Zulia surprise with away win against Nacional

Nacional played their first home game of the 2017 Copa Libertadores season against Zulia FC tonight. The match did not quite go according to plan and saw the Uruguayans lose by a goal to nil.

Gran Parque Central on Copa Libertadores night (Photo: Pasión Tricolor Twitter).

Personnel: Two changes for Nacional, three for Zulia

Martín Lasarte brought in Tabaré Viudez who had been lively after coming on against Racing Club on the weekend. He filled the right midfield position in place of Álvaro González, that moved to defensive midfield instead. This whole area of the pitch was a new one, as Santiago Romero had to be replaced and Diego Arismendi was needed at centre-back for the injured Rafael García. Gonzalo Porras rotated into the first XI.

On the other side, coach Daniel Farías swapped three times from the 1-2 home loss against Chapecoense. The defense saw the most changes as both Daniel Rivillo and Sandro Notaroberto went out to be replaced by Kerwin Chirinos and Edixon Cuevas. In addition, César Gómez was replaced by Luciano Guaycochea.

First half: Counters from Zulia enough for lead

Both teams attempted their best to get a positive start for their respective sides. Especially Zulia let the ball circulate well for extended periods of time. Yet the first true chance had to be waited upon until the 14th minute when a shot by Nacional's #9 Hugo Silveira got deflected and had to be saved alertly by the visiting goalkeeper Renny Vega. On the other side, Jefferson Savarino fired a shot wide, was however whistled offside shortly before.

While the Uruguayan champions tried to control the game and moved forward towards the opposing penalty area, they often misplaced passes in midfield, leaving Zulia's midfielders around Juan Arango way too much freedom. Even though the Venezuelan counterattacks could not quite convince regarding an end product, they remained a threat for Nacional's back four.

In the 31st minute, Gran Parque Central saw its first goal of the night, surprisingly coming from the visitors. Zulia beat Nacional with speed and skill, as Arango's high through-ball found the run of Savarino perfectly. Arismendi had been unable to reach the ball with his head, paving the way in on goal for Zulia's #10. He made no mistake and finished past Esteban Conde into the far post.

Zulia kept their danger on the counter up on several occasions afterwards as well. They really deserved their lead here considering Nacional's lack of concentration or decisiveness going forward. Arismendi kept getting exposed in his unusual role and picked up a yellow card in the process, too. Right in added time of the first half, Nacional managed one more big chance when Porras' shot was saved magnificently by Vega with one hand. We went to halftime with an away lead.

Second half: Last big chance wasted by Nacional

The start to the second 45 minutes was much more eventful than the first time around. Inside one minute, Arismendi produced his next huge error that left the strong Yohandry Orozco wide open in the area, but his shot his the crossbar. A minute later, Silveira's sharp cross could not find the waiting Viudez in the middle. Finally, after 52 minutes Martín Lasarte realised that Arismendi at the back was a mistake and replaced him with the talented Agustín Rogel.

Nacional had to do more now offensively and produced half chances from Kevin Ramírez, Tata González and Alfonso Espino in the process.  Lasarte had to risk more at the hour mark and brought on striker Rodrigo Aguirre for Seba Fernández who never really got into the game. Shortly after, Rogel was held during a freekick, before being knocked down by the goalie storming out. The referee missed it alltogether and did not give a penalty.

The home team pressured their opponents much better than they did during the first half and Zulia enjoyed less time on the ball for their creative midfielders. This was also due to Rogel's direct impact who did a nice job in a stronger Nacional back line. Another player to have a potentially big impact? Lasarte's final substitute Martín Ligüera that convinced with goal and assist against Racing on the weekend.

Had Ligüera been a few centimeters taller, he could have reached Ramírez cross not too long after coming on, but it slid out for a goalkick instead. After 87 minutes, Nacional got their huge chance to get the equaliser after all: Polenta won the ball nicely and crossed into the middle to find a wide open Ramírez. His rough luck on the night continued as he volleyed it wide, which was in fact far more complicated than hitting the net. It ended with the surprise away win, 0-1 to Zulia.

Analysis

Two things stopped Nacional from taking the win at home today. Firstly, their incredibly poor midfield and defensive performance in the first half that was rightly punished with a 0-1 deficit. Way too much space was left for Arango, Oroczo and Co. Secondly, they lacked their usual creative spirit including the necessary cutting edge chances. Even though they looked dangerous in the second half, should have had a penalty and nearly scored right at the end, they did not do quite enough overall. Zulia deserved the win thanks to a brave away performance in Montevideo.

Man of the Match

Juan Arango was simply outstanding in Zulia's midfield today, particularly during the first half. He was always there when needed for his teammates to be the recipient of any kind of pass. In addition, he assisted the only goal beautifully and showed that you do not have to be 18 to be a successful football player in 2017.

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Nacional start Copa Libertadores with win over Lanús

After 18 long days, Nacional finally returned to action with their Copa Libertadores tie in Argentina. Their opponents were of high caliber in domestic champions CA Lanús, who had not played a competitive game at all in 2017 as of yet.

Strong away support following Nacional to Argentina (Photo: Nacional/Twitter).

Personnel: Tata González gets his first start

Álvaro González claimed the headlines early as he made his first start for Nacional, replacing Brian Lozano in right midfield. It was the only change made by Martín Lasarte from the last league outing. Lanús coach Jorge Almirón on the other hand used none of his newly signed players in his first XI and trusted the likes of José Sand and Lautaro Acosta. Goalkeeper Esteban Andrada replaced the injured Fernando Monetti, who was a big loss for the Argentines.

First half: Decent away performance underlined by lead

The opening stages of the match were relatively quiet with both teams trying to find a way to settle following their long breaks. A first attempt from Kevin Ramírez flew wide after 9 minutes. Just one minute later, it was Hugo Silveira, who used an error in Lanús' defense, but had his shot saved by Andrada. Uruguay's record champion enjoyed a decent start, not only because of two half chances. They did not offer the home team any room at all going forward and controlled the game from their own half. 

It took Lanús 24 minutes to produce a first bit of danger around Nacional's penalty area, yet they failed to get a clear shot on goal in the process. Lasarte's back line blocked shot after shot beautifully before clearing the danger. An attack across the left wing brought the deserved lead for Nacional after 26 minutes. Ramírez played an excellent ball towards Espino under pressure and the left-back, after advancing forward, found Silveira in the middle with the perfect pass, leaving the striker with no other option than to score. 

Hugo Silveira celebrates after giving his team the lead.

The Uruguayans nearly got a second goal not too long after when Ramírez was sent through with a high ball, but Andrade was there in time to clear the danger. Lanús struggled to find an answer to the goal against, but had an excellent chance after 35 minutes. A mad scramble in the 6-yard box ended with the ball hitting Silveira's hand (accidentally). He managed to clear it away from his own goal line. On the other side, the lively Ramírez had yet another chance to make it 2-0 and sent the ball narrowly wide. 

Second half: A few scares, but across the finish line

Lanús did not get a much better start to the second 45 minutes either. An even match saw both teams fight their midfield battles for quite some time. After about an hour, the home team collected a little more possession, without actually threatening Esteban Conde's goal. Nacional did the obvious in the meantime and waited for their chance to counter. 

