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Rain Forces Postponement of Libertadores and Sudamericana Matches
CONMEBOL has rescheduled a Copa Libertadores group stage match and a Copa Sudamericana game, both originally scheduled for this week, due to heavy rains and flooding in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The Competition and Operations Directorate of CONMEBOL announced on Saturday that the match between Chilean side Huachipato and Gremio, scheduled for Wednesday, May 8th, in Libertadores Group C, has been postponed.
Likewise, a Sudamericana fixture between Real Tomayapo and Internacional (Group C), slated for Tuesday, May 7th, will be rescheduled.
The South American football governing body justified the decision citing the state of emergency declared on May 2nd by Rio Grande do Sul due to the intense rains that have left Porto Alegre virtually isolated.
CONMEBOL added that the "Salgado Filho International Airport is flooded, and its operations are suspended indefinitely."
Additionally, access roads to and from Porto Alegre's airport are "affected and unusable."
CONMEBOL announced that new match dates will be communicated promptly.
Throughout Rio Grande do Sul, a region of 11 million people bordering Argentina and Uruguay, the floods and landslides caused by the rains have led to 128 total or partial road closures on 61 highways.
In total, regional authorities estimate 317 affected municipalities and 510,585 affected individuals, among whom 82,000 have had to evacuate their homes.