2023-11-04 23:09:04
A cannon shot by John Kennedy in the first extra time gave Fluminense the first crowning in its history in the Copa Libertadores, with a 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors.
The Rio team extended the hegemony of the Brazilians, who through Flamengo and Palmeiras had won the last four editions of the competition.
Diogo Barbosa elevated a forward pass towards Keno, who was on the edge of the area and served with his head back for Kennedy to finish with a furious right foot that beat goalkeeper Sergio Romero. In his celebration, the scorer invaded the stands to hug the fans, which earned him the second yellow card and the red one.
But Boca did not even enjoy numerical superiority. In the agony of the first extra time, Colombian Frank Fabra was sent off for hitting the face of an opponent. The Brazilian team knew how to manage the advantage in the second additional time and was proclaimed South American champion, in turn preventing the Xeneize team from winning the competition for the seventh time.
Likewise, Fluminense became the eleventh Brazilian team to win the tournament. The Tricolor had already reached this stage in 2008, when they lost the title against Liga de Quito.
The extension became necessary after the 1-1 draw in regular time of the match played at Maracaná.
In the emblematic venue of Rio de Janeiro, Fluminense imposed its possession game in the first period and transferred its dominance to the scoreboard in the 35th minute. Keno created a wall with Jhon Arias on the right wing and his cross found the unmarked Germán Cano in the area, who scored with a precise first-time shot.
The Argentine forward scored 13 goals in the Libertadores and confirmed himself as the top scorer of the current edition.
Boca came out more aggressively in the second half and achieved the tie in the 72nd minute. Luis Advíncula crossed diagonally from the right side and scored with a tight left foot shot from the edge of the area.
The Peruvian winger scored four of the Xeneizes’ 13 goals in the tournament.
In the final stretch of regulation time, Miguel Merentiel, with a long shot by Boca, and Diogo Barbosa, with an arrival into the area by Fluminense, were close to breaking the tie and avoiding overtime.
In extra time, Fluminense scored the championship goal in the 99th minute through a powerful shot by Kennedy, who was close to going from hero to villain due to the expulsion. But Fabra’s attack on Nino left both teams with 10 men.
Boca launched the attack in the final minutes, but Fluminense had the clearest chance in a counterattack that Guga finished with a shot against the post.
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