Lanús had their first chance of the second half after 67 minutes, Román Martínez' header from a corner, denied in magnificent fashion by the aforementioned Conde. What makes the save more impressive is his absolute non-existent involvement in the previous 20 minutes. Both coaches produced a series of substitutions, which for example saw goalscorer Silveira exit the field after a good performance. 

Reaching the last 10 minutes, it was all or nothing time for the Argentines. You would have thought so at least. Nacional's defense still held up strong and Lanús did not exactly seem like a team filled with the last bit of energy, which is understandable considering their heavy amount of time without competitive football. It ended with just the one goal and a 1-0 win for Nacional.

Man of the Match: Rafael García 

Rock-solid at the back, without any mistakes, even dangerous up front for set pieces, Garcia was leading his team together with captain Diego Polenta throughout the 90 minutes to a deserved win. The few amount of chances for Lanús underline a very good defensive away performance. Just what Nacional and Lasarte wanted from their back-line and XI. 

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Independiente del Valle win to start 2017 Copa Libertadores campaign

The Copa Libertadores is back and started with its first round of qualification for the 2017 edition last evening. After reshaping the format of the competition, there will be three rounds of qualifiers before the group stages begin. Three games including last season's finalists were played and here is how they went.

Michael Estrada celebrates his goal (Photo cropped from: conmebol.com)

Independiente del Valle has returned to a new Copa Libertadores season in winning fashion. Following their magical run to the final last year, they had to start at the very beginning in 2017 due to their lower league finish. It did not stop them from beating Peruvian side Deportivo Municipal 1-0 away from home. 

The only goal was scored early on, when Michael Estrada found the back of the net after just ten minutes, converting a pass from Efrén Mera. 15.000 fans in Lima's national stadium saw a defensively minded game that only counted few shots on goal. A total of five meant that the Ecuadorians did not have as much to worry about as Municipal coach Marcelo Grioni would have hoped for. 

The home team thought they had recovered from the early blow, but a direct freekick from Rafael Guarderas only hit the side netting. Grioni tried everything to give his team hope during the second 45 minutes, but even his offensive substitutions such as Sergio Moreno were left without any opportunity. Masakatsu Sawa had the best chance to tie things up in the second half, but could not convert. Instead, Independiente nearly made it 2-0 on two counters. Last year's runners-up are in a good position going into the return leg at home on Friday. 

The lineups:

Entertainment in Bolivia

Compared to Municipal - Independiente, the early kickoff in Bolivia provided a high entertainment level with chances up and down the pitch. Universitario de Sucre managed to beat Montevideo Wanderers 3-2. The action started early as Sergio Blanco scored the first goal of the 2017 campaign for the Uruguayan visitors just six minutes into the game. Universitario were completely unorganised at the back and could not deal with the early pressure from Wanderers. Argentine Juan Robledo even saved his team from further damage by stopping a point-blank attempt from Manuel Castro. 

However, things changed pretty quickly, leading to the equalising goal. Victor Melgar's deep cross from the right wing found the back of the net untouched and caught goalkeeper Ignacio de Arruabarrena by surprise. Another ten minutes later (28'), the Bolivians turned the game around completely from the penalty spot. Following an obvious handball from Diego Barboza, Alexis Bravo left no doubt with his finish into the top of the net. 

The second half continued with weak defense all over the field, predominantly from Wanderers. Universitario had several huge chances, only one of which was converted after all. From what appeared like an offside position, Aldo Velasco fired home a rebound, after de Arruabarrena could not clear the danger in front of his goal decisively (66'). A substitution from the visitors changed the dynamic of the game for another time. Cristian Palacios came on for Castro after 76 minutes, only to score two minutes later. A lovely pass from Ignacio González ripped apart the whole U de Sucre back-end and led to the 3-2. Palacios could have scored another one, but missed the chance. The match finished with the slight advantage for the Bolivians who will have to do well in Montevideo to defend it in a few days.

Paraguayan success over struggling Táchira

Deportivo Capiatá's players after scoring the only goal in their Copa Libertadores debut (Photo: conmebol.com)

Deportivo Táchira could not break out of their struggles in the third and final first round match last night. The Venezuelan side, that has not won a game since November 20, lost again. In their away game at Deportivo Capiatá, they picked up a 1-0 deficit going into the second leg on Friday. 

The only goal of the game came in first half added time. A shot from distance by Hugo Lusardi was not dealt well with by opposing goalkeeper José Contreras. The 22-year old reached the ball, but could only deflect it into his own net. It was touched by a defender before, giving it a slight change of direction. Most of the 12.000 spectators were ecstatic about the goal, that turned out to be the decider for the first ever win in the first ever game from the Guaraní side. 

Capiatá dominated for large parts of the game, pushing the Venezuelan visitors back. Nevertheless, the attempt to find a second goal to give the Paraguayans a bigger advantage for the return leg failed in the process. It took Deportivo Táchira 75 minutes to create their first real chance. Substitute striker Josmar Zambrano went by two defenders, but saw his shot get deflected. Seven minutes later, it was Jan Carlos Hurtado's freekick that endangered the home win. The shot had goalkeeper Bernardo Medina beaten, but glanced off the bar and over. 

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Deserved triumph - Atlético Nacional wins Copa Libertadores

Atlético Nacional have won the Copa Libertadores for the second time in club history. After their first triumph back in 1989, a 1-0 win over Independiente del Valle on the night was enough to beat the Ecuadorian surprise team 2-1 on aggregate. 

Copa Libertadores final night in Medellín. (Photo: Getty Images)

Following a football-wise pretty disappointing first leg a week ago in Quito, the tie shifted to Colombia. Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere was outstanding and appropriate for the occasion. A stadium-wide chroreography in the club colours green and white was paired with a lot of confetti, lighters in the dark night and the usual fireworks. If you imagined standing on the pitch ahead of this game and listening to the national anthems, it had to be very hard to keep your concentration onto the actual game and you could see just that in many players' faces.

Could you want anything more as a football fan? (Photo: Getty Images)

Lineups

Going into tonight's game, Atlético Nacional's coach Reinaldo Rueda made two changes. Alejandro Guerra and and Alexander Mejia replaced Diego Arias and the suspended Sebastián Pérez.

Pablo Repetto on the other hand left his visiting team unchanged, despite the not fully fit José Angulo and Emiliano Tellechea. Obviously, they would not miss a Copa Libertadores final. It could be the only one in their careers.

First half

After their tactical mistake to do nothing and only sit back ever since taking the lead in the first leg, Atlético seemed determined to not make the same errors again today. Right from kickoff, the Colombians attacked their opponents early and got their first large chance inside a minute. Miguel Borja was sent through with a long ball, but blasted it far over the crossbar.

The always dangerous right-back Daniel Bocanegra followed it up with a thunderous shot from distance and missed just wide. As Atlético kept pushing their opponents back into their own half, it was only a matter of time until we saw an opening goal. Nine minutes in, a freekick from Macnelly Torres went by everyone and hit the left goalpost. From there, Arturo Mina tried to clear but could not make sufficient contact with the ball. Borja was wide open in the centre of the area and made no mistake this time, scoring into the bottom left corner. 1:0.

