Fluminense beat Boca Juniors 2–1 in the Copa Libertadores final.
John Kennedy aired his 2-1 winning goal moments before the red card. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
The Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro is probably the most important futsal arena in the world.
Within it, both Brazil’s (1950) and Argentina’s (2014) World Cup dreams have come crashing down to a stinging final defeat.
On Saturday, it was once again the scene of a value match, when the dominance of the South American club team was decided in the final match of the Copa Libertadores.
The table version of the Champions League has been a celebration for Brazilian clubs in recent years, as Palmeiras and Flamengo had shared the last four championships between them.
This year too, three brass clubs and Boca Juniors made it to the semi-finals. However, the pride of Buenos Aires cleared Palmeiras’ way in the tough competition and thus secured the dream final with Fluminense.
Cano scored the winning goal
Several Eurofootball familiars stepped onto the Maracanã turf, including the Boca skipper Marcos Rojo was suspended on the sidelines.
The Xeneize combo started cautiously, giving the home team the initiative for free. Boca’s experienced top man Edinson Cavani not enthusiastic to press practically at all, and Fluminense swarmed the attacks of the five-time Champions League winner (Real Madrid) Marcelo’s through.
The passivity backfired in the 36th minute, when the Flu pier Keno played the ball nicely to the back For Germán Cano. The 35-year-old Argentinian didn’t hesitate and hit the ball into the Boca net with the first shot.
Coming from the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Cano, like all Argentines, dreams of one day playing in the blue and white shirt of the national team. However, no head coach invited the striker to the camp.
He traveled to the World Cup in Qatar with his family as a fan.
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Germán Cano from Argentina scored the opening goal of the final. PDO
On Saturday, he got to see the Albiceleste coaches.
Romero has bad memories
Boca bag Sergio Romero was also on the Maracanã turf in 2014, when Mario Götze decided the World Cup gold for Germany with his overtime volley.
This time, too, he had to pick the ball out of the net – now it was only delivered there by his own compatriot.
In the second period, the head coach of the visiting team Jorge Almiron clearly increased the intensity of the press, and Boca Juniors was clearly better able to enter the final.
Peruvian star Luis Advíncula leveled the game in the 72nd minute when the Fluminense defense packed in front of their own goal, leaving Advíncula too much time and space.
The contribution of the match was visible on the field, when neither team wanted to take risks. Because of that, no solution was seen during the 90 minutes, and the final went to a dramatic extra time in a 1-1 situation.
A winning goal and a run out
In the 99th minute, Keno dropped the ball to a substitute player For John Kennedy to the border of the penalty area. The 21-year-old brass striker scored the most important goal of his life when his half-volley went like a missile into the back bottom corner.
After that, however, John Kennedy’s emotions got the better of the player. The youngster forgot that he had received a warning at the end of regular time for a dangerous play. In the emotional storm of the winning goal, he went to air his hit among the team’s own fans.
Colombian judge Wilmar Roldan gave the attacker a yellow card for the second time and immediately after that a red as a sign of sending off.
That didn’t end up being the last statistic of overtime either, because Roldan was still invited to watch var videos compatriot Frank Fabran from open-handed fishing Flu skipper Nino cheek.
Fabra also saw red and the match continued with a draw.
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The second period of extra time did not produce any more goals, and thus Fluminense was able to celebrate the first Copa Libertadores victory in its history.
It will also go to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in December to fight with Manchester City for the club world championship.