Showing posts with label Estudiantes de la Plata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Estudiantes de la Plata. Show all posts

Monday, October 16, 2017

16 October 1968 - United Gets Taken To School

On 16 October 1968, Estudiantes won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Manchester United over a contentious two-legged final.

By winning the previous season's Copa Libertadores, Estudiantes earned the right to face Manchester United, the reigning European Cup champions. They met for the first leg in Buenos Aires on 25 September, with the hosts eking out a narrow 1-0 victory in a match that saw United midfielder Nobby Stiles get ejected and striker Bobby Charlton receive a blow to the head that required stitches.

Despite that result, United were favorites going into the second leg at Old Trafford three weeks later, where a crowd of 63,500 gathered for the event. But they quickly fell behind when Estudiantes forward Juan Ramón Verón scored in just the seventh minute. The situation grew worse for United when striker Denis Law received an injury and had to come off in the 43rd minute, replaced by Carlo Santori.

Tempers flared in the second half as both teams had a player ejected--George Best for United and José Medina for Estudiantes--in the 88th minute. Willie Morgan drew the home team level in the 89th minute, but they could not find another goal and Estudiantes won on points.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

14 June 1931 - The La Plata Derby Turns Pro

On 14 June 1931, Estudiantes and Gimnasia played the first La Plata derby of the professional era, which ended as a 1-1 draw.

Gimnasia are the older club, dating back to 1887, while Estudiantes came along much later in 1905, but the two teams did not play each other until 1916, when Gimnasia won 1-0 thanks to an Estudiantes own goal. The balance of power soon shifted to the younger team, however, and they amassed a record of five wins for Estudiantes, three for Gimnasia, and five draws as amateurs (two of Gimnasia's wins were due to forfeits).

After Argentinian football turned professional in 1931, Gimnasia hosted the first derby, a league match in the top flight which ended as yet another draw. That remains the most common result in the derby, with a record of 49 Gimnasia wins, 56 Estudiantes wins, and 57 draws in a total of 162 matches.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

19 February 2009 - They Were Just Saving Their Strength For Later

On 19 February 2009, Estudiantes got their Copa Libertadores campaign off to an inauspicious beginning, losing 3-0 to Cruzeiro in the group stage. They later rallied, however, and ended up getting their revenge in the final.

The Argentinians nearly missed out on the tournament altogether after losing to Sporting Cristal 2-1 in the first leg of their qualification round. But they won the second leg 1-0 and advanced thanks to their away goal.

Their first match of the group stage was away to Cruzeiro, played before a crowd of almost 34,000 at the Mineirão. There, after holding the hosts to a scoreless draw in the first half, they conceded a 63rd-minute penalty which was converted by Cruzeiro left back Fernandinho. That goal opened the floodgates, as substitute striker Kleber scored twice more in the next ten minutes, first beating the keeper from a tight angle with a low ball to the far post (69'), then getting the ball past him in a one-on-one (72') to finish the match at 3-0.

Estudiantes won the rematch 4-0 in La Plata and advanced to the knockout rounds as group runners-up behind Cruzeiro. They beat Libertad, Defensor Sporting, and Nacional to reach the final, where they again faced Cruzeiro and won 2-1 on aggregate to claim their fourth Copa Libertadores title (their first since 1970).

Saturday, October 22, 2016

22 October 1969 - It's Like They Went To A Fight And A Match Broke Out

On 22 October 1969, AC Milan won their first Intercontinental Cup in a match that one paper described as "the culmination of all that is evil in international club soccer."

It was the second leg of the competition between European Cup champions Milan and Copa Libertadores winners Estudiantes. The Argentinians faced an uphill battle, as the Intercontinental Cup had just moved away from a points system to an aggregate score model and the Italians had won the first leg 3-0 in Milan.

The return leg at La Bombenera became hostile even before the opening kick-off: Estudiantes players kicked balls at the visiting team during warm-ups and some of the 45,000 spectators reportedly dumped hot coffee on the Milan players as they took the pitch. But the situation grew worse in the 17th minute, as Milan striker Pierino Prati--who had scored a hat-trick in Milan's 4-1 win over Ajax in that year's European Cup--suffered a mild concussion and was briefly unconscious. He managed to play on until the 37th minute, when he was replaced by Giorgio Rognoni.