Miguel Borja, the goalscorer. (Photo: Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images)

Miguel Borja's story is a fantastic one. Transferred over from Cortuluá to their league rivals Atlético Nacional only a month ago, the striker made a name for himself in almost no time. In just four Copa Libertadores games, he now scored five times. After two in each leg against São Paulo, he quickly proved to be his new team's decisive factor.

Torres in the middle of the pitch had one of his best games for his club in quite a while and kept surprising the Ecuadorian defense with passes and set pieces that were tremendously hard to defend. Independiente del Valle did not play bad, with a high line of defense, but was simply overwhelmed by Nacional's offensive tornado during the opening stages. Marlos Moreno and Orlando Berrio on the wings were the ones profiting.

After 30 minutes, it led to a penalty shout when Torres sent through Berrio. He was brought down by goalkeeper Librado Azcona, but it was likely not enough to be given. Just shortly after, it was Borja again who could have made it 2-0, but he was stopped short by a magnificent tackle from Independiente's best defender Mina. Him and Azcona were the reasons it was still just a one-goal deficit when Repetto's team had their first opportunity. A sharp pass from Junior Sornoza had found his teammate Julio Angulo, who could have equalized, but instead saw his shot go over the crossbar as well.

The rest of the first half was a pretty even affair and even though the hosts dominated for large parts and had the lion's share of the possession, they could not stop some quick counter attacks. However, they led to nothing due to offside positions or lack of precision.

Second half

To start the second 45 minutes, Independiente del Valle made a substitution and brought on Jonny Uchuari for Junior Sornoza. It was a change that made limited sense to me, but Sornoza had seen the yellow card already and was probably protected by his coach.

Uchuari brought confusion to the Colombian backline right after coming on, when he danced by several defenders and was suddenly on the ground with his teammates shouting for a penalty the other way this time. Judging by the replays, it was none and the Argentine referee Néstor Pitana made another good decision.

After giving away the control for the first five minutes of the second half, Atlético Nacional regained it in strong fashion and failed to score from a clear cut chance yet again. Marlos Moreno made the whole defense look like youth players with his dribbles and laid the ball back to Berrio. He needed some time to control the ball, but then shot it wide across the face of goal.

While Uchuari did quite well on the other side, the precise passing of Sornoza was missed in a lot of Independiente's few offensive scenes. Instead, Macnelly Torres continued to be the main man in midfield, setting Borja and the wingers in scene multiple times. Borja could have made it 2-0 once more when shooting too far left, afterwards it was Moreno's turn to head it past the goalkeeper Azcona, but also wide.

Even though time was ticking down quickly now, the Colombians kept dominating and therefore avoiding to repeat their aforementioned mistakes. Instead of bolstering the defense for the final minutes, Rueda made it clear to his players what we wanted to see by bringing on striker for striker twice. Goalscorer Borja and Moreno left the pitch under the thunderous applause from their home support.

Not once in the final ten minutes could Independiente del Valle really threaten the in-form backline of Atlético Nacional which had thoroughly impressed during the group stages by not giving up a single goal. Despite its most recent shakyness, they regained their form when it mattered most. When Pitana blew the whistle for fulltime, the night reached its beautiful conclusion with the Colombians winning their first Copa Libertadores title in 27 years.

Trophy time in Colombia.

Analysis

Deserved? A big YES. Both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana are now being held by Colombian teams. Atlético Nacional was by far the best team in this year's competition and finally justified their favourite status with equally good performances. Their defense was particularly good early on, towards the end it was new signing Miguel Borja that carried them over the finish line.

31-year old midfielder Macnelly Torres pulled off a Man of the Match performance in the biggest game of his career. Lovely passing, always in position to receive balls from his teammates, offensive mastermind of Reinaldo Rueda's XI.

While their team might be ripped apart from European or Mexican clubs (especially young players like Moreno that already has standout status), their triumph will remain in the history books forever.

The same goes for their opponent. Despite not bringing their best performance onto the pitch last night, they played a wonderful campaign. Nobody in the world would have expected Independiente del Valle to make it to the Copa Libertadores final, yet there they were. Their brave performances gave a lot of hope and distraction to Ecuador's people after what they had to deal with outside of football pitches.

Videos

Here are some videos for you: Team entry + anthems, match highlights and celebration.

Thank you!

Lastly, I want to say thank you to everyone that followed this season's Copa Libertadores here on Germancopa. I will be back covering next season's edition for sure. Until then, we will have a lot of Copa Sudamericana and league football from Uruguay and Argentina. 

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All tied up after first leg of Copa Libertadores final

For the first time since 1991, no team from Argentina or Brazil made it to the final of the Copa Libertadores. Instead, surprise team Independiente del Valle from Ecuador hosted Colombia's Atlético Nacional, who had marched through the competition with impressive performances thus far. 

The atmosphere before the game in Ecuador (Photo: tdn_twit on Twitter).

The night was started off by the usual atmospheric highlights in Quito. Independiente moved to the national stadium for this big game, considering their small home ground. Fireworks were shooting into the sky, while more fans had their lighters and phones out to bring some goosebumps across the TV screens at home. A large Ecuadorian flag was rolled out across the far side stand, presenting the colours of a country that had been hit by a huge natural disaster only months ago. 

A true Cinderella story is exactly what Independiente del Valle is all about. Back when their semifinal opponent Boca Juniors last won the Copa Libertadores in 2007, they were still playing third division football in their home country. Slowly but surely, they moved their way up and show that often you just need a good strategy and smart minds to be successful, especially on a continent like South America, which is still more even than Europe's crazy football world. 

Atlético Nacional on the other hand won the competition before, all the way back in 1989. With players such as René Hiquita or Andrés Escobar, the Colombians beat Paraguay's Club Olimpia on penalties after nullifying a 0-2 decifit from the first away leg. Currently, you can pretty surely call them the best team in South America. They dominated throughout the group stages without conceding a single goal and were seeded #1 for the knockout rounds. After beating Huracán, Rosario Central and Sao Paulo FC, they found themselves in the final deservedly. 

In typical South American chaos fashion, the Ecuadorian football association asked Independiente to play a league game which had previously been called off on Wednesday morning, the same day of the Copa Libertadores final. The laughable decision was reacted to with a youth team that lost 2-5 to El Nacional. Tonight's opponents also mainly played their reserves in the last league outing at home against Deportes Tolima, drawing 2-2.

The actual game

With the start of the final itself, we received a little rain from above, leaving the players all options to play good football though. The first better opportunity came within the first five minutes for the Ecuadorian home team when the Angulo's broke through Atlético's defense for the first time. Julio found José with a decent pass, but the shot of the striker went just wide. 

A first attempt for the visitors came soon after when striker Miguel Borja, after having scored four times (!) in the semifinal, fired from a far distance and saw his shot saved comfortably by opposing goalkeeper Librado Azcona. 

While 3000 visiting fans produced a nice setting along with the strong home support, the game itself turned into a midfield battle relatively quickly. Even though Atlético Nacional had most of the ball, they could not find a way through a well-organized defensive line of Independiente. The teams neutralized themselves, which is clearly nothing for the neutral viewer. 

