Author: Serg Atrakhov, Vishwajit Sawant
FORTALEZA (Bra) – Libertad Asuncion (Par) – 1:1
Losing 0-1 in Paraguay, Libertad had a very active first half at the Castelão. In the 15th minute, the visitors leveled the aggregate score, but the referee disallowed the goal due to an offside position. That didn’t affect the Asunción team’s spirits. In the 44th minute, Hector Villalba played a precise pass to Mathias David Espinoza Acosta – 1-0. Referee Facundo Tello verified the legitimacy of the goal… and the teams went into the break with the score at 1-1 on aggregate.
In order not to take the matter to a penalty shoot-out, Fortaleza began to press on Silva’s doorstep. In the 58th minute, Zé Welison hit the crossbar with a long-range shot. In the 69th minute, Marinho hit the left post and, in the 77th minute, he also scored a goal that was disallowed. The plot came to a head in the 88th minute. Ivan Piris committed a foul on the penalty line and was shown a straight red card. Marinho sent the ball straight into the “nine” 1:1 with a magnificent strike. Libertad had around 12 minutes added on by the referee to take the match to a penalty shoot-out. But instead it was down to nine when Nestor Rafael Gimenez Florentin was shown a straight red. In the quarter-finals, Fortaleza will play the winner of the América-MG-Red Bull Bragantino match.
Newell’s Old Boys (Arg) – CORINTHIANS (Bra) – 0:0
Corinthians booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana despite a goalless draw with Newell’s Old Boys. Down 1-2 after the first leg, the Argentinians stepped up their attack, while Corinthians relied on counter-attacks and defensive stability. The game showed a reserved line-up for Corinthians, and goalkeeper Cássio’s slight discomfort and crowd disturbances led to a delay in the second half. In the quarter-finals, the team will face Estudiantes.
DEFENSA Y JUSTICIA (Arg) – Emelec (Ecu) – 1:0
After a 2-1 away win in the first leg, Defensa y Justicia beat Emelek again. The hosts had plenty of chances to score. In the 25th minute, Togni hit the crossbar from a free-kick and, in the 34th minute, Cardona scored from an offside position. In the second half, Nicolas Fernandez hit the post again after a corner. Finally, in the 62nd minute, David Barbona made it 1-0 under the rules. The Ecuadorians created just one moment of danger: in the 50th minute, Diego Gonzalo Garcia Cardozo hit the post. Defensa y Justicia will face Botafogo in the quarter-finals.