By that time, Milan had extended their aggregate lead to 4-0 with a 30th-minute goal from captain Gianni Rivera. It wasn't all good for Rivera, though, who was on the receiving end of a punch from Estudiantes goalkeeper Alberto Poletti. Poletti also delivered a kick to the face of Milan's Argentina-born French striker Nestor Combin (pictured), who suffered a broken nose and cheekbone thanks to an elbow from Estudiantes defender Ramón Aguirre Suárez. (Combin ended up spending the night in jail, charged with evading obligatory Argentinian military service, but eventually managed to convince the authorities that he had completed his service in France, where he was a citizen).

Estudiantes managed to score twice before the break (including a goal from Suárez), but were unable to close the gap and lost 4-2 on aggregate.

Afterward, faced with harsh criticism from the international football community, including the Guardian report quoted above, the Argentine Football Association issued several punishments: Poletti received a lifetime ban, Suárez got a 30-game suspension and a five-year international ban, and defender Eduardo Manero received a 20-game suspension and a three-year international ban. All three of them were arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Friday, September 9, 2016

9 September 1970 - Van Daele Seals The Deal

On 9 September 1970, Feyenoord won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Estudiantes 1-0 in the final's second leg. It was the fourth international trophy for the Rotterdam club, who have since won three more.

Feyenoord qualified for the competition by winning the European Cup over Celtic six months earlier. Around the same time, Estudiantes won their third Copa Libertadores, beating Peñarol in the final to set up the meeting with Feyenoord.

The Argentinians took an early 2-0 lead in the first leg, played on 26 August at La Bombanera in Buenos Aires, but Feyenoord clawed their way back in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw. In 1969, the tournament had moved away from a points system to decide the winner by aggregate score, including the away goals rule, so the draw put Feyenoord into a good position to win the final.

Playing before a home crowd at De Kuip in Rotterdame, Feyenoord relied on defense to hold the visitors to a scoreless draw in the first half. Sensing an opportunity to attack in the second half, Feyenoord manager Ernst Happel replaced striker Coen Moulijin with Joop van Daele (pictured at right), who rewarded the coach's faith by scoring the day's only goal to give Feyenoord the win, 2-3 on aggregate.

The trophy came in the midst of Feyenoord's most successful period, coming on the heels of that European Cup win and victories in the Intertoto Cup (1967, 1968) and followed by another Intertoto Cup (1973) and the UEFA Cup (1974).

Friday, July 15, 2016

15 July 2009 - The Students Become The Masters

On 15 July 2009, Estudiantes won the Copa Libertadores, beating Cruzeiro over two legs. The title was their fourth, coming 39 years after their third.

The Argentinian club had dominated the competition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning three straight titles in 1968, 1969, and 1970. They also made it the Final in 1971, but lost to Nacional. Cruzeiro, meanwhile, had also done well, winning the tournament in 1976 and 1977, as well as finishing as runners-up in 1977.

The two teams met at the start of the 2009 tournament in the group stage. They split their two meetings, with Cruzeiro winning the first 3-0, then Estudiantes winning the second 4-0. The Brazilians went on to top the group, with Estudiantes close behind in second place.

Estudiantes hosted the first leg of the final on 8 July, resulting in a scoreless draw. For the second leg, they played at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte before a crowd of 65,000. The first half was another close--and physical--contest, as the teams again failed to score while accumulating a total of three yellow cards (one for Cruzeiro and two for Estudiantes). Cruzeiro took a second-half lead with a 52nd-minute goal from midfielder Henrique, but Estudiantes quickly equalized when forward Gastón Fernández found the net five minutes later.

The visitors started to dominate the midfield, with Juan Sebastián Verón orchestrating the attack. It paid off in the 72nd minute, as Estudiantes forward Mauro Boselli provided the winning score. Verón was named man of the match for his efforts.

The win placed Estudiantes fourth in the list of most Copa Libertadores titles, behind fellow Argentinian clubs Independiente (7) and Boca Juniors (6), as well as Uruguayan club Peñarol (5).

Saturday, December 19, 2015

19 December 2009 - Barça Ends A Banner Year

On 19 December 2009, Barcelona won a record 6th trophy for the calendar year, using an extra-time goal to beat Estudiantes in the Club World Cup.