20 minutes in, the biggest chance of the game so far for the hosts: A freekick from the right was deflected onwards by a Colombian defender and hit the head of surprised Arturo Mina. He could not direct it any further, which saw the ball fly right into the open arms of Franco Armani. Shortly after, Mina convinced on the other side of the pitch as well, when stopping the ever dangerous Borja with an excellent tackle. 

Orlando Berrio scored the opener (second from left, Photo: espnfc.com)

Atlético's #10 MacNelly Torres started to gain a little too much space in midfield for his passes. After 36 minutes, the 31-year old made it count. He found Orlando Berrio on the edge of the area. The striker went some more metres, keeping the upper hand against the defense's desperate clearing attempts before finishing strongly into the bottom right corner. An absolute beauty to make it 0-1 on the night and leave the visiting fans in ecstasy. 

While the lead was not really deserved by any clear means, it gave Atlético the necessary calmness in their decision making and they had the match under control a bit more comfortably now. Top talent Marlos Moreno nearly made it 2-0 before halftime, but his shot that caught Azcona way outside his goal just flew over the bar. 

Second half

Independiente del Valle now had their work cut out for them in the second half, having to attack while also not being too open at the back. Half chances for Bryan Cabezas and Junior Sornoza was all the Ecuadorians could manage before the hour mark. In fairness, Atlético Nacional defended really well now and stopped their opponents from being dangerous at all. 

As time continued to pass and Independiente kept being chanceless, coach Pablo Repetto had to react. He brought on Jonny Uchuari and Jonathan Gonzalez for Cabezas and Julio Angulo. Both of them had been extremely quiet on the night, compared to their previous performances in the competition. 

A game that kept getting worse and worse was about to be over in ten minutes after an extremely poor second half which was not final worthy. Noone really expected anything to happen anymore and they were wrong. The home team actually managed to strike back and make it a game again after 87 minutes. A long freekick near the centre circle by Junior Sornoza went high all the way into the area. Armani, expecting a striker to get a touch of the ball still, could only let the ball bounce forward as it hit him. Arturo Mina tried to score once and was denied by Armani, but on the second attempt the goalkeeper had no chance to keep the centre-back out anymore. 

A late equalizer gives Independiente del Valle a large moral boost and every chance in the second leg. However, Atlético Nacional will not be too unhappy with the result either, as it sees them move back home requiring a win or a 0-0 draw. They surely have the potential to seal it at home.

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Video highlights

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Nacional knocked out in dramatic fashion

The dream is over: Nacional have been knocked out on penalties by Boca Juniors in the Bombonera last night. After 90 intense minutes, it had been 1-1 like in the first leg a week ago. 

The captains Cata Díaz and Polenta before the game. (Photo: nacional.uy)

Uruguay's champion could count on a lot of away support over in Buenos Aires. Argentina's capital ended up experiencing a fantastic atmosphere from both sets of fans. 

Personnel

Boca coach Guillermo Schelotto made one change from the first leg a week ago in Montevideo. Andrés Chávez replaced Federico Carrizo in the starting XI.

Gustavo Munúa on the other hand did not have Kevin Ramírez available at all and Nico López unable to start. They were replaced by Felipe Carballo in left midfield and Leo Gamalho up front.

First half

Boca started well, picking up two big opportunities inside the first five minutes and not giving Nacional the chance to calmly settle in. Esteban Conde was called upon to produce a nice save on a shot from the edge of the area and an even bigger one on the rebound attempt from Carlos Tévez. Shortly after, Juan Insaurralde's header went just wide.

That was it for Argentina's double winner for quite a long time though. Finally, Nacional felt comfortable at the back and destroyed most attacks in midfield already. Whatever came through was headed away with poise from Mauricio Victorino or captain Diego Polenta. Their first half chance came through a header from Gamalho, but it was a rather weak one after Jorge Fucile's cross from the right.

20 minutes in, the visitors took the lead. Sebastián Fernández slid the ball out to the right into the run of Leandro Barcia. He produced a speedy cross, meant for Fernández in the middle again. Instead, it was Boca captain Cata Díaz making contact with the ball and deflecting it high into his own net. Nothing better than a lead could have happened to the Uruguayans who could concentrate on defending even more now.

While the game got quite rough in midfield in the following stages, chances stayed absent for a pretty large time. Only after 35 minutes, Chávez was suddenly wide open at the back post and headed Pavón's cross wide poorly. Right at the brink of halftime, Boca could have scored again, but Conde managed to deny Pavón after he received a lovely assist from Tévez.

Second half

The second 45 minutes started less frantically than the previous. Slowly but surely, Boca was the only team to get anything done offensively though, clearly aided by the fact that Nacional did not have to. Pablo Pérez collected three shots by himself until the hour mark, most from distance and either wide or saved relatively comfortably. Nacional on the other hand got opportunities through counters, just could not find the deadly final pass. Often, Fernández was all alone up front with Gamalho being an obstacle rather than help. Once they did get through, but Romero's shot was not dangerous enough to get by Agustín Orión.

A key scene then in the 67th minute. Pavón slided into Espino with a two-footed tackle and magically stayed on the pitch with just a yellow card. The refereeing in general was not good tonight and saw many little, and in this case a big one, errors.

Obviously, when Boca got the equalizer, it had to be Pavón. A long pass to the right knocked out the visiting defense completely and found the run of the striker perfectly. His finish was decent as well and beat Conde to his right side from a pretty tight angle. The fact that Pavón is not too smart showed again during his goal celebration. He took off his shirt and received his second yellow card 7 minutes after his first.

Munúa pulled his last card and brought on the clearly not 100% striker López for Gamalho. In the 84th minute, Nico López actually found the back of the net, but from an offside position. After injuries, a goal and a sending off, Mr. Referee saw no need for any second of added time at the end of 90 minutes, so we went right into penalties.

Penalties

Let us make it short, Boca were the luckier ones during the crapshoot. The first five attempts from both teams combined all went in, before Pérez had his shot saved by Conde. The goalkeeper show continued, as Porras, Insaurralde and Romero were all denied by the respective keepers. Romero could have brought Nacional into the semifinals with his attempt, instead Fabra made it 3-3. Now, the Uruguayans seemingly without any confidence left, sent the young Carballo who shot right into the middle of the goal. No problem for Oríon, who then left the field to substitute Carrizo. Three days after his 25th birthday, the Argentina fired Boca into the round of the last four.

Analysis

Well done to team and fans. (Photo: nacional.uy)

While Boca was the better team on the night, they were simply the luckier ones at the end. Nacional had it on their plates and let it slip away again. They played a good away game, not allowing Boca too much especially during the first half.

Gamalho and Carballo were weakening the team heavily compared to the usual personnel, which is also a reason why Nacional had trouble offensively. Quite obvious that the only goal came from a combination of Barcia and Seba. Alfonso Espino did really well on the left side until he was overplayed on Boca's goal.

Still, the back four Fucile-Victorino-Polenta-Espino has been one of Nacional's biggest strengths this Copa Libertadores season that sadly came to an end now. They can still go out with their heads held high and hopefully attack again next season with a similar looking team, not destroyed by some buying happy millionaire clubs.

