Two headed goals by Mauricio Affonso and two crucial saves by Gino Santilli secured Cerro Largo's spot in the Copa Sudamericana group stage on Thursday, as they defeated Danubio 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.

A Back-and-Forth Battle

The team managed by Danielo Núñez took the lead through Affonso, who scored the opener in the 20th minute after an assist from Joaquín Hernández. He then doubled the advantage with a powerful header from a well-executed corner kick by Federico Medina.

However, Danubio responded in the second half with a goal from Evelio Cardozo in the 49th minute, bringing them back into the match. In the final moments, VAR awarded a penalty, allowing former Málaga striker Sebastián Fernández to convert from the spot in the 86th minute, leveling the score.

Penalty Shootout Heroics

After letting their lead slip away, Cerro Largo had to secure their qualification from the penalty spot. Nicolás Bertocchi, Alan Di Pippa, Julián Contrera, and Leandro Otormín all converted their attempts, with Otormín executing a daring Panenka-style shot, reminiscent of legendary finishes from Antonín Panenka, Zinedine Zidane, and Sebastián Abreu.

For Danubio, Sebastián Fernández, Juan Millán, and Santiago Romero found the net, but missed attempts by Enrique Femia and Mateo Peralta proved costly. In both cases, Gino Santilli came up big, making crucial saves to seal a historic victory for Cerro Largo, securing their first-ever spot in the Copa Sudamericana group stage.

Joining them in the tournament will be Racing de Montevideo, who also advanced after eliminating Montevideo Wanderers in a penalty shootout, thanks to their goalkeeper’s heroics in stopping two decisive shots.