The weather forecast promises sunshine for the entire week. That’s how the Cariocas, the residents of Rio de Janeiro, like it. Fortunately, the beach in the Copacabana district is now free of camping and singing Argentines again. Last week, almost 100,000 football fans from the unloved neighboring country traveled to the cidade maravilhosa, the wonderful city, most of them in coaches or their own cars, without tickets for the Estadio Maracanã and without accommodation.
It was similar in 2014 at the World Cup, and people in Brazil’s tourist metropolis remembered that. Rio’s city administration pulled out the operational plans from back then to deal with the rush again. Once again, the guests, who were decried as rowdy, were assigned the Sambódromo, the grandstand street for the carnival parades, as a meeting place.
At the World Cup, which will soon be ten years ago, the German national team finally put an end to the Argentinian fiesta; this time it was the local Fluminense Football Club that triumphed in extra time. In a thrilling final of the Copa Libertadores, the South American Champions League, the Tricolores deservedly defeated Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires 2-1 (1-1, 1-0) on Saturday night. It is the first international title for Rio’s oldest club, founded 102 years ago in the elegant Laranjeiras district, which is also home to the country’s first cement stadium.
Most Argentinians got back on the Micros, as they call the buses, immediately after the final whistle; the journey home takes at least three days. The defeat hurts, but not as much as it did five years ago, when the six-time title holders had to bow to city rivals River Plate in a duel that was moved to Madrid after riots in Buenos Aires.
Cavani has to be replaced at Boca
Coach Jorge Almirón can count the fact that he reached the final this time with a predominantly inexperienced team as a success. His protégés were unable to win a game in the round of 16, quarter-finals or semi-finals; after a draw, the blue-yellow team advanced three times on penalties, a favorite exercise of former national goalkeeper Sergio Romero.
Once again, the 35-time Argentine champion had little more to offer than great fight and the fading aura of striker Edinson Cavani, 36, from Uruguay, who was substituted injured. In the end, Argentina’s most read daily newspaper, Clarín, bowed to a “great rival, worthy of the title and the just winner.”
Brazil’s dominance continues, it is their fifth triumph in a row. Last year, Flamengo, Fluminense’s rival, was rejoicing, but this time it failed spectacularly despite having the biggest budget and now wants to stabilize itself with former national coach Tite.
Fluminense’s shooting king scores more goals than the entire Boca team
Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world, is the economic engine of South America, and the football clubs there also have more money than their competitors. The best Argentinian professionals who don’t play in Europe have hired in Brazil. The very best at Fluminense: shooting king Germán Cano scored his 13th goal in the twelfth game of this Copa Libertadores (1-0, 36th) in front of 69,000 spectators against his compatriots, without a penalty. That’s more goals than the entire Boca team.
They were at least able to equalize after the break (Luis Advíncula, 72nd), which intensified the singing duels between the two groups of supporters.
But like Joachim Löw in the same place in 2014, Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz was able to pull out a joker. Similar to how the then German national coach swore in Mario Götze on the sidelines, Diniz did the same with his attacking talent John Kennedy. And the 21-year-old, whose father admires the former US president and therefore chose the name, decided the final with a powerful shot in the 99th minute after coming on as a substitute (80th). Then he tore off his jersey, celebrated himself in the fan corner – and received a yellow-red card. A stupidity that went unpunished. Boca also lost a man due to a sending off and tried in vain to equalize again. “What a relief,” said Kennedy, “I was really nervous.” After the final whistle, he danced the samba while Diniz climbed over the barricade and took a dip in the red, white and green sea of fans.
Open detailed view
Boca Juniors fans after their team lost the Copa Libertadores final against Brazilian team Fluminense.
(Photo: Gustavo Garello/dpa)
“I will enjoy this victory very much,” said the 49-year-old. It is his first major title. The man with the wonderfully old-fashioned, dark green training pants is fashionable as a trainer in Brazil because he focuses on offensive combination football. In December he wants to show it at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
In two weeks, however, there will be another comparison with Argentina in the Maracana to overcome. Diniz is currently also the interim coach of the Brazilian national team, and they will be hosting the world champions in the World Cup qualifiers in two weeks. As many guests as this time are not expected in Rio de Janeiro, but a certain Lionel Messi is expected to come.
2023-11-05 14:33:39
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