Penarol They signed a 0-0 draw this Thursday in Montevideo against the Brazilian Flamengo for the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores and will play the semifinals of the continental tournament, against Botafogo from Rio de Janeiro.
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Local coach Diego Aguirre approached the game in the same way he had done the previous week in his triumphant visit to Rio de Janeiro: giving the field and ball to Mengao waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. It was risky, but in Brazil it had worked. And he had the advantage of the goal with which he had won at the Maracaná.
With the Uruguayans Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Nicolás de la Cruz Pulling the strings in the midfield, attacking alternately from both ends, through Gerson and the Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata, and with a very mobile Bruno Henrique, Flamengo was clearly dominant throughout the first half.
Much more so than it had been in his own home. And Peñarol stood behind its Champion of the Century further than in Rio: in that first half it was never able to permanently recover the ball or string together any attacking plays. It was the visitor, however, who was bound to offend.
He did it, but he found again – as in the first leg – a wall in the very good Aurinegro goalkeeper Washington Aguerre, rather than in a defense that showed weaknesses when attacked.
The 0-0 score at which the first half ended foreshadowed a second half with an even clearer dominance of the visit. That’s how it was. Coach Tite put everything on the field: he threw Wesley on the side and the scorer Gabriel Barbosa (“Gabygol”), absent in the first leg due to injury.
Peñarol vs. Flamengo.
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Mengao attacked and attacked but the insistence did not translate into the rival network, not even into overly dangerous plays. In the absence of the football they had shown in Rio, Peñarol put in their energy and strength, incessantly encouraged by their faithful fans and driven by Damián García who dressed as a leader and Eduardo Darias who worked like a tractor throughout the game.
Manya was clearly surpassed by the all-star team that is Flamengo, they gave up the offensive but locked in well behind. Time passed. The Champion of the Century roared. And Aguerre saved his goal again, preventing Barbosa from scoring in the 88th.
Peñarol vs. Flamengo.
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In the end Flamengo was a blast, but disorganized and lacking the soul that the aurinegro had plenty of. The final whistle from Argentine Facundo Tello rewarded the team that ultimately did things better. In addition to confirming his paternity over his rival this Thursday (of the five matches in which they faced each other for Libertadores, Peñarol won four, all by 1-0, and tied the remaining one at 0), the coalman once again placed himself in the semifinals of the Cup.
The last time he did it was in 2011, when he also reached the final with the help of Diego Aguirre, which he lost – barely – to Neymar’s Santos. The next obstacle will be another Brazilian, Botafogo, perhaps the best team in the current Libertadores. It will be another story.
SPORTS WITH AFP
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