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Nacional and Boca draw in exciting clash

It was a big night for Nacional and Boca Juniors. In Montevideo's iconic Gran Parque Central, Uruguay's champion hosted their Argentine counterparts. Boca went into the game unbeaten in the competition so far, but not really in form either. Nacional had lost one game that did not matter anymore previously. Could it be anything less than a great one?

Gran Parque Central pre-game crowd.

Personnel

Nacional made no changes from their previous Copa Libertadores game against Corinthians. Nico López was indeed healthy to play after taking a little knock in the league the past weekend. 

On the other side, the visitors made one change from their 3-1 win over Cerro Porteño as regular Gino Peruzzi replaced Cristian Erbes. 

First half

No chance for Carlos Tévez against Mauricio Victorino. (Photo: Ovación)

The first half did not let us wait long with the first opportunity as Mauricio Victorino's header was not dangerous enough two minutes in. Nacional were aggressive in midfield duels from the get-go and decided many 50/50 battles for themselves in that way. Around Boca's area, a lot of set pieces brought the potential for danger, but were not used accordingly.

Nacional's best chance came in the 22nd minute, a shot from Jorge Fucile that sailed towards the inside of the right post, but Orión got over to make the save. About half an hour into the game, Boca tried to implement a little more structure into their attacks instead of hitting long balls and hoping for the best. It did not work amazingly right away either, but after 33 minutes it was Gino Peruzzi collecting Boca's best opportunity with a shot from distance himself. The defender fired it just wide.

In the 38th minute, Nico López' day was over already. Sadly, his injury seemed to have re-aggravated. Coach Gustavo Munúa had to replace the striker with Christian Tabó. Despite the loss of their season's best man, Nacional kept threatening down the wings and produced an opportunity through a Ramírez header shortly before halftime.

Second half

Boca Juniors came out much better for the second 45 minutes than they did when the game started. A lot more possession made them get closer to the final third and push Nacional back a little at the beginning. Halftime substitute Chávez had their best chance as he hit the side netting. On the other side Nacional finally reached the second half with a huge chance after 55 minutes. Following a freekick, they failed to get the ball across the line on multiple occasions through Fernández, Romero and captain Polenta.

A relatively even game developed, with decent looks on both sides, but without the cutting edge chances, Tabó's shot into the side netting was the highlight until minute 70. Right there, the visitors took the lead. After Carlos Tévez held up Fucile in the penalty area, the right-back could not reach the run of Frank Fabra. Fabra's finish was great though and gave Boca the all-important away goal.

Instead of being in shock, Nacional countered not too long after. 76 minutes in, it was Sebastián Fernández using the confusion in Boca's penalty area to his advantage. After a corner from the left side, Ramírez header back could not be cleared and reached Fernández, whose turnaround shot was an absolute bullet and hit the back of the net for the equalizer.

Just two minutes later, Nacional could have won the game as they produced another chance from a corner, but it went just wide of the far post. Chance-wise that was all that happened until the end, where both coaches preferred to take time of the clock with their respective substitutions.

Analysis

A pretty even game ended with a pretty even result: 1-1 was the fulltime score between Nacional and Boca Juniors. Obviously, the away goal gives an advantage to the Argentines, but Nacional showed they can score goals and get a result away from home in the 2-2 draw with Corinthians that brought them to this stage.

Good tonight: Victorino and Polenta were very convincing throughout the game, making Tévez disappear for the largest part of 90 minutes.

Overall, it was an exciting game to watch, even if there was some chancelessness at times. Definitely worthy of a quarterfinal.

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Nacional knock out Corinthians to make last 8

Nacional have completed their surprise. Last night they visited Corinthians and a 2-2 draw was enough to make it into the quarterfinals. 

Mission "Corinthians" complete for Nacional.

The first leg a week ago had ended in a draw as well. Back then, the Gran Parque Central crowd saw a 0-0. Now Gustavo Munúa's squad travelled to Brazil to take on the country's champion in the World Cup 2014 stadium that saw the opening match two years ago. The atmosphere was magnificent and we were ready for a great match.

Personnel

Nacional came out unchanged from the first leg. Before, it was being speculated that Munúa could try to stregthen his midfield with an extra man in place of Barcia or Ramírez. 

Corinthians on the other hand made one swap. Alan Mineiro was replaced in midfield by Giovanni Augusto. 

First half

The game started off the right way for the Uruguayan visitors. Nacional attacked through the right wing with Nico López. He put in a cross to the left where Kevin Ramírez headed the ball down to Leandro Barcia. His attempt was saved to the side by Cássio. The goalkeeper should have done better, because right there was López again and the striker had no trouble finishing into the empty net for an early lead (5'). 

The opening goal from Nico López (in the background).

Especially during those opening stages, Nacional had been the better team, earning most of the possession and control. Further opportunities for López and Porras were the logical consequence. However, it did not hold on for long. Brazil's champion threatened with two big chances from respective corners.

Only ten minutes after the opening goal, Corinthians were level, made possible by a series of defensive errors. First, noone attacked Giovanni Augusto properly, making it possible for him to play a deep pass into the penalty area. Then Mauricio Victorino slipped on the grass, letting André get to the ball and he eventually tapped it to his teammate Lucca. Corinthians' striker stood all alone in front of Conde and equalized. 

In the following stages, the game calmed down a little. While Corinthians gave away a few too many freekicks around their own box, Nacional could not make too much of it. Their best chance came through Ramírez, but the left winger was stopped by Cássio's quick reaction. On the other side, it was Elías' solo run that opened up an opportunity for Rodriguinho, stopped just as well by Conde. Due to another fantastic Cássio save on Barcia in injury time, the game went to halftime tied at 1.

Second half

After 57 minutes, midfield engine Santiago Romero struck with one of his most important goals. Lóepz laid the ball off to Fernández who got by a defender at the edge of the area with his nice fake move. His shot was parried away by Cássio, but only to a Nacional player yet again. Romero laid everything he had into the shot and was rewarded with a goal. 

Corinthians knew they needed two goals now to have any sort of chance of advancing, while not being allowed to concede at the same time. They threw forward what they could and worked out a clear shot advantage in the last half hour. But Nacional, with a lot of cleverness and a little luck, stood strong and held their one-goal lead for the time being. Especially home team substitute Ángel Romero made an impact right away when hitting the crossbar.

Towards the end of the game, things got a little too close for Uruguay's champion. Only during the last 10 minutes of the match, they collected a total of five yellow cards while fighting for their lives. 84 minutes in, Corinthians thought they had the equalizer on their plate. Captain Polenta had fouled Marquinhos Gabriel on the right side of the area. In fairness, the striker took the invitation very easily. André took the responsibilities and produced one of the weakest penalties I ever saw. Conde laid down and held onto the ball comfortably. 

As the nerves had seemingly gotten to the Brazilian side, they went down to 10 men not too long after. Full-back Fágner received a straight red card after 90 minutes.

In added time, Corinthians equalized yet again, but it all came too late. Diego Polenta's arm was pushed against the ball in the air, handball was probably still the right decision by the referee. After countless discussions and the aforementioned yellow cards, substitute Marquinhos Gabriel stepped up and converted into the bottom left corner for a 2-2 score. 

