Liga de Quito crowned Copa Sudamericana 2009 Champions

Liga de Quito crowned

(PA) Thursday 3 December 2009 - FIFA.com

Ecuadorian giants Liga de Quito have been crowned Copa Sudamericana champions despite a 3-0 loss to Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro.

The 5-1 first leg win last week in Quito was decisive for Jorge Fossati's side to lift their third continental title in two years, having won the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2008. However, LDU had some nervous moments against the Brazilian side before making sure of their aggregate success.

Needing a four-goal win to take the game to extra time, Fluminense needed an early goal to keep their hopes alive - and they made the breakthrough in the 14th minute. Diguinho's shot from outside the box beat goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez, although the ball took a deflection off LDU's William Araujo.

Fluminense could have doubled their advantage soon after - but Alan failed to connect with Dario Conca cross from the left. Things became even more difficult for Liga as midfielder Ulises de la Cruz was sent-off for a foul on Diguinho - and two minutes before half-time they fell 2-0 down to a goal from Fred.

Fluminense maintained their momentum in the second half and they came close to a third goal in the 57th minute when Ruy headed Conca's cross against a post. In the 71st minute the majority of fans in the Maracana started to believe the unlikely comeback could be achieved when Gum headed in a corner.

However, their chances took a knock four minutes later when captain Fred was dismissed for excessive protests to Paraguayan referee Carlos Amarilla, following a Conca foul. Immediately, Neicer Reasco had the chance to secure the title for Liga, hitting the ball over Rafael's body - but the goalkeeper caught the ball.

With seven minutes to go, Jairo Campos was shown a red card for grabbing Alan's shirt and Liga played the final seven minutes with nine men. However, despite the efforts of Fluminense, the home side failed to score another goal and Liga were able to celebrate.

The Ecuadorians now face matches against this year's Copa Libertadores winners Estudiantes, of Argentina, before playing Japanese J.League Cup winners FC Tokyo in the Suruga Bank Championship.

The last two years have been amazing. This is the result of the club's big effort

Liga de Quito striker Claudio Bieler.

LDU's Claudio Bieler, the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals, told Fox Sports: "The joy is huge. I want to share it with all the squad, the coaching staff and the officials. All of us made a big sacrifice. We suffered quite a lot, but we have finally won the cup. The last two years have been amazing. This is the result of the club's big effort."

Dominguez said: "Fluminense play great football but thank God we made it, we knew it was going to be difficult. The key of success is working hard daily. To win the Copa Sudamericana is not a matter of today only."

Edison Mendez, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg, added: "A bad result was to lose by four goals or more. The difference we made in Quito was crucial. Alongside Estudiantes, we are the best team in South America. We have to enjoy it."

Fluminense boss Cuca could not help looking back in anger at his team's heavy defeat in the first leg. He told SporTV: "Liga did not attack us - but they were brilliant last week. We fought a lot but have to congratulate the Liga players for being the champions."

Five-star LDU crush Fluminense in First Final in Copa Sudamericana 2009

Five-star LDU crush Fluminense

(PA) Thursday 26 November 2009 - FIFA,com

A hat-trick by Edison Mendez helped Liga Deportiva Universitaria come from a goal down to beat Fluminense 5-1 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final.

The 30-year-old Ecuador midfielder was crucial for Jorge Fossati's side, who claimed a convincing lead over the Brazilians with a superb performance ahead of the second leg next Wednesday. Fluminense were ahead just 20 seconds after kick-off at the Estadio Casa Blanca in Quito. Liga keeper Alexander Dominguez failed to grasp a shot from Fred, and Diguinho picked up the loose ball before firing in a left-foot shot.

Liga were back on level terms after 20 minutes thanks to Mendez, who latched onto a pass from striker Claudio Bieler and smashed a powerful right-foot drive past goalkeeper Rafael. The home side had another chance to score 11 minutes later but Rafael saved well from Mendez before Neicer Reasco headed the rebound over the crossbar.

Mendez made it 2-1 a minute before the interval when he smashed in a tremendous strike after his initial free-kick had come back off a defender. The midfielder then completed his hat-trick 15 minutes into the second half by heading home a cross from Reasco. Franklin Salas grabbed a fourth for Liga after 77 minutes, turning in a cross from Mendez, before Ulises de la Cruz rounded off the scoring with a shot from distance.