That year, Barcelona had already won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Supercup, and the UEFA Champions League, matching Liverpool's haul of 5 trophies in 2001. The Champions League victory qualified them for the Club World Cup, which included the champions of 5 other confederations and the UAE's Al-Ahli, who qualified as hosts.

Both Barcelona and Estudiantes entered the competition at the quarterfinal stage, with the Catalan side beating Mexico's Atlante and the Argentinians defeating South Korean team Pohang Steelers to set up their meeting in the Final.

Although Barcelona were heavily favored, a driving header from center forward Mauro Boselli put Estudiantes ahead in the 37th-minute. Despite constant pressure from Barcelona, the underdogs held on and looked to have secured victory when, with one minute left, Barça pulled level with a header of their own from forward Pedro.

Lionel Messi, that year's Ballon d'Or winner, provided the deciding goal in extra time, receiving a long cross and slipping the ball under Estudiantes keeper Damien Albil in the 110th minute. Two days later, Messi was named the FIFA World Player of the Year.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

29 November 1904 - Héctor, The Nacional Hero

On 29 November 1904, former Uruguayan international forward and manager Héctor Castro was born in Montevideo.

Nicknamed El Manco ("The Maimed") because he accidentally amputated his right forearm with an electric saw at the age of 13, Castro began his professional career in 1923 with Montevideo's Club Nacional, with whom he won the 1924 Uruguayan championship. In 1926, he started a successful run with the Uruguayan national team, winning the 1926 version of the international tournament that would later be known as the Copa América and the 1928 Olympics

He also earned honors in the 1930 World Cup, memorably scoring the last goal in Uruguay's 4-2 win over Argentina in the Final (pictured above).

He left Nacional in 1932 for Argentinian club Estudiantes, but returned to Nacional 1933 and won another national title before retiring as a player in 1936. In 1939, Castro returned to Nacional as manager, winning four consecutive Uruguayan championships (1940-43) before retiring in 1943. He returned for another season in 1952 and led the club to yet another Uruguayan title.

Castro passed away in Montevideo on 15 September 1960 at the age of 55.

Friday, December 27, 2013

27 December 1966 - The Death Of Guillermo Stábile

On 27 December 1966, Argentina star player and manager Guillermo Stábile died at the age of 61.

A center forward, he joined Huracán as a youth player in 1920, then played there professionally from 1924 to 1930. In that time, he scored 102 goals in 119 appearances, winning the Primera División title in 1925 and 1928.

In the summer of 1930, he participated in the inaugural World Cup, getting his first cap against Mexico in Argentina's second match of the tournament. He scored a hat-trick en route to a 6-3 victory, followed by a brace in the next game against Chile as Argentina topped their group. He scored two more against the United States in the semifinals, then netted in the final against Uruguay. Although Argentina lost that match 4-2, Stábile's eight goals made him the tournament's top scorer.

His performance attracted the attention of Genoa, where he played from 1930-34 before moving to Napoli for the 1934-35 season. he returned to Genoa briefly in 1935, then closed out his playing career with Red Star Paris, serving as player-manager from 1937 to 1939 when he left to manage Argentina.

As manager, he guided the national team to six South American Championships between 1941 and 1957 and the Panamerican Championship in 1960. While in charge there, he also took the reins of several different clubs, including San Lorenzo (1939-40), Estudiantes de la Plata (1940-41), Hurancán (1940-49), and finally Racing Club (1949-60), whom he led to three league titles.

In 1960, he stepped down to become the director of Argentina's national school of football, holding that post until his death in 1966.



Sunday, August 4, 2013

4 August 1905 - The Literal Translation Seems A Bit Misleading

On 4 August 1905, Estudiantes de la Plata were founded and went on to become one of Argentina's most successful clubs, with six league titles and four Copa Libertadores trophies.

Led by president Miguel Gutiérrez, the founders broke away from their previous club, Gimnasia y Esgrima, because they believed the latter did not emphasize football enough. They met at a shoe shore in La Plata, where they drew up a charter and elected Gutiérrez, although they did not play their first official match until that November.

They won their first league title in 1913, but enjoyed their most successful period in the late 1960s and early '70s, with another league trophy (the 1967 Metropolitano), the 1968 Intercontinental Cup, the 1969 Interamerican Cup, and three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles from 1968 to 1970 (they finished as runners-up in 1971).