Shortly after, the full-time whistle was blown and the home team could wave goodbye to the competition that sees Nacional in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. Seven years ago, they were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual winners Estudiantes. 

Analysis

Nacional players celebrate with their away support in Brazil. (All photos: nacional.uy)

It was a well deserved draw for Nacional who convinced particularly during the first half. They are playing a fine campaign this year and got rewarded for it. They could rely on their goalkeeper when it mattered most, even if their own captain tried everything to make the last 10 minutes exciting again. 

Another difference maker was - yet again - Nico López. The striker was present up front in all situations and played his teammates through multiple times along with his own opportunities and the all important 1-0. 

In the quarterfinals, Nacional meets the winner of Boca Juniors vs Cerro Porteño (2-1 after the first leg).

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Defending champions on verge of elimination

River Plate's result crisis seems to find no end. Last night, they lost 2-0 away to Independiente del Valle and find themselves on the verge of elimination after the first leg of their round of 16 matchup already.

Librado Azcona celebrates his team's goals. (Photo: Conmebol)

It was the first game back in Ecuador after many earthquakes had kept the country on its toes for several days. Independiente's stadium was nicely filled and sporting a positive atmosphere for their countries' only survivor in the Copa Libertadores.

Personnel

Independiente del Valle made one change from their 0-0 draw against Colo Colo which got them to the round of 16 in the first place. Bryan Cabezas replaces Emiliano Tellechea. For River, Marcelo Gallardo made two swaps to their starting XI. Lucas Alario and Ignacio Fernández were replaced by Sebastián Driussi and Leonardo Ponzio.

First half

The home team produced the better start with the first few shots towards Marcelo Barovero's goal. Sornoza and Angulo were denied or lacked the right finish during the early stages. River came closest when Andrés D'Alessandro lobbed a ball from midfield over the complete home defense, but Driussi arrived a step too late.

Independiente were the better team of the first half, but could not make it count on their few half chances. More was not in this game through 45 minutes.

Second half

The second half began like the first one ended. Independiente risked more offensively, always in danger of running into a counter. Arroyo, Angulo and Sornoza had opportunities going wide for Ecuador's side, as did Ponzio and Driussi for the Argentines on the other side.

For all the precision that was heavily lacking throughout the first hour, José Angulo did things a lot better after 64 minutes. River lost the ball going forward to Luis Caicedo, who passed it on to Sornoza. His long pass to the left wing opened up a lot of room for the run of Cabezas. The speedy cross was missed by all defenders and landed right on Angulo's foot. Independiente's striker made no mistake and nailed the ball right under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead against the favourites.

Gallardo reacted by bringing on Lucas Alario right away, but an effect could not be seen until the last 10 minutes for the final offense, mainly through Rodrigo Mora. Instead, Barovero had to make further fine saves against the likes of Uchuari and Sornoza for the time being.

In the third minute of added time, it was Independiente del Valle putting one foot into the quarterfinal door by scoring their second goal of the night. The Ecuadorians played a good counter and Tellechea was brought down by Maidana. Junior Sornoza shot right down the middle and finally got his deserved goal on this evening. Shortly after, the referee blew for full-time.

Analysis

A deserved win for Independiente del Valle, who were simply the better team across the pitch. Sornoza played a key role up front and scored his fifth goal of the competition. Whether it looks the same over at El Monumental in the second leg is another question. River definitely have to find a way to generate more pressure against an - on paper - weaker opponent. Leaving Mora and Alario on the bench was a mistake by Gallardo and cannot happen again, if his team wants to have any chance of turning this tie around to defend their crown.

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Entertaining first leg between Racing and Atlético Mineiro

Last but not least, I got the pleasure to report on another goalless draw today. 2 goals in 5 copa Libertadores round of 16 matches are not too impressive for the viewer, so let us hope it gets better tonight during the last three games. Racing Club and Atlético Mineiro could not find a winner last night.

Two of the night's best players fight for the ball: Romero vs Urso. (Photo: Conmebol)

28.000 people came out to see the clash between the Argentine and Brazilian giants. Despite its goallessness, the game turned out pretty entertaining as well. 

Personnel

Regular Ricardo Noir returned for Racing compared to their last Copa Libertadores game against Bolívar. On the bench for him: Gastón Díaz. He was sitting next to Diego Milito, by the way. Atlético Mineiro made two changes from the side that beat Melgar 4-0. Leonardo Silva came in for Tiago, while Jesús Dátolo replaced Juan Cazares in a central attacking midfield role. 

First half

Óscar Romero was the first one to attempt a shot on the night and saw his shot from a far distance fly over the crossbar. Racing continued to pile on the pressure early on and was nearly rewarded during a set piece. Romero's lovely cross found the head of centre-back Nico Sánchez, but Victor made the save right on his goalline. 

On the other side, Lucas Pratto tested Sebastián Saja who had struggled especially early in the season, but made a comfortable save this time around. Both teams did not manage to do all that much from open play, but continuously threatened from set pieces. Racing's Leandro Grimi had the ball in the back of the net, but was correctly called back for offside. 

A first really well played attack for Mineiro ended wide left of Saja's goal. Robinho had opened up a lot of room and played it out to the left for Jesús Dátolo. His cross was met by Júnior Urso's head, who could not direct it on target. 

Second half

The theme from the first half seemed to continue right away. Romero, who had a fine game, once again had the first opportunity of the second 45 minutes. This time, a direct freekick flew dangerously towards the far post and was dealt with in the last second by Victor. 

In the following minutes, some idiotic home fans thought it was a good idea to throw lighters at opposing players. Robinho got hit on the shoulder by one of those objects. The referee had to ask captain Saja to calm down the home crowd enough to be able to execute a corner. 

The Argentine's game improved a little and let to chances from open play as well. Grimi's shot was saved by a backpaddling Victor, Marcos Acuña's solo run and cross from the left side found no takers in the middle. Atlético Mineiro's offense was fully powered by Robinho and Pratto. The latter had all the chances at the end and just missed with an effort from inside the area. 

Up and down the pitch, the game was really entertaining in the second half and saw Lisandro López miss the best chance of them all. The experiences striker fired his shot against the near post. Saja made one more magnificent save on the other side, stopping Urso from getting his goal.

Analysis

Both teams had their chances to win this game, none used them. It is very hard to imagine that the second leg will end goalless again with all the chances that were being missed today. So who profits the most from a 0-0 draw? Probably Racing since a scoring draw away in Brazil would be enough for them. Striker Diego Milito might even return into the lineup to add some valuable experience on that day. 

Robinho and Pratto looked really good as Mineiro's up-front partnership, constantly supported by Urso's runs. At home, they still have every chance to advance.

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Marco Rubén sinks Grêmio at home

After having won their group on the last matchday, Rosario Central had to travel first before playing the second leg on home turf. Their opponent: Grêmio Porto Alegre. 

Central players celebrate their goal. (Photo: Conmebol)

The Brazilians had collected seven points at home during the group stage, while Central managed to mount six away points. A pretty even game was to be expected.

