Final of the Copa Libertadores 2023: Boca Juniors 1

John Kennedy, with a great goal in extra time, gave the Brazilians the victory (1-2) in a great match at Maracaná

Boca brought out their pride and caste to force added time, but they lacked football to win the Seventh

Fluminense broke its historic jinx and was crowned, for the first time in its history, ‘King of America’. He did it in a big way, winning 1-2 with a last goal from John Kennedy in extra time. The setting was unbeatable: his Maracaná, where he escaped defeat in the 2008 final against LDU on penalties. And the opponent even magnified its conquest: Boca Juniors, which has the most fearsome brand on the continent, and which, although it invaded the streets and beaches of Rio de Janeiro with tens of thousands of fans, offered a version that was too earthly and Therefore, you will have to delay the wait to reach ‘La Séptima’.

The triumph of the Tricolor in the Libertadores, which expands the dominance of the Brazilian clubs with their fifth consecutive title, is the coronation of ‘Dinizismo’, the football proposal of his coach, Fernando Diniz(who combines the position with that of coach): a purely offensive, tactically groundbreaking proposal, which, through asymmetry, enhances good treatment of the ball.

This was a marked card final, among the top scorer of the tournament (the Flu had 22) against the most solid defense (only five goals conceded by the xeneizes), but who did not have their ‘kaiser’, Red discharge due to sanction.

And the staging showed the Brazilians monopolizing possession of the ball, more than 70% from the first minutes, setting the tempo, being proactive and shrinking a Boca, reactive and, in many phases, dwarfed, betting everything on fitting a long ball to They digYo.

And the non-negotiable idea of ​​the Flu, which on this occasion was not exuberant due to the importance of the duel, had its reward with a first goal from Germán Cano (min. 36.) in an elaborate action and with the eleven Boca footballers in their defensive plot. I said no, After a good combination on the left flank, he crossed for the competition’s top scorer to finish from the penalty spot.

Xeneize arrived with assisted breathing at half-time. Jorge Almirón brought order to the troops and injected self-esteem. And, in the second half, the roles were exchanged. The Flo abdicated the principles of him. He agreed to bail out to let the minutes pass and he paid dearly, it almost cost him the match and the title.

Boca believed it and tied with a great goal from Peruvian Advíncula, with a great left footed shot from outside the area (min. 72′). It was his fourth goal in the tournament.

The final went to extra time, because the side Diogo Barbosa He wasted the ball in the final in stoppage time, with a poorly calibrated cross shot. His ruling was mitigated because John Kennedy, who had entered in the 79th minute, scored a great goal, with which he said goodbye to the game, because he saw the second yellow because he went to the stands to celebrate with the ‘torcida’. He arrived, decided and left, all at the speed of light. He was the hero of the game.

With one more, Boca would have twenty minutes to, at least, tie and go to penalties, from which they had already qualified in the three rounds of the tournament… but Fabra He lost his head and slapped the center back Nino and was sent off with the help of the VAR.

In a second part of extra time with a Boca thrown on Fabio’s goalthe Cariocas knew how to suffer and deservedly took the game and their first continental crown on a night in which ‘old rockers’ like Felipe Melo and the ex-Madridista Marcelo.