February 2 – A dramatic injury-time header from substitute Breno Lopes crowned Palmeiras Copa Libertadores champions for a second time with a 1-0 victory over Brazilian rivals Santos after a final that failed to ignite until stoppage time.
Conmebol were again forced to tweak the final of their flagship tournament with the match played behind closed doors at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. Even so, 5000 spectators – a mix of fans, dignitaries, corporate invitees and observers – were in attendance. They were all seated in the main stand leading to scenes that didn’t respect social distancing. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also flew in to attend the match.
The match delivered high drama late on in a repeat of the 2019 final when Flamengo came from behind to defeat River Plate 2-1, but few will remember this final as a classic.
The final was simply too tepid and cautious with the conditions playing their part.
The Brazilian club calendar has been overloaded with fixtures since the global pandemic dictated a reshuffle of the fixtures list and Palmeiras were playing their 55th game since July, an extraordinary number even by Brazilian standards. They still have the two-legged Brazilian Cup final to come, which has now been pushed back further to accommodate Palmeiras’ participation in the Club World Cup in Qatar later this week.
The heat of high summer in Rio de Janeiro didn’t help either. At 5pm in the afternoon, conserving energy was always going to be the sensible option in a high-stakes match.
Santos coach Cuca shored up the midfield with the introduction of Sandry to battle both the conditions and Palmeiras, a team with a quick transition and lethal counterattacks. Predictably, Palmeiras took the risk-free approach: sitting back and absorbing the Santos pressure.
Not that the youngsters from Santos mustered much in the final third. The front three of Marinho, Kaio Jorge and Yefferson Soteldo failed to reproduce the incision and panache of their 3-0 semifinal win over Boca Juniors.
With the match turning into a stalemate, Cuca gambled, bringing on Braga to free the attack. In response, Palmeiras introduced Breno Lopes and it was the youngster whose looping header found the back of the Santos net in the 10th minute of injury time.
Tempers had become frayed in stoppage time when coach Cuca was sent off after a touchline squabble with Palmeiras right-back Marcos Rocha. The pair won the 2013 Copa Libertadores together with Atletico Mineiro. Cuca’s dismissal precipitated a loss of concentration from his team allowing Rony the space to cross with pinpoint precision for Breno.
With the dramatic injury-time goal, the Sao Paulo giants ended a 22-year long wait. They last won the Copa Libertadores in 1999, defeating Deportivo Cali from the penalty spot. Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira became the fourth European coach to win the South American competition.
As losing finalists Santos will receive $6 million from Conmebol, a much-needed relief for the cash-strapped seaside club. Palmeiras’ total earnings from the competition rose to $22,5 million, with $15 million in prize money coming from the final alone.
Palmeiras will now go on to represent South America in the 2020 Club World Cup which kicks off on Thursday. The Brazilians will face the winners of the second-round match between Concacaf champions Tigres UANL from Mexico and Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1714132187labto1714132187ofdlr1714132187owedi1714132187sni@o1714132187fni1714132187