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- LDU Quito Lift Copa Sudamericana Trophy After Penalty Shootout Win Against Fortaleza
LDU Quito Lift Copa Sudamericana Trophy After Penalty Shootout Win Against Fortaleza
Ecuador's Liga de Quito was crowned the new champion of the Copa Sudamericana after defeating Brazil's Fortaleza 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes of play.
An impressive performance by Alexander Domínguez in the penalty shootout allowed Luis Zubeldía's team to regain a title they had last won in the 2009 season.
The goalkeeper stopped three shots and was the standout player in the match held at the Domingo Burgueño Miguel stadium in the Uruguayan city of Punta del Este.
In the initial 90 minutes, a stunning goal by Argentine Lisandro Alzugaray kept the hopes of the Ecuadorians alive, who had fallen behind in the score due to the goal by another Argentine, Juan Martín Lucero.
At the start, Fortaleza directed their attack to the right and relied on the good play of Marinho to disrupt the work of a full-back who always had the support of midfielder Jhojan Julio.
Ecuador's Liga de Quito was crowned the new champion of the Copa Sudamericana on Saturday after defeating Brazil's Fortaleza 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes of play.
An impressive performance by Alexander Domínguez in the penalty shootout allowed Luis Zubeldía's team to regain a title they had last won in the 2009 season.
The goalkeeper stopped three shots and was the standout player in the match held at the Domingo Burgueño Miguel stadium in the Uruguayan city of Punta del Este.
In the initial 90 minutes, a stunning goal by Argentine Lisandro Alzugaray kept the hopes of the Ecuadorians alive, who had fallen behind in the score due to the goal by another Argentine, Juan Martín Lucero.
At the start, Fortaleza directed their attack to the right and relied on the good play of Marinho to disrupt the work of a full-back who always had the support of midfielder Jhojan Julio.
On the other side, Liga de Quito had trouble generating dangerous plays, leading to the striker Paolo Guerrero having to retreat several meters and even move to the sides of the field to receive the ball.
Around the 17th minute, Marinho took advantage of an opponent's mistake in the middle of the field to create one of the best plays of the first half.
But after eluding two rivals, the number 12 of the Brazilian team couldn't finish, and Fortaleza let their first great opportunity slip away.
The Ecuadorians responded with a set-piece play and a header that went over the crossbar. They also came close with a long-range shot by Julio that went wide.
In this manner, with no plays that troubled the goalkeepers Alexander Domínguez and Joao Ricardo, the first part of the final ended in a goalless draw.
At the start of the second half, the stalemate only lasted for three minutes.
Argentine Tomás Pochettino dribbled down the right, delivered the ball to the middle, and Lucero beat his marker to unleash a powerful shot that left Domínguez with no chance and became Fortaleza's first goal.
But the Brazilians' joy was short-lived, as nine minutes later, Argentine Alzugaray leveled the game with a brilliant left-footed goal.
The number 9 had come on at the end of the first half to replace the injured Renato Ibarra, and a few minutes on the field were enough for him to become one of the heroes of the day.
Fortaleza pushed forward to regain the lead and came close to doing so with a powerful shot by Yago Pikachu that was met with a great save by Domínguez.
Number 22 of the Brazilian team had several fans in the stands wearing caps and costumes of the Pokémon character and displayed banners with messages for him.
This was one of the last dangerous plays in a match in which Fortaleza controlled the ball a bit more than Liga de Quito, and both were evenly matched in approaches to the opposing goal.
The 1-1 draw sent the match into extra time, where fatigue caused both teams to lower their intensity.
In the first half of the last 30 minutes, a header by Brazilian defender Tinga and a shot by Guerrero blocked by the opposition defense were the chances generated by both teams.
In the second half, Fortaleza's captain headed the ball again in the opposing area and found Domínguez well positioned.
The score remained unchanged, and five years after the final between Brazil's Athletico Paranaense and Colombia's Junior, the Copa Sudamericana was decided in a penalty shootout.
There, Domínguez was the star. The goalkeeper stopped the shots of Silvio Romero, Pedro Augusto, and Emanuel Brítez to give Liga de Quito a new international title, making them the new champions of the Copa Sudamericana.
On the other side, Liga de Quito had trouble generating dangerous plays, leading to the striker Paolo Guerrero having to retreat several meters and even move to the sides of the field to receive the ball.
Around the 17th minute, Marinho took advantage of an opponent's mistake in the middle of the field to create one of the best plays of the first half.
But after eluding two rivals, the number 12 of the Brazilian team couldn't finish, and Fortaleza let their first great opportunity slip away.
The Ecuadorians responded with a set-piece play and a header that went over the crossbar. They also came close with a long-range shot by Julio that went wide.
In this manner, with no plays that troubled the goalkeepers Alexander Domínguez and Joao Ricardo, the first part of the final ended in a goalless draw.
At the start of the second half, the stalemate only lasted for three minutes.
Argentine Tomás Pochettino dribbled down the right, delivered the ball to the middle, and Lucero beat his marker to unleash a powerful shot that left Domínguez with no chance and became Fortaleza's first goal.
But the Brazilians' joy was short-lived, as nine minutes later, Argentine Alzugaray leveled the game with a brilliant left-footed goal.
The number 9 had come on at the end of the first half to replace the injured Renato Ibarra, and a few minutes on the field were enough for him to become one of the heroes of the day.
Fortaleza pushed forward to regain the lead and came close to doing so with a powerful shot by Yago Pikachu that was met with a great save by Domínguez.
Number 22 of the Brazilian team had several fans in the stands wearing caps and costumes of the Pokémon character and displayed banners with messages for him.
This was one of the last dangerous plays in a match in which Fortaleza controlled the ball a bit more than Liga de Quito, and both were evenly matched in approaches to the opposing goal.
The 1-1 draw sent the match into extra time, where fatigue caused both teams to lower their intensity.
In the first half of the last 30 minutes, a header by Brazilian defender Tinga and a shot by Guerrero blocked by the opposition defense were the chances generated by both teams.
In the second half, Fortaleza's captain headed the ball again in the opposing area and found Domínguez well positioned.
The score remained unchanged, and five years after the final between Brazil's Athletico Paranaense and Colombia's Junior, the Copa Sudamericana was decided in a penalty shootout.
There, Domínguez was the star. The goalkeeper stopped the shots of Silvio Romero, Pedro Augusto, and Emanuel Brítez to give Liga de Quito a new international title, making them the new champions of the Copa Sudamericana.