A relatively fallow period followed, but Estudiantes rose to the top again in the 2000s, winning the Apertura in 2006 and 2010 and a fourth Copa Libertadores in 2009.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

9 June 1971 - Estudiantes Get Taken To School

On 9 June 1971, Nacional won their first Copa Libertadores, beating three-time defending champions Estudiantes in a playoff.

It was the fourth appearance in the final for both teams, but that is where the similarities in their histories ended. Nacional had lost all three of their previous appearances, including a loss to Estudiantes in the 1969 final, while Estudiantes had also won in 1968 and 1970, giving them a perfect record.

The final was played over two legs and decided on points. They met in La Plata for the first leg on 26 May, with Estudiantes taking a 1-0 win. But in the second leg, played in Montevideo on 2 June, Nacional won by the same margin, sending the teams to a playoff to decide the title.

They met at the neutral venue of the Estadio Nacional in Lima, where Nacional again set the margin at 1-0 with a 22md-minute goal from midfielder Víctor Espárrago. They then broke form by adding another from striker Luis Artime, his tournament-best tenth goal, to stretch the final margin to 2-0 and take the trophy from Estudiantes.

Nacional returned to the final twice more, winning it both times (1980, 1988), while Estudiantes made it back in 2009 and won.

Monday, May 27, 2013

27 May 1970 - The Students Become The Masters

On 27 May 1970, Estudiantes de la Plata won their third consecutive Copa Libertadores, beating Peñarol on points after a second-leg draw in Montevideo.

The Argentinians had an unblemished record in the final, winning their two previous appearances, over Palmeiras in 1968 and Nacional in 1969. Peñarol, meanwhile, won the first two titles in 1960 and 1961, then finished as runners-up in 1962 and 1965 before winning it a third time in 1966.

They met for the first leg at Estadio de la Plata, where only an 87th-minute goal from Estudiantes center back/defensive midfielder Néstor Togneri separated the two teams. But it was enough to give Estudiantes two points, which meant they just needed a draw in the second leg to lift the trophy. And a draw is what they got, as the teams played to a scoreless finish at Peñarol's Estadio Centenario. 

It was the first time any team had won three straight tournaments. Estudiantes had an opportunity to get a fourth consecutive title when they returned to the final in 1971, but they lost to Nacional, then Independiente went on to surpass Estudiantes' record by winning four straight from 1972 to 1975.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

22 May 1969 - A Little Easier The Second Time Around

On 22 May 1969, Estudiantes won their second Copa Libertadores, beating Nacional 2-0 in the final's second leg.

The Argentinians had won the previous year's tournament, but it had taken them sixteen matches to do it, including a three-match final against Palmeiras that Estudiantes won in a replay. But as holders, they received a bye into the 1969 semifinals, where they won both games against Universidad Católica by identical scores of 3-1 to reach the final.

There, they faced Nacional, who had reached the final twice before, but lost to Argentinian teams both times (Independiente in 1964 and Racing in 1967). They played a full thirteen-game schedule to get there a third time, giving them a distinct disadvantage against the well-rested Estudiantes side.

Nacional hosted the first leg in Montevideo on 15 May and lost 0-1 to a 66th-minute goal from Eduardo Flores. In the second leg in La Plata one week later, Flores scored again to put Estudiantes up 1-0, then Marcos Conigliaro stretched the margin to 2-0 in the 37th minute and complete the victory.

Estudiantes went on to win the competition again in 1970, becoming the first team to lift the trophy in three consecutive years.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

16 October 1968 - United Gets Taken To School

On 16 October 1968, Estudiantes won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Manchester United over a contentious two-legged final.

By winning the previous season's Copa Libertadores, Estudiantes earned the right to face Manchester United, the reigning European Cup champions. They met for the first leg in Buenos Aires on 25 September, with the hosts eking out a narrow 1-0 victory in a match that saw United midfilder Nobby Stiles get ejected and striker Bobby Charlton receive a blow to the head that required stitches.

Despite that result, United were favorites going into the second leg at Old Trafford three weeks later, where a crowd of 63,500 gathered for the event. But they quickly fell behind when Estudiantes forward Juan Ramón Verón scored in just the seventh minute. The situation grew worse for United when striker Denis Law received an injury and had to come off in the 43rd minute, replaced by Carlo Santori.

