03 / 07 / 2008
Historical. Simply historical, was what Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito of Quito did before Fluminense in the mythical Maracaná stadium. The team coached by Argentinean Edgardo Bauza became strong in the penalty shoot out definition, after losing 3 to 1 in the 120 minutes of play, and supported by the great catches of its experienced goalkeeper José Cevallos, became champion of the Santander Libertadores Cup for the first time in its history. In turn, it is the first time that an Ecuadorian team wins the maximum continental competition and will play the World Cup of Clubs.
In regulation time, Luis Bolaños put the university students in advantage in the first five minutes. But then a triple by Thiago Nev, a figure in this match, tied the series 5 to 5 and sent things, first into additional time, and later to conclude in the above mentioned penalty kicks. In that instance Cevallos became big, stopping three of the four shots and taking advantage of the certainty of his partners - they converted three of four shots-, to place the Quito team in the highest place in America,
Liga opened the count, Fluminense turned it around by the hand of Thiago Nev
It could not have begun better for the Ecuadorian team. They scored their first in just five minutes of play. Joffre Guerrón climbed from the right, arrived to the bottom, threw the center behind and Luis Bolaños, beat Fernando Henrique?s resistance with a dry finish off, to silence 90.000 people that filled the Maracaná .
But the happiness of the university team lasted little . In minute 9, the locals warned with a one on one incredibly lost by Washington. Two minutes later, a finish off by the great figure of the night, Thiago Nev, took goalkeeper Cevallos by surprise and tied things. Renato Gaúcho?s men were always after the advantage that would give them tranquility to confront the rest of the match.
Additional time, definition by penalty kicks and a lot of drama
In the complement, Renato Gaúcho sent Dodó into the field for Ygor, to give the team more offensive weight. It was a sign of what those 45 minutes would be like. A constant search for goals by the local team and a lot of people in defense by the Ecuadorians.
But in spite of putting a lot of people in the rival side of the pitch and overturning the development of the match into the visitor?s pitch, Flu was not be able to penetrate the strong university defense. Then they appealed to finish offs from far away from the area. One by Arouca that made Cevallos respond well, was a warning of what was coming.
The locals went in search of the goal that would send the match into additional time. It had to be Thiago Nev the one in charge of conquering, thanks to a masterful free shot, the 3 - 1. The Ecuadorians, felt the blow and retretaed their lines, allowing the local team to attack without worrying in the bottom.
So much was negledted in the bottom, and a half turn from Argentinean Bieler, smashed on Fernando Henrique?s post who didn't end up containing the shot. The locals continued insisting from, half distance, this time through Conca who collided with the hands of Cevallos, and in the rebound Washington could not score the consecration goal.
Things became dramatic. Both went in search of the goal that would give them the Cup, and in each attack it seemed the match broke. But that didn't happen. It didn't happen due to the physical fatigue both groups felt and to the nerves that a definition like this causes in the players. None was able to break the parity and the match went on to extra time.
Edgardo Bauza attributed the victory to the "personality" of the team to prevent the title from escaping
The coach of Liga de Quito, Argentinean Edgardo Bauza, admitted tonight that the final of the Libertadores "seemed as if it could have escaped" and he eulogized the "personality" of his team that made the final victory possible. "We suffered a lot and we won well. Our rivals were natural candidates, but we took things ahead with great courage", Bauza said to local media, amid the celebration on the grass of Maracaná stadium.
"After the third goal it was very difficult to tolerate and in the last minutes we were veru nervous", he detailed. The coach also showed an ?enormous satisfaction? for obtaining the first Libertadores title for Ecuador. "Now it?s time to enjoy", he said.
Joffre Gerrón: We have entered big history
The Ecuadorian fielder of Liga declared that the squad that won the Libertadores Cup ?was going into history" since it is "the first Ecuadorian team to win this title. Guerrón assured that the most decisive thing was "the desire" that the team showed and that they were able " to remain calm" and, mainly that "thanks to God", they scored the penalty kicks.
The newly signed player of Spanish Getafe applauded the rival of the final, Fluminense of Brazil and highlighted that it is "a good team that did not give up and played an excellent match."
Argentinean forward Claudio Bieler said that this is an ?unique moment, because Liga is ?a very humble team that never fell?. "We already made history reaching the semifinals and we didn't want to leave with empty hands. This title is for Ecuador that needs is so much" , he said.
José Cevallos, a hero when stopping three penalty kicks, dedicated the victory to the Ecuadorian people and said that the key to the match was that they knew how to "maintain" the result in the second half. " Our goal didn?t happen and neither did their?s".
Carlos Villacís, vice-president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation: "Liga?s title is the fruit of the progress of Ecuadorian football?
The vice-president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), Carlos Villacís, assured EFE today that the title of champion of the Libertadores of America Cup reached by Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito of Quito (LDUQ) is the fruit of the "progress" that has made football grow in the country.
"As president in charge of the Federation (in absence of Luis Chiriboga) and as another Ecuadorian, I am happy, pleased, proud, because this handful of Ecuadorians representing Liga de Quito have won the first Libertadores Cup for Ecuador and that confirms the progress reached by Ecuadorian football?, Villacís added.
The manager assured that he suffered just as any other fan in the penalty shoot out definition that ended in favor of the Ecuadorian champion.
"I assume that all Ecuadorian followers of any other club, didn?t abandon the jersey?s of their favorite team, but put Liga?s jersey on for the day to give force to the champion that represented all of Ecuador and this is a good demonstration to the world that Ecuadorian football has grown a lot", he insisted.
Villacís affirmed that the "force, firmness and refusal to surender" of the players during the 120 minutes and then in the penalty shoot out, were the reasons why Liga de Quito achieved this title, but that, if there was a player to highlight, that was the goalkeeper, José Francisco Cevallos.
Renato Gaúcho: "The winners are also hit by K.O."
The coach of Fluminense, Renato Gaúcho, appreciated the support of the fans after their defeat in the final of the Libertadores Cup and regretted that " winners are also hit by K.O.". Renato applauded his team, because it was "brave" and because it "fought", in a press conference after the match that "Flu" won by 3-1, but that lost in the penalties kicks.
"Unhappily we received a goal in the beginning, then we looked for victory but the ball didn't go in. In the penalties we uses our best strikers, but it wasn?t their night", the coach of the vice champion of the Libertadores analyzed. The trainer assured that he went to the press conference to avoid speculations of the press and suggested that the referee was not right when not whistling a doubtful penalty on Washington it has more than enough and for not warning the rival goalkeeper so he wouln?t waste so much time.
CONMEBOL.com y EFE
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