton Ribeiro's follow up was well held by keeper Franco Armani.
But then came the late fightback that turned the final on its head.
First, Barbosa timed his run to perfection to run in Bruno Henrique's square ball, and then the striker on loan from Inter Milan twisted and turned the defence in the penalty box to slot in a 92nd-minute winner.
There was still time for two red cards in the final few seconds, with Exequiel Palacios sent off for kicking Bruno Henrique while he was on the ground before Flamengo's two-goal hero was sent off for sarcastic applause.
The final of South America's biggest club football competition, which started life in 1960, was moved from Santiago to the Peruvian city because of social unrest in Chile's capital.
This was the first time since 1988 that the tournament was decided in a one-off game.
Supporters from both sides occupied its streets in their thousands before the match, with reports stating some River fans travelled the 2,500 miles from Buenos Aires to Lima by buses provided by the club.
Flamengo have now qualified for the 2019 Fifa Club World Cup in Qatar and could face European champions Liverpool if they both reach the final on 21 December.
Hang on! The champagne is not Korbel!
Well this was a rarity. When the videos were about to be burned, and it was saying 0 seconds remaining, suddenly, the window says “About 5 seconds remaining,” and then it went to 10, and 15. Crikey. This drive must be slow when it comes to burning what really matters. The status bar is full, and it’s not even finished burning at set of items that is 869 megabytes strong. In fact, as of this writing, it’s still at about 5 seconds, and it’s not even done.
Sometimes I don’t get things. Or rather, I think I have lost my mind. For example, while
Once again: we are not a pro sports city. We are not a pro sports city. We are a high school/college town when it comes to athletics. All other pro franchises (aside from
I am sure Boca Juniors will wrap up the Copa Libertadores tonight. I'm calling for it. Gremio is on the ropes, and though they have rallied many times, one wonders if they can pull off one of this magnitude.
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