Alejandro Domínguez, president of Conmebol, and the coveted trophy of the Copa Libertadores. Photo: REUTERS / Agustin Marcarian.
The Copa Libertadores enters definition mode. After a 33-day hiatus, South America’s top continental club tournament resumes action with the first leg of the round of 16among which there will be eight clubs that already know what it means to be champions of this contest and what they will look for the most important prize of the last editions.
In sports, they will be series in which the away goal will not count as a tie-break -a change that has been implemented for this 2022- and that in case of a tie after 180 minutes of play, there will be directly definition with sanctions.
Those who start this Tuesday will be Emelec from Ecuador Y Atletico Mineiro of Brazilwho has never met in Conmebol tournaments.
The Ecuadorian club finished second in group A with 8 pointswhile the Brazilian finished leading the D with 11 units.
Atletico Paranaense from Brazil Y Freedom Protagonist in Curitiba was a game of old acquaintances, because they shared group B in which both joined 10 pointswith the Paraguayan team in the lead.
Boca failed to beat Corinthians in their duels in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Photo: AP / Gustavo Garello.
The same will happen with Corinthians of Brazil and Boca, who already know what it means to win the Libertadores and faced each other in Group E just like this Tuesday. The Xeneizes led with 10 points and the Brazilians second with 9, in a dramatic definition that included Deportivo Cali from Colombia.
The detail is that the Xeneize couldn’t beat the paulistas in theirs two duels of this edition: 2-0 as a guest and 1-1 draw at the Bombonera.
One of the cuckoos is the two-time champion palms, who will visit Cerro Porteno Wednesday in Asunción. Paraguayans are second in group G with 8 points and Verdao, the best of the group stage, leader of zone A with 18.
It will be two crosses between Argentine teamswhich on the one hand will guarantee the presence in the quarter-finals, but will also take away the emotion of having qualified all the AFA representatives in the group stage.
Cordoba workshops Y Columbus of Santa Fe they never crossed paths in Conmebol tournaments. The faces will be seen in Córdoba on Wednesday, after the venue finished second in Group H with 11 points and the main visitor of the G with 10.
Falcioni has included Colón among the 16 best of the Libertadores. Photo Juano Tesone – CLARIN
More story has the series in between Velez Y Rivernot only because they were both champions of the Libertadores, but because the Millionaire have not lost a round of 16 match in this tournament since 2016 and derives from being first in group F with 16 pointswhile Fortín was second to C with 8, in a harrowing definition that did not however validate the interim of Giulio Vaccari.
Gallardo greets the Bear Pratto. Photo MARCELO CARROLL – Clarín
Another unprecedented clash in international tournaments will be that of Deportes Tolima from Colombia and Flamengo from Brazil. The carioca team was born from obtaining group H with 16 pointswhile the Colombian team was second in D with 11.
Coach Ricardo Zielinski led Estudiantes from the qualifying round to the round of 16. Photo: EFE / Sebastiao Moreira.
Thursday will close the round of matches Fortress of Brazil -directed by the Argentine Juan Pablo Vojvoda- e Students of La Platawhich has never met in Conmebol competitions and where Pincha will try to keep her winning streak in the Libertadores, as she comes from the qualifying phase.
In that sense, the team led by Ricardo Zielinski could be the one that takes the most money, if they manage to lift their fifth Libertadores, because they advanced from stage 2 of the standings.
Is that Conmebol, through its president Alejandro Domínguez, has announced that this season will increase the economic prizes. Until last year, the South American entity was distributing $ 229,260,000and now it has risen $ 15,000,000to arrive at a total of $ 244,360,000.
To be champion of the Copa Libertadores de América you have to play a minimum of 13 games: you are in the group stage, two in the round of 16, two in the quarterfinals, two in the semi-finals and the only grand final.
Palmeiras players and coaching staff celebrate in Montevideo, after beating Flamengo and winning the Copa Libertadores. Photo: EFE / Federico Anfitti.
If participation in the qualifying rounds is also added, the total of matches rises to 17. For example, Palmeiras, who are the title holder, have accumulated a total of $ 22,550,000 in 2021.
With the increases announced by CONMEBOL for the 2022 edition, the tournament champion will pocket $ 25,050,000: 600,000 for each match in the group stage, 1,050,000 for the round of 16, 2,000,000 for the quarter-finals, 2,400,000 for the semi-finals and 16,000,000 for the final win.
The runner-up will receive much less money, less than half the winner, as they would be 6,000,000.
Source: Clarin
