2 September 1961 - Vamos Valderrama

On 2 September 1961, midfielder Carlos Valderrama was born in Santa Marta, Colombia. He went on to become the national team's appearance leader with 111 caps.

Nicknamed "El Pibe" (the Kid) and easily recognized for his bushy blonde perm, Valderrama started his career with Unión Magdalena in 1981. By 1985, he was with Deportivo Cali and made his national team debut in a 3-0 loss to Paraguay and went on to captain the team for three successive World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998).

In the 1990 World Cup, he provided the assist for a stoppage-time equalizer against West Germany to send Colombia into the Round of 16 for the first and only time. He retired from international play after the 1998 tournament, having made a record 111 appearances.

Two years before that, he became one of the high-profile signings for the new American league, MLS, joining the Tampa Bay Mutiny for the league's first season in 1996. He later played for the Miami Fusion (1998), had another spell with Tampa Bay (1999-2000), and then one for the Colorado Rapids (2001-02) before retiring as the league's second-ranked all-time assist leader with 114 (he has since dropped to fourth in the assist table after being passed by Landon Donovan and Brad Davis).

28 June 1999 - Palmeiras Get Their Hands On The Cup

On 28 June 1999, Palmeiras won their first (and to date only) Copa Libertadores, beating Deportivo Cali on penalties. The win concluded Brazil's domination of the tournament in the 1990s, with six out of ten titles.

Palmeiras had to go through two Brazilian teams to reach the final, including defending champions Vasco da Gama in the Round of 16 and rivals Corinthians in the quarterfinals. They then beat River Plate over two legs in the semifinals to advance to the final. Meanwhile, Deportivo Cali reached the final over Colo-Colo, Bella Vista, and Cerro Porteño.

The final was played over two legs, with Deportivo Cali winning 1-0 at home thanks to a 42nd-minute goal from striker Víctor Bonilla. For the second leg, the teams met at the Estádio Palestra Itália in São Paulo, where a crowd of 32,000 gathered to watch.

After a scoreless first half, Palmeiras went ahead with a penalty kick in the 65th minute, but Deportivo Cali equalized five minutes later with a penalty kick of their own. Penalties would go on to decide the title, after Palmeiras forward Oséas Reis dos Santos scored the final goal of regulation in the 76th minute to level the series at one win each. From there, the match went into a shootout, which Palmeiras won 4-3.

2 September 1961 - Vamos Valderrama

On 2 September 1961, midfielder Carlos Valderrama was born in Santa Marta, Colombia. He went on to become the national team's appearance leader with 111 caps.

Nicknamed "El Pibe" (the Kid) and easily recognized for his bushy blonde perm, Valderrama started his career with Unión Magdalena in 1981. By 1985, he was with Deportivo Cali and made his national team debut in a 3-0 loss to Paraguay and went on to captain the team for three successive World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998).

In the 1990 World Cup, he provided the assist for a stoppage-time equalizer against West Germany to send Colombia into the Round of 16 for the first and only time. He retired from international play after the 1998 tournament, having made a record 111 appearances.

Two years before that, he became one of the high-profile signings for the new American league, MLS, joining the Tampa Bay Mutiny for the league's first season in 1996. He later played for the Miami Fusion (1998), had another spell with Tampa Bay (1999-2000), and then one for the Colorado Rapids (2001-02) before retiring as the league's second-ranked all-time assist leader with 114.

28 June 1999 - Palmeiras Get Their Hands On The Cup

On 28 June 1999, Palmeiras won their first (and to date only) Copa Libertadores, beating Deportivo Cali on penalties. The win concluded Brazil's domination of the tournament in the 1990s, with six out of ten titles.

Palmeiras had to go through two Brazilian teams to reach the final, including defending champions Vasco da Gama in the Round of 16 and rivals Corinthians in the quarterfinals. They then beat River Plate over two legs in the semifinals to advance to the final. Meanwhile, Deportivo Cali reached the final over Colo-Colo, Bella Vista, and Cerro Porteño.

The final was played over two legs, with Deportivo Cali winning 1-0 at home thanks to a 42nd-minute goal from striker Víctor Bonilla. For the second leg, the teams met at the Estádio Palestra Itália in São Paulo, where a crowd of 32,000 gathered to watch.

After a scoreless first half, Palmeiras went ahead with a penalty kick in the 65th minute, but Deportivo Cali equalized five minutes later with a penalty kick of their own. Penalties would go on to decide the title, after Palmeiras forward Oséas Reis dos Santos scored the final goal of regulation in the 76th minute to level the series at one win each. From there, the match went into a shootout, which Palmeiras won 4-3.