Mendez told Fox Sports afterwards: "I am very happy, not for my goals but because the team came back (from a goal down). It is a good advantage. We are all aware of that, but we have played the first 90 minutes only and we have to keep working hard ahead of the second leg in Rio de Janeiro."

Defender De la Cruz added: "The team have managed to get on very well in both defence and attack. We have self-confidence. To lose this final would be weird because all of this team have done well in the championship. We are a serious, well-ordered team. We have scored a lot of goals and conceded just a few. That is the difference."

The 2009 Recopa Sudamericana

The 2009 Recopa Sudamericana was the 17th edition of the match-up contested between the winners of CONMEBOL's two continental tournaments. It was contested by the 2008 Copa Libertadores champion, Ecuadorian club Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, and the winner of the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, Brazilian club Sport Club Internacional.
LDU Quito won both games of the Recopa 1–0 and 3–0, respectively. This their first Recopa Sudamericana title and their second international title.

2008 Copa Libertadores Final

The 2008 Copa Libertadores Final was a two-legged football match-up to determine the 2008 Copa Libertadores champion. The series was contested between Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito from Quito, Ecuador, and Fluminense Football Club from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, both of whom were playing in their first finals. The first leg was played at LDU Quito's home field, La Casa Blanca in Quito, Ecuador on June 25, 2008; the second leg was played at Fluminense's home field, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 2, 2008. LDU Quito won the final on penalties 3–1, after each team won a game apiece, and eqaulized on goal difference after the end of extra-time of the second leg.

Group 8 of the Second Stage

Final Group 8 standings
Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Fluminense	6	4	1	1	11	3	+8	13
LDU Quito	6	3	1	2	10	5	+5	10
Arsenal	6	3	0	3	6	14	−8	9
Libertad	6	1	0	5	5	10	−5	3

Fluminense and LDU Quito both started in the Second Stage and were drawn into Group 8 along with Arsenal of Argentina and Libertad of Paraguay. Their first match was against each other in La Casa Blanca in Quito. The game ended in a goal-less draw.
LDU Quito then hosted Libertad on March 4. Patricio Urrutia and Joffre Guerrón scored for LDU Quito to give them a 2–0 win. They then visited Arsenal in Buenos Aires on March 12. Patricio Urrutia scored the loan goal of the game. The roles were reversed as LDU Quito hosted Arsenal on March 26. Liga walloped Arsenal 6–1 with goals by Patricio Urrutia, Damián Manso, Luis Bolaños (2), Claudio Bieler, and Alfonso Obregón; Luciano Leguizamón scored for Arsenal. On April 8, Liga travelled to Asuncion to play Libertad, where they lost 3–1. Alfonso Obregón scored the lone goal for Liga.
After the first game against Liga, Fluminense hosted Arsenal on March 5. The drubbing ended 6–0 in favor of Flu. Thiago Neves, Dodô (2), Gabriel, Washington, and Cícero provided the socres. Flu then travlled to Asuncion to face Libertad on March 19. Washington scored twice to give Flu a 2–1 win. Flu then played host for Libertad in a game that ended in a 2–0 win for Fluminense. Cícero and Thiago Silva provided the scores. Fluminense then travlled to Buenos Aires to play Arsenal on April 8. They were beat 2–0.
The last match of group play for LDU Quito and Fluminense was against each other on April 17. Cícero scored the only goal of the game to give Fluminense a 1–0 win. The win gave Fluminense the group. Fluminense and LDU Quito finished 1 & 2 with 13 and 10 points, respectively, and each advanced to the Round of 16 as the 1st and 11th seed.
Fluminense in the knockout stage
Fluminense was seeded 1 for the knockout stage, guaranteeing home field advantage for the second leg of any series. In the round of 16, they faced Atlético Nacional of Colombia, whom they defeated on aggregate 3-1 (2-1 & 1-0). In the quarter-finals, they faced fellow Brazilian side São Paulo. They won on aggregate 3-2 (0-1 & 3-1). In the semi-finals, they face defending Copa Libertadores champions Boca Juniors. After tying 2-2 on the first leg, the won 3-1 in the second leg to advance to their first Copa Libertadores finals.
LDU Quito in the knockout stage
LDU Quito was seeded 12 for the knockout stage. In the Round of 16, they faced Estudiantes, whom they beat on aggregate 3-2 (2-0 & 1-2) to advance. They faced another Argentine team, San Lorenzo in the quarter-finals. After tying 1-1 in both legs, the teams went into penalties, where LDU Quito triumphed 5-3. In the semi-finals, they faced Club América of Mexico. They tied both legs 1-1 in Mexico City and 0-0 in Quito. Since LDU Quito scored an away goal, they won the series and advanced to their first Copa Libertadores finals.

