This would make up for all the losing.
Rey de Copas. The King of Cups. That’s Independiente de Avellaneda’s nickname, a title earned for being seven-time winners of the Copa Libertadores (suck it, Santander), more than any other club in South America.
The shine on that title has faded lately, as the Red Devils haven’t won the Libertadores since 1984, and haven’t won any international cups since 1995. The fans have been clamoring for another title for years, and the opportunity is finally here in the form of South America’s Other Cup, the Copa Sudamericana.
Independiente threw all its eggs in the Sudamericana basket this season, trotting out reserve squads to play league matches so the starters would be fresh for the midweek cup ties. The result is that Los Diablos are 17th in Argentina’s Apertura league.
But who cares? We’ve got a fancy new cup to win! Wait, who are we playing?
Independiente’s opponents are Brazilian super-minnows Goiás Esporte Clube, who somehow managed to eliminate Big Phil’s Palmeiras in the semifinals. Maybe when Goiás fans threw a radio at his head, they were saying “this is what you get when you mess with us.”
Goiás have sacrificed even more than Independiente to reach this final. They’ve been relegated to the 2nd division after finishing this year’s Brasileirao league one point from the bottom of the table. The Copa Sudamericana is all they have left to play for, and would be the greatest achievement in the club’s history.
Goiás players exchanging handbags.
While Independiente was on the road to Goiania Monday for the away leg, two Goiás players started a brawl in practice. Rafael Moura, the Emerald Green’s top striker, got upset with 19 year old midfielder Rithely over a contested ball, and they had to be separated. Independiente’s camp is hopeful that this is indicative of problems within the Brazilian squad, but Goiás brushed it off.
According to forward Otacilio Neto, “what happened doesn’t mean anything and it isn’t the first time it happened. The players already made up.”
CONMEBOL has added an interesting wrinkle to the final by refusing to award double points for away goals as a tiebreaker at the end of regulation. Independiente relied heavily on tiebreaking away goals in the quarterfinals and semifinals in order to get past Deportes Tolima and LDU Quito. Now, if the aggregate score is tied at the end of the second leg in Buenos Aires, they go to extra time and the dreaded penales.
As always in South America, there’s a possibility of SASIC extracurriculars tonight. The 400+ Independiente fans who traveled to Goiania have been instructed to show up at the team hotel prior to the match so they can be escorted to the Serra Dourada stadium by police in order to avoid any clashes with the locals.
Although pleased to be playing the second leg at home a week from today, Independiente will have to win their 16th cup title in the stadium of their hated Avellaneda rivals, Racing Club, which is conveniently located across the street. Independiente’s stadium was suspended after a fan did this to Defensor Sporting’s keeper.
Watch the first leg tonight at 7 on Fox Deportes (if you get that), or find a web stream of ill-repute. It makes a great appetizer for Terriers at 10 p.m., only on FX!
Man, that’s some dedication to a cup competition–getting relegated/almost relegated just to make it to the final.
We need expert relegation analysis from the newly relegated James T.
TFA can’t relegate me from my own blog!
/do you know who I am’d
Also, OM: isn’t that more or less what Pompey did a couple of years ago?
@ JT: That’s who I was thinking about. Going down with the ship, went ahead and blew it out with a final party @ Wembley.
Wait – their punishment for braining an opposing goalkeeper is to play across the street in a roughly equal stadium? SASIC!
I guess the only difference was–looks like Independiente was sending out their reserves for the league and holding the 1st XI for this tournament, whereas all Pompey had near the end were reserves to play both league and cup.
And I do find myself liking the image of that cup for some reason…
@berg: I should have posted a pic, but check it on Google Maps. You could almost literally throw a stone from one stadium and hit the other one.
It is a pretty sweet trophy.
Since SASIC I could see someone taking that ball out of the trophy and bludgeoning someone with it.
Or Gareth Bale could just stomp around and bludgeon people with his donkeycock.
Uh oh, Goias up 2-0 22′ in. King of Cups in trouble.
Now Independiente down to 10 men in the 58th, still down 2-0.
Ya this isn’t looking good for Independiente.
Is this 2 legged? (Gareth Bale is 3 legged)
@ TNO: Yes, 2 legs, and per BG’s post, no weight to away goals.
Oh, that was almost the 3rd for Goias. 78th min
2-0 final; Independiente have some work to do for the home tie.
So, is the Copa Sudamericana kind of like the Europa League? Only with more crazy?
So bummed with this result, though Independiente’s coach is optimistic that they can turn it around at home. We’ll see.
@Ryan: Not really, because it’s not made up of rejects from the Libertadores. It’s just a second cup they play in the spring (our fall) to generate more revenue. The winner does get a spot in next year’s Libertadores, though.