March 1 – Brazil’s Fluminense claimed their maiden Recopa Sudamericana on Thursday with a 2-0 victory against Ecuador’s Liga de Quito to overturn a 1-0 defeat from the first leg.
John Arias was on target twice in the second half for the Rio club, who played part of the second half with ten men after the sending-off of John Kennedy in the 79th minute of a tie that unites the champions of Copa Libertadores and the winners of the Copa Sudamericana.
Fluminense had never won the South American super cup and went into the second leg under pressure following a 1-0 loss in Ecuador, but at the Maracana, they exorcised their demons against a combative Quito side.
Fluminense lost both the 2008 Copa Libertadores and the 2009 Copa Sudamericana finals against Quito.
“LDU is a great team,” said Arias. “They wanted to paralyse the game. But I’m happy for the goals, for achieving this title that rewards everything we’ve done since last year with winning the Libertadores.”
Much of Fluminense’s late drama was self-inflicted because the hosts failed to pick up the pace early and spent the first half playing without creativity, struggling to find space. LDU had set out to mark and defend, protecting their lead from the first leg.
The introductions of Kennedy, Marcelo, Renato Augusto and Douglas Costa injected more pace and urgency into Fluminense’s game to set up the victory. It was the 31st career title for the former Real Madrid player.
Last season, Marcelo and Fluminense won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in the club’s history, defeating Boca Juniors on home soil. That victory ensured the Rio club will play in the expanded 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
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