Tempers flared in the second half as both teams had a player ejected--George Best for United and José Medina for Estudiantes--in the 88th minute. Willie Morgan drew the home team level in the 89th minute, but they could not find another goal and Estudiantes won on points.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

14 June 1931 - The La Plata Derby Turns Pro

On 14 June 1931, Estudiantes and Gimnasia played the first La Plata derby of the professional era, which ended as a 1-1 draw.

Gimnasia are the older club, dating back to 1887, while Estudiantes came along much later in 1905, but the two teams did not play each other until 1916, when Gimnasia won 1-0 thanks to an Estudiantes own goal. The balance of power soon shifted to the younger team, however, and they amassed a record of five wins for Estudiantes, three for Gimnasia, and five draws as amateurs (two of Gimnasia's wins were due to forfeits).

After Argentinian football turned professional in 1931, Gimnasia hosted the first derby, a league match in the top flight which ended as yet another draw. That remains the most common result in the derby, with a record of 49 Gimnasia wins, 56 Estudiantes wins, and 57 draws in a total of 162 matches.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

16 May 1968 - Estudiantes Were Quick Learners

On 16 May 1968, Estudiantes beat Palmeiras in a playoff to win the first of three consecutive Copa Libertadores trophies.

They qualified for the tournament--their first--by finishing as runners-up in the Argentina Primera División behind Independiente. But they beat their league rivals twice in the cup's first round and twice more in the second on their way to the final.

There, they met Palmeiras in what was scheduled as a two-legged tie, home and away. Estudiantes won the first match, played in La Plata on 2 March, by the score of 2-1, but lost the second 3-2 in São Paulo to set up a playoff at the neutral venue of Montevideo's Estadio Centenario.

There, a crowd of 55,000 turned out to see Estudiantes take a 1-0 lead with a goal from forward Felipe Ribaudo in the 13th minute. Their defense managed to stifle the Palmeiras attack, which included Tupázinho, the tournament's leading scorer with 11 goals, then Estudiantes forward Juan Ramón Verón delivered an 82nd-minute strike to seal the 2-0 victory.

Estudiantes followed the win by beating Manchester United in that year's Intercontinental Cup, then repeated as Copa Libertadores champions in 1969 (over Nacional) and 1970 (over Peñarol). In 2009, they won it for a fourth time, beating Cruzeiro.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

19 February 2009 - They Were Just Saving Their Strength For Later

On 19 February 2009, Estudiantes got their Copa Libertadores campaign off to an inauspicious beginning, losing 3-0 to Cruzeiro in the group stage. They later rallied, however, and ended up getting their revenge in the final.

The Argentinians nearly missed out on the tournament altogether after losing to Sporting Cristal 2-1 in the first leg of their qualification round. But they won the second leg 1-0 and advanced thanks to their away goal.

Their first match of the group stage was away to Cruzeiro, played before a crowd of almost 34,000 at the Mineirão. There, after holding the hosts to a scoreless draw in the first half, they conceded a 63rd-minute penalty which was converted by Cruzeiro left back Fernandinho. That goal opened the floodgates, as substitute striker Kleber scored twice more in the next ten minutes, first beating the keeper from a tight angle with a low ball to the far post (69'), then getting the ball past him in a one-on-one (72') to finish the match at 3-0.

Estudiantes won the rematch 4-0 in La Plata and advanced to the knockout rounds as group runners-up behind Cruzeiro. They beat Libertad, Defensor Sporting, and Nacional to reach the final, where they again faced Cruzeiro and won 2-1 on aggregate to claim their fourth Copa Libertadores title (their first since 1970).

Saturday, October 22, 2011

22 October 1969 - It's Like They Went To A Fight And A Match Broke Out

On 22 October 1969, AC Milan won their first Intercontinental Cup in a match that one paper described as "the culmination of all that is evil in international club soccer."

It was the second leg of the competition between European Cup champions Milan and Copa Libertadores winners Estudiantes. The Argentines faced an uphill battle, as the Intercontinental Cup had just moved away from a points system to an aggregate score model and the Italians had won the first leg 3-0 in Milan.