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Finals summary

First leg
The First Leg was played in front of a capacity crowd at La Casa Blanca in Quito. Claudio Bieler of LDU Quito scored first in the 2nd minute, but Fluminense answered back with a goal by Conca in the 12th minute. LDU Quito scored three unanswered goals by the end of the half with goals by Joffre Guerrón (29'), Jairo Campos (34'), and Patricio Urrutia (45'). Thiago Neves scored again for Fluminenese with the only goal of the second half at the 52nd minute. The final score left LDU Quito with a 2-goal advantage going into the next leg.

Second leg
Maracanã match.
The Second Leg was played in front of a capacity crowd at the legendary Maracanã in a game that would crown the South American champions. Luis Bolaños of LDU Quito scored first in the 6th minute to put LDU Quito up 1–0 in the game, and 3 goal advantage. Fluminense answered back with a hat-trick by Thiago Neves, who scored goals in the 12th, 28th, and 56th minute. The score at the end of regulation was 3–1, leaving both teams equal on goal difference; extra-time was needed. After a scoreless extra-time, the game went on to a penalty shootout. LDU Quito goalkeeper José Francisco Cevallos blocked three of four penalty kicks, while his teammates put in three of four to give LDU Quito the win, and their first Copa Libertadores title.

Aftermath
Prior to the matches, Fluminense was favored to win since they had eliminated the defending champion (Boca Juniors) in the semi-finals, and defeated LDU Quito in an earlier encounter at Maracanã. Following the surprise loss in Quito, pressure was on Fluminense to win at home. When LDU Quito sealed the deal at Maracanã, the media dubbed the match a "Maracanazo", a slang term in Latin American soccer given to a game at Maracanã where the underdog team upsets the hosts. The hosts were so expected to be win, that the celebratory confetti for the award presentation was in Fluminense's color.
LDU Quito had won their first Copa Libertadores title, becoming the first Ecuadorian team to do so. The title is also the first international title ever won by a team from Ecuador. LDU Quito captain Patricio Urrutia was named player of the finals, and Joffre Guerrón was named player of the tournament. By winning the tournament, LDU Quito won the right to represent South American in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, for which they qualify directly to the semi-finals. LDU Quito winning the Copa Libertadores was called historic by major newspapers that followed the competition, and won praise throughout the continent.
Throughout the tournament, the team and its player gained wide support from across Ecuador, not just by their typical fan-base in Quito. Following the win, they were publicly applauded by every sector of Ecuadorian society and government, and were treated as heroes upon their return to the country.
Currently, this year's finals hold or shares two Copa Libertadores Finals records: most goals in a single game (6) for Game 1; most goals in two legs (10).

Liga de Quito wins Copa Libertadores 2008

In a two-game series that saw 10 goals scored you wouldn't expect a goalkeeper to be the hero, but Liga de Quito goalkeeper Jose Francisco Cevallos was just that for Liga. Cevallos made three penalty kick saves to help Liga de Quito beat Brazilian club Fluminense, 3-1, in penalty kicks to capture the Copa Libertadores title last night at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.
Fluminense came into the match needing to erase a two-goal deficit and didn't look like they would do it after Liga de Quito scored the opening goal to take a three-goal series lead. That was before Fluminense midfielder Thiago Neves scored a hat-trick to tie the home-and-home series at 5-5 and send it to penalties.

Cevallos stole the show from there, stopping three of Fluminense's four penalty kicks while Liga de Quito teammates Patricio Urrutia (pictured), Franklin Salas and Getafe-bound Joffre Guerron converted their penalty kicks.

Cevallo's saves come at 1:24, 3:47 and 7:35 on the video to seal the Liga de Quito victory.
The win earns Liga de Quito a place in the FIFA Club World Cup later this year, a tournament that will also include European champions Manchester United.

Liga of Quito, magnificent new champion of the 2009 Recopa!