Personnel

The main man returning into the lineup for the Argentine team was undoubtedly Marco Rubén. The top striker had been rested in the previous meeting with Nacional in Montevideo. Grêmio made two changes from their 1-0 win over Toluca. Geromel and Bobô were replaced by Bressan and Ecuadorian striker Miller Bolaños.

First half

Battles between Brazilian and Argentine sides are always something special in this competition and Central seemed to be the team dealing better with the pressure from the get-go. Yet the first opportunity fell to the home team when Miller Bolaños was played through and had the goalkeeper Sosa out of position. Victor Salazar had tracked the run nicely though and was there to bail out his team. 

14 minutes into the game, we saw the only goal. You have to say "at least there was one" these days, right? Of course it was Marco Rubén putting the ball into the back of the net. A long ball was hit forward by Central that reached his striking partner Germán Herrera. Herrera somehow scrambled the ball over to Rubén that just banged it home into the near side. It surely was not the most pretty goal, but it left Marcelo Grohe no chance. 

While Grêmio ended up with 55% of the possession, they did not make enough out of it. Two shots at the end of the night was an extreme disappointment for coach Roger and his team. After a corner, the most dangerous player of the evening Bolaños skied an attempt way over the crossbar from short distance. 

Before the end of the first half, Rubén could have made it two with a lovely lob over the head of Grohe who stood a little too far from his goal. The Argentine's shot his the crossbar and bounced back out.

Second half

The goalscorer had to stay in the dressing room for the start of the second half. Marco Rubén had picked up a slight knock and was replaced by youngster Giovani Lo Celso. This fact obviously did not help Rosario Central and their offense. They lost their target man up front.

Fans in Porto Alegre that expected their home team to step up and make the most out of their freshly gained advantage were left disappointed though. A single shot from distance produced a little danger during the second 45 minutes, fired low by Douglas. Sosa made a good save to his left. Additionally, a header from substitute Bobô was denied by Sebastián Sosa again.

Analysis

Central are going home with a huge advantage, before playing the second leg in the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito. They have all the options in the world and will probably receive some nice counter chances against a Brazilian side that needs to score at least twice in Argentina.

Rubén should be ready to go for the second leg and set up a quarterfinal appearance for Rosario Central. They would meet the winner of Atlético Nacional vs Huracán.

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Nacional unlucky in draw with Corinthians

The Copa Libertadores round of 16 continued last night with three matches. In Montevideo, Nacional hosted Corinthians to build a good base for the second leg. It did not fully work out for them.

The captains with the refereeing team before kickoff. (Photo: nacional.uy)

Copa Libertadores nights are always special ones. Under the floodlights of Gran Parque Central, Uruguay's champion produced a decent performance against the favourite from Brazil. Only little detail that was missing at the end was the goalscoring. Yet another game ended 0-0 in the last few days. 

Personnel

Not many personnel changes were needed as Gustavo Munúa trusted the team that beat Fénix in the league with one exception. Santiago Romero returned from his yellow card suspension and replaced Felipe Carballo in central midfield. Corinthians rotated back a lot of regulars into the side that had been left out against Cobresal. 

First half

Nacional started the game on the front foot trying to assert their home team advantage. A bit of a mess in front of Cássio's goal had the goalkeeper scrambling, but his teammates finally managed to knock it clear for him. On the other side of the pitch, a freekick created first danger for Esteban Conde's goal as Romero headed back towards his own keeper, who ended up making a comfortable save though. 

As time went on, it turned into an all-Uruguayan affair. Chances from Nico López (10', 15', 27') were either denied by a solid Cássio or went wide. The biggest chance of them all the last one, when López was wide open in the area and knocked it past the goalkeeper, but also past the goal. 

Midfield engine Romero had a good chance at the other end about half an hour into the game, but his powerful header went flying over the bar. It went to the break tied at zero.

Second half

The second 45 minutes were a little slower when it comes to big chances. Nacional kept their previously won control of the game and left Corinthians no room to attack. 

Sebastián Fernández' header came close again (64'), nicely assisted by Leandro Barcia's cross from the right side. Cássio made the save, but only into the middle where his defenders had to help him out again before López could reach the ball. 

70 minutes in, Cássio did really well on the line then, making a good save on Mauricio Victorino's header following a freekick. It turned out to be the last big chance of the evening, because Corinthians' substitutes did not have the impact coach Tite was hoping for. Marlone and Ángel Romero both scored twice against Cobresal, but were non-existent in the home team's strong back four.

Analysis

On the day it was Nacional who were deserving of the victory for certain. They had all the chances, threatened throughout the game with dangermen López and Fernández. At the end, Cássio and a little luck kept them from taking a big advantage with them to Brazil next week. 

While Corinthians' back line had a lot more on their hands than Nacional's, the Uruguayans did really well and still did not concede a goal against a Brazilian side this season (1-0 over Palmeiras twice). If they can reproduce a similar performance away next week, they have every chance to advance, especially when scoring an away goal. 

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Huracán steal draw from heavy favourites

When the best remaining team plays against the worst, you would think it ends with a clear result. Not so much last night: Huracán managed to come away with a goalless draw against Atlético Nacional.

José San Román defends the ball against Jonathan Copete. (Photo: weltsport.net)

Both teams had already met twice in the group stage and while Huracán's home game on matchday 1 ended in a 0-2 loss, the two teams tied 0-0 a week ago. Right from the get-go, the game developed into a pretty chanceless affair. Each team lost a lot of balls going forward and did not really get it done in the final third. 

First Argentine danger was generated on the right wing. Cristian Espinoza was played through with a lovely pass through the still unbeaten (!) Colombian back line, but his cross was not met by anyone in the middle. Next up was experienced midfielder Daniel Montenegro. Following a corner from the left, he reached the ball and tried to hit the far post with a low shot. It went through many legs and produced some trouble for Franco Armani, but the goalkeeper made the save at the end. 

In the aftermath of that scene, Nacional captain Alexander Mejia could have easily been sent off after purposely running into Ramón Abila and knocking the big striker down. He only collected a yellow card and was allowed to continue. 

Not much was seen by the best team of the group stages during the first half and it did not surprise anyone that an Argentine team would go to the halftime break with a 0-0 scoreline after the past weekend. Orlando Berrío probably had the best opportunity for Atlético Nacional, but his header went quite a bit wide. 

The second half started like the first one ended: relatively eventless. About 70 minutes into the game, the visitors finally got a little better and controlled possession more the way they are able to. Alejandro Guerra defended the ball well in midfield and fired a shot from inside the centre-circle. Marcos Díaz had paid attention and caught the ball without any problems though. 

The last chance of the game was very likely the best one. After Luis Carlos Ruiz had headed a long ball further into the run of Berrío, the right midfielder had broken into the opposing penalty area. Díaz was out quickly narrowing down the angle and did well to make the save with his feet after Berrío had tried to nutmeg him. 

At the end of the night, a goalless draw was the right result for a match that simply did not deserve a winner. Atlético Nacional could not replicate the form from their past six outings, but retain a big advantage. Seven games into the Copa Libertadores campaign, they still have not conceded a single goal. It should come in handy at home, even if a 1-1 draw would be enough for Huracán due to the away goal.