The return leg at La Bombenera became hostile even before the opening kick-off: Estudiantes players kicked balls at the visiting team during warm-ups and some of the 45,000 spectators reportedly dumped hot coffee on the Milan players as they took the pitch. But the situation grew worse in the 17th minute, as Milan striker Pierino Prati--who had scored a hat-trick in Milan's 4-1 win over Ajax in that year's European Cup--suffered a mild concussion and was briefly unconscious. He managed to play on until the 37th minute, when he was replaced by Giorgio Rognoni.

By that time, Milan had extended their aggregate lead to 4-0 with a 30th-minute goal from captain Gianni Rivera. It wasn't all good for Rivera, though, who was on the receiving end of a punch from Estudiantes goalkeeper Alberto Poletti. Poletti also delivered a kick to the face of Milan's Argentina-born French striker Nestor Combin (pictured), who suffered a broken nose and cheekbone thanks to an elbow from Estudiantes defender Ramón Aguirre Suárez. (Combin ended up spending the night in jail, charged with evading obligatory Argentinian military service, but eventually managed to convince the authorities that he had completed his service in France, where he was a citizen).

Estudiantes managed to score twice before the break (including a goal from Suárez), but were unable to close the gap and lost 4-2 on aggregate.

Afterward, faced with harsh criticism from the international football community, including the Guardian report quoted above, the Argentine Football Association issued several punishments: Poletti received a lifetime ban, Suárez got a 30-game suspension and a five-year international ban, and defender Eduardo Manero received a 20-game suspension and a three-year international ban. All three of them were arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Friday, September 9, 2011

9 September 1970 - Van Daele Seals The Deal

On 9 September 1970, Feyenoord won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Estudiantes 1-0 in the final's second leg. It was the fourth international trophy for the Rotterdam club, who have since won three more.

Feyenoord qualified for the competition by winning the European Cup over Celtic six months earlier. Around the same time, Estudiantes won their third Copa Libertadores, beating Peñarol in the final to set up the meeting with Feyenoord.

The Argentinians took an early 2-0 lead in the first leg, played on 26 August at La Bombanera in Buenos Aires, but Feyenoord clawed their way back in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw. In 1969, the tournament had moved away from a points system to decide the winner by aggregate score, including the away goals rule, so the draw put Feyenoord into a good position to win the final.

Playing before a home crowd at De Kuip in Rotterdame, Feyenoord relied on defense to hold the visitors to a scoreless draw in the first half. Sensing an opportunity to attack in the second half, Feyenoord manager Ernst Happel replaced striker Coen Moulijin with Joop van Daele (pictured at right), who rewarded the coach's faith by scoring the day's only goal to give Feyenoord the win, 2-3 on aggregate.

The trophy came in the midst of Feyenoord's most successful period, coming on the heels of that European Cup win and victories in the Intertoto Cup (1967, 1968) and followed by another Intertoto Cup (1973) and the UEFA Cup (1974).

Friday, July 15, 2011

15 July 2009 - The Students Become The Masters

On 15 July 2009, Estudiantes won the Copa Libertadores, beating Cruzeiro over two legs. The title was their fourth, coming 39 years after their third.

The Argentinian club had dominated the competition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning three straight titles in 1968, 1969, and 1970. They also made it the Final in 1971, but lost to Nacional. Cruzeiro, meanwhile, had also done well, winning the tournament in 1976 and 1977, as well as finishing as runners-up in 1977.

The two teams met at the start of the 2009 tournament in the group stage. They split their two meetings, with Cruzeiro winning the first 3-0, then Estudiantes winning the second 4-0. The Brazilians went on to top the group, with Estudiantes close behind in second place.

Estudiantes hosted the first leg of the final on 8 July, resulting in a scoreless draw. For the second leg, they played at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte before a crowd of 65,000. The first half was another close--and physical--contest, as the teams again failed to score while accumulating a total of three yellow cards (one for Cruzeiro and two for Estudiantes). Cruzeiro took a second-half lead with a 52nd-minute goal from midfielder Henrique, but Estudiantes quickly equalized when forward Gastón Fernández found the net five minutes later.

The visitors started to dominate the midfield, with Juan Sebastián Verón orchestrating the attack. It paid off in the 72nd minute, as Estudiantes forward Mauro Boselli provided the winning score. Verón was named man of the match for his efforts.

The win placed Estudiantes fourth in the list of most Cope Libertadores titles, behind fellow Argentinian clubs Independiente (7) and Boca Juniors (6), as well as Uruguayan club Peñarol (5).