Fluminense completes its revenge

Brazilian Fluminense, who lost two titles at the Maracaná against the Ecuadorian Liga de Quito, beat their executioner 2-0 on Thursday with a double from Colombian John Arias, avenging tough defeats and winning the Recopa title South American

The Rio team, champion of the Libertadores, needed at least a two-goal advantage to win the title after losing 1-0 in their visit to the Sudamericana champion, and they achieved it in a match in which they pressed at all times but that it is only effective in the last 15 minutes.

Fluminense finally avenged the humiliating defeat it suffered against the Ecuadorian team in the finals of the continental tournaments played at the Maracaná, the Libertadores in 2008 and the Sudamericana in 2009.

Urged to win by at least two goals, Fluminense began to press from the first minute, with Arias on the left wing and Keno on the right supplying balls for Germán Cano.

But in the first half the tricolor abused the passes and lacked depth and speed against an Ecuadorian team that preferred to defend itself in search of a draw that would give the title and followed the regulations to waste time and slow down the game progress. match.

Fluminense almost opened the scoring in the 10th minute, first with a deep pass from Ganso that Samuel Xavier failed to connect with and then with a shot from Ganso that released Martinelli in front of the goalkeeper, but was shot the midfielder passes the ball above the arc.

Estupiñán responded with a counterattack where he cleared André and had to be stopped by a foul from Diogo Barbosa as he approached Fabio’s goal.

Cano had his first clear scoring chance in the 31st minute when he took advantage of a rebound from Quintero, but Domínguez was able to save his powerful shot. A few minutes later it was Ganso’s turn, where Domínguez deflected the ball which he elegantly placed outside the area.

With five remaining before half-time, Cano squandered another clear chance by only receiving inside the area and going unmarked but not forcing a kick.

At the start of the second half, Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz replaced defender Felipe Melo with young attacker John Kennedy, one of his main scorers and scorer of the Libertadores title goal, to bolster the attack.

Kennedy began to unbalance the game quickly, first with a weak header, then with a powerful shot from inside the area that scraped the crossbar and then with a header also inside the area that also went close .

Fluminense, completely renewed with three changes, attacked Domínguez’s goal like a storm, but the Ecuadorian club, cornered, managed to build a wall and deny all three colored attempts.

The Liga coach, Adrián Gabbarina, who replaced Josep Alcácer because the Spaniard does not yet have a license from Conmebol, sent Paraguayan Alex Arce, the scorer of the only goal in the first leg, onto the field to re- -renewed his attack.

But at that moment Fluminense’s pressure paid off and Arias, with an accurate header after receiving an assist from Samuel Xavier, opened the scoring in the 75th minute.

The joy of the locals was short-lived as John Kennedy was sent off for stepping on Zambrano while he was on the floor, a foul confirmed by VAR.

But with 4 minutes remaining Valverde brought down Renato Augusto at the entrance to the area and his play was penalized. Arias was in charge of collecting and scoring the title goal almost in the last minute.

The advantage was maintained despite a confusing end to the game with three expulsions and many arguments.

– Data sheets:

2. Fluminense: Fabio; Samuel Xavier (m.84, Guga), Felipe Melo (m.46, John Kennedy), Thiago Santos, Diogo Barbosa (m.66, Marcelo); André, Matheus Martinelli, Paulo Henrique Ganso (d.66, Renato Augusto); Keno (m.66, Douglas Costa), Jhon Arias and Germán Cano.

Coach: Fernando Diniz.

0. Quito League: Alexander Dominguez; José Quintero, Ricardo Adé, Richard Mina, Leonel Quiñónez; Oscar Zambrano (m.93, Estrada), Ezequiel Piovi, Sebastián González (m.81, Joel Alzugaray), Jefferson Valverde (m.94, Villamil); Luis Estupiñán (m.70, Jhojan Julio) and Jan Hurtado (m.70, Alex Arce).

Instructor: Adrian Gabbarina.

Goals: 1-0, m.75: Arias. 2-0, m.89: Arias, penalty.

Referee: Argentine Facundo Tello sent off John Kennedy, Samuel Xavier and Diogo Barbosa, as well as Gabbarina, and cautioned Quintero, Thiago Santos and Jhojan Julio.

Incidents: second leg match for the final of the South American Cup Winners’ Cup played at Maracaná stadium in Rio de Janeiro before 61,217 spectators.