It overcame Internacional of Brazil in both finals Liga of Quito, magnificent new champion of the 2009 Recopa! 10 / 07 / 2009

Carlos Espínola (r) celebrates after converting a goal to Internacional of Brazil today, July 9 of 2009, during the second leg match of the South American Recopa in Quito. . (EFE) Liga of Quitó was consecrated champion of the 2009 "Recopa" (Cup Winners' Cup), after defeating Inter of Porto Alegre by 3-0 in the second final disputed in Ecuador and thus added its second international laurel, after the consecration in the 2008 Libertadores Cup. Closing a global scoreboard of 4-0 between both matches, the white club from the city of Quito made history for its country again, placing it once again at the highest level in South American football. The champion tonight had as its main football weapon the definition in the air game to thrash its rival. Paraguayan-Ecuadorian Carlos Espínola, Argentinean Claudio Bieler and Paraguayan Enrique Vera, signed the impeccable victory with their goals at a full 'Casa Blanca' stadium, dressed for the party. Brilliant winner Comfortable and brilliant was the campaign for the pupils of Uruguayan trainer Jorge Fossati, that paid for a great part of the title when they imposed themselves by 1-0 in the first leg match in Porto Alegre with Bieler's goal, one of the best in the series. For the champion of the 2008 Libertadores, today's match was easy, since there were few occasions when the 'Colorados' generated opportunities during the ninety minutes. On the other hand, Liga de Quito generated good moves from the beginning of the match, it pinned Inter that didn't have any other exit option than the counterattack. In spite of it, 6 minutes into play, the Ecuadorian goalkeeper saved his team when deviating a violent finish off from Kléber. The first goal arrived through a blow from defender Espinola's head, who fished the ball some fourteen meters from the Brazilian goal after the launching of a corner shot, in minute 9. The Ecuadorian goal, rather than to spur the 'gaucho' team, it braked it in its own area, and the champion of the last Libertadores Cup took advantage of that to press more in search of another annotation. Internacional could have tied in a counterattack by Nilmar, but the ball impacted on the left angle of the goalframe, in minute 38. The action woke up Liga that added the second goal with splendid header by Bieler in the following move, in minute 39. The Ecuadorian team sustained the game rhythm, continued pressing Internacional in its own area, that didn't have any reaction at all and, fruit of that, the university squad scored the third, with a leveling finish off by Paraguayan Vera, in minute 53. The injury of goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez, in minute 63, allowed the entrance of Ecuadorian world cup player, José Francisco Cevallos, one of the figures of Liga in the attainment of the title of the Libertadores last year. The institutional organization, a key element The players and technical body of Liga de Quito affirmed that the institutional organization of the team has been key to be awarded its second international title. "If we played this final, it is because Liga made merits to get all of this as fruit of its great organization", said the coach of the team, Uruguayan Jorge Fossati, to the Fox Sports network. The eleven champions pose before the match, before the consecration. (EFE) Fossati, who dedicated the title to his family in Uruguay, asserted that he has the habit to always be next to his dear family, but that in this occasion it was not possible to celebrate with them." On the other hand, goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez showed gratitude toward his partner and winner of last year's Libertadores, José Francisco Cevallos: "I have learned much from him, now it is necessary to take advantage of all of this to continue growing", he said. For fielder Cristian Lara, "Liga de Quito again wins an international title that it deserves for all the fans that it has and as fruit of its organization". According to Lara, "the key to winning today's Cup was to have won in Brazil and then come to finish off here, with the title." "Thanks God we achieved another crown as reward for all the good things that Liga de Quito has been doing institutionally", said the author of the first goal of the match, Paraguayan-Ecuadorian Carlos Espínola. "Now we want to celebrate this victory and then we will get ready for the " Peace Cup " that will be disputed in Spain", Espínola added. On the other hand, the fielder and goal scorer of the Ecuadorian team in the Libertadores Cup, with 15 goals, Patricio Urrutia, assured that "we all played well". "Each one gave his best and that allowed us to reach the title." Urrutia also asserted that "the key to defeating Internacional, in Brazil as well as in Quito, was the order that the team impossed. We managed the bal well". Meantime, the goal scorer of the team, Claudio Bieler, said: "I never imagined getting all that I have won with this team. We win the Cup Libertadores, we dispute the final of the World Cup of Clubs and today we win Recopa." Another of the important players of the Ecuadorian team, Paraguayan Enrique Vera, expressed that "I was not in the Intercontinental of Japan, I had that revenge, I have returned and now I am happy because we have won this title." EFE

LDU Champion of Recopa 2009

07/09/2009

LDU 3 - Internazinale 0



2009/06/25

Internazionale 0 - LDU 1