The Copa Libertadores Final 2008
Fluminense and LDU Quito Battle For South American Title
So, in addition to the fact that neither team has won the Copa Libertadores, neither team has ever reached the final before. Fluminense has hardly ever flourished in the Copa Libertadores and LDU’s finest hours have been two appearances as semi-finalists as far back as in 1975 and 1976.
In fact, no team from Ecuador has ever won; the country’s best showing so far has been Barcelona of Guayaquil’s final appearances in 1990 and 1998. Could 2008 herald the dawn of a new era?
LDU Quito have the home advantage in the first game, taking their opponents to the altitudes of Quito on June 25 to try and achieve an unassailable lead before facing Fluminense in the heat of Rio de Janeiro on July 2.
Since the teams were drawn into the same qualifying group in the first phase of the competition, there will be no novelty in either Quito’s Estadio Casa Blanca or in the famed Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. In the group stage Fluminense managed a 0-0 draw in the altitude of Quito, a factor that has always traditionally affected the lowland dwelling Brazilians. In the return fixture in Brazil the home side prevailed and defeated LDU 1-0.
While Fluminense are the overwhelming favourites to take the prize, one can never write off a stubborn LDU. Fluminense justify their favourites tag having qualified for the competition by winning 2007’s Copa de Brasil and then in this edition of the Copa Libertadores topped their qualifying group and then through the knock out stages, seeing off Nacional of Colombia, Sao Paulo of Brazil and last year’s winners Boca Juniors of Argentina. This is not only a tour de force for the Brazilian side but shows that they mean business, as once cannot take lightly their dispatching Boca Juniors and Sao Paulo, two teams that have a trophy haul in the last 20 years enough to make any other fan green with envy.
LDU on the other hand have had in addition to their skilled and rapid style of play a gifting hand from lady luck. The side from Quito knocked out Estudiantes and San Lorenzo, both from Argentina, before taking America of Mexico on away goals to reach the final. America perhaps deserved better having been knocked out of the tournament without having lost a game and with the prolific Paraguayan striker Salvador Cabanas adding to his already impressive tally of goals (10 in 2007) in the tournament with 8 in 2008.
Whatever the outcome, 2008 will herald a historic moment in the Copa Libertadores’ history, hopefully the emotion and quality of football that makes the competition one of a kind will deliver us an epic final over its two legs.