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Táchira surprise Pumas with home win

The Copa Libertadores round of 16 started with two games last night. Over in Venezuela, Deportivo Táchira was visited by Pumas UNAM.

Yuber Mosquera celebrates with his teammates. (Photo: Conmebol)

Venezuela's champion had a big task ahead of them as the Mexicans had been the second best team of the group stage points-wise. Early on in the game, you could not see anything from the favourite with Táchira pouring on the pressure. A first spectacular effort from Edgar Pérez was parried away by Pumas goalkeeper Alejandro Palacios. Wilker Ángel had the chance to score the opening goal from the following corner, but his header went over the crossbar. 

An extremely happy and bouncy dog was the reason for a little stoppage that seemed to help Pumas collect themselves. They finally arrived in the game offensively, yet should have been down to 10 men quickly. Alejandro Castro's foot landed in the region where it hurts the opponent the most, but remained on the field without even a yellow card. 

Pumas' top scorer Ismael Sosa (5 goals in the competition already) had the first better opportunity then, but his shot from distance flew over the bar as well. Fidel Martínez' attempt from a bad angle was saved comfortably by young Venezuelan goalkeeper José Contreras. The match was a relatively even one now and went to the break tied at zero. 

Deportivo Táchira might have felt a little unlucky, considering they had the bigger opportunities early on and could not convert them. They did not wait long to do so in the second half. After just 50 minutes, a cross from the far left by Carlos Cermeño was met by Yuber Mosquera's lovely left-footed touch and landed in the back of the net. The surprise was on with a Venezuelan 1-0 lead!

Pumas, quite obviously, tried to do more offensively, but struggled to produce any real goalscoring opportunities against the concentrated Táchira backline. Instead it was José Miguel Reyes who should have doubled the lead. He stood wide open in front of the goal and made a complete mess of a perfect low cross. 

After 69 minutes, Pumas lost their 11th man they should have lost way earlier. Marcelo Alatorre could not stop the counter in fair fashion and brought down Pérez for his second yellow card. Things would not get easier for the Mexicans this way. The game ended without any further significant chances and the surprise win for Venezuela's campeon.

One needs to conclude that Táchira's home strength is absolutely impressive. All four games being played in Venezuela were won by Carlos Maldonado's team, including against these same Pumas in the group stages. On the other side, Pumas has every chance to turn the tie around at home as well. In each of their three home games, they scored 4 goals. Táchira will need an outstanding effort in Mexico to stand a chance of advancing to the quarterfinals.

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Cerro Porteño catch Santa Fe on finish line

Cerro Porteño have caught Santa Fe on the finish line to the round of 16 the past evening. In the last round of Group 8, Paraguay's champion of early 2015 beat the Colombians by a score of 1-0.

Goalscorer Alonso (#4) celebrates with his teammates. (Photo: Conmebol)

All Santa Fe needed in the legendary Estadio Defensores del Chaco was a draw, but they ended up making it impossible for themselves as bad discipline killed any chance of the current Copa Sudamericana champion. 

The game started off with a first chance for Cerro Porteño, when Junior Alonso fired a shot that was parried away for a corner by opposing goalkeeper Robinson Zapata. Not long after, Santa Fe went down to ten men only 20 minutes into the game. Leyvin Balanta had come up with his second clear yellow card and could not complain about the referee's decision. It was hardly a mean to help his away team reach their needed result in Asunción. 

Unsurprisingly, it was punished soon after by an aggressive, but disciplined enough Paraguayan side. Sadly for Santa Fe, bad came to worse and goalkeeper Zapata made an awful error, basically directing a cross from Junior Alonso into his own net. While Cerro had attacked well on the left wing, the end result left the visitors down disappointed. 1-0 after 34 minutes.

Finally, towards the end of the first half, the 10 Colombians tried to get on the offense a little. Now they needed a goal and Cristian Borja's cross found the foot of Baldomero Perlaza in the middle. The attempt of the young midfielder was saved comfortably though by Antony Silva. Going to halftime, it was Santa Fe that had it all to do in the next 45 minutes.

That was exactly what they tried coming out of the dressing rooms. Coach Gerardo Pelusso made a change that saw striker William Palacio come onto the pitch in the team's hopes to produce more danger up front. Through Luis Sejias, the guests collected their first shot of the second half, but he slipped during his attempt and had it go wide all the time. Shots from distance was a theme now, because both teams failed to get into the last third decisively and accordingly bemoaned a lack of quality scoring opportunities. 

At least until Luís Leal got by a defender with a decent move and fired a shot right at Zapata, who cleared it into the middle. Jonathan Santana had an empty Colombian net and put the chance wide. I cannot tell you how he did it. After an hour, Santa Fe hit the self destruction button for the second time tonight. Yerry Mina produced an incredibly dumb elbow to the head on Cerro's Guillermo Beltrán on the way to the corner flag. 

Despite their lackluster discipline, 9-men Santa Fe had two more huge chances to equalize in the game, firstly through Sergio Otalvaro. The right full-back had made his way down the pitch and suddenly was played through by his teammate and found himself all alone in front of Silva. Instead of shooting, he cut into the middle towards two defenders that made their way back until then. In the end, captain Carlos Bonet cleared the danger admirably. 

A second opportunity came from substitute William Palacio's head after a dangerous freekick had exposed Cerro Porteño's defense yet again. Antony Silva reacted quickly to clear the danger yet again. Logically, the home team received a lot of room to counter as the Colombians threw everything forward towards the end. Big chances from Jorge Rojas and Beltrán went begging though. It did not matter anymore, as the referee blew his full-time whistly without any further scary moment for the Paraguayans. 

Cerro Porteño win 1-0 and therefore advance to the round of 16 along with Corinthians, while Santa Fe have to watch the games from home. A little disappointing campaign for the Sudamericana holders that were surely hoping for more out of this relatively doable group.

Ángel Romero scored twice for Corinthians. (Photo: Conmebol)

Corinthians themselves ended the group stages with a fun outing against Cobresal. The poor Chileans got smacked 6-0 in São Paulo. 

Six goals were a little much to handle for Cobresal, who only celebrated their first three points a week ago against Cerro Porteño. Chile's champion was not even bad, but the Brazilian group winners just brutally effective. 

It did not take Corinthians long to build a two-goal lead on the night. Marlone made it 1-0 after just nine minutes with a powerful (and free) header following a corner, Ángel Romero struck four minutes later with a fantastic solo run, making countless defenders look silly in the process. 

In the stages after the two goals, Cobresal had quite a few chances to get back in the game, but were either denied by goalkeeper Cássio or could simply not finish themselves. Instead, after 39 minutes, it was Corinthians who struck for the third time, an absolutely amazing side volley from Marlone that you need to see below. Right on the stroke of halftime, Guilherme Arana's shot from distance added a fourth Brazilian goal to the mix.

The second half was relatively even until Corinthians decided to score another two in quick succession. Lovely team buildup and an even better finish into the near side high corner from Elías (75') made it 5-0, before Ángel Romero scored his second of the night (77') through converting a speedy low cross from the right.

Obviously, the Brazilians deserved their win last night and the fans got to see an exciting game with chances on both ends. Corinthians were dominating in chance usage.

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