With news of River’s defeat, Boca went on the field of St. Paul knowing that his reality was quite favorable in terms of the results he had to qualify. Coming to victory, any other goal draw put him directly into Maracana’s definition and wants to take advantage of that advantage. For this, Miguel Angel Russo had a team very similar to that of the first leg except for the incorporation of Jorman Campuzano in the midfield in the place of Nicolás Capaldo, having overcome a physical annoyance that sidelined him from the first leg, but was never in the match. On the other side, Santos was obliged to change John, following the controversy in Argentina for the positive result of his swab, and instead Joao Paulo appeared for a decisive series, being a great figure and avoiding the fall of his bow.
Boca y Santos, for a place in the final. Photo: Reuters
Thus, Boca jumped on the pitch with Esteban Andrada; Leonardo Jara, Lisandro López, Carlos Izquierdoz, Frank Fabra; Eduardo Salvio, Jorman Campuzano, Diego González, Sebastián Villa; Carlos Tevez and Franco Soldano.The local, on his side, did so with Joao Paulo; Para, Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres, Felipe Jonatan; Diego Pituca, Alison, Lucas Braga; Marinho, Kaio Jorge and Yeferson Soteldo.From the locker room, Santos was clear in what he was looking for and that’s how in the first play of the match Marinho topped Andrada’s right stick. With control of the actions, he came out quickly looking for the opening of the scoreboard and after several attempts he was going to reach 15 minutes.
Pituca celebrates Santos’ 1st to 0th before Boca. Photo: Reuters
Pituca received on the edge of the area and opened for Soteldo who, after a hitch, topped and in the middle appeared the hand of Lisandro López, in what was a clear penalty. However, Roldán left the lead and the player who assisted the Venezuelan took the rebound to stamp 1-0 with a crossed shot. Despite Boca’s response, at the end of the first half he ended up suffering the onslating of the place that he was able to take some more and it was for him that he started the second half. Russo bet on Capaldo and Buffarini’s income for Gonzalez and Jara, but when it was only three minutes later, the second one arrived. Salvio lost a ball in the middle of the transition and Soteldo went head-to-head and with a big forehand stamped the partial 2-0 and the lead. At boca’s worst time, at seven in the second stage, Marinho, one of the best in the first half, got in the right and played back for Braga’s third in a three-minute blast.
Soteldo celebrates his beating against Boca. Photo: Reuters
The debacle for the “xeneize” was to arrive exactly five minutes after the goal. Fabra was committing an offence on Marinho and on top of that he stepped on his abdomen watching the red one directly within 57 minutes. However, despite the lesser man, Boca had his chances for the discount but Joao Paulo showed off, as did Andrada in some interventions to avoid the role. In this way, Santos and Palmeiras will define the Copa Libertadores 2020 in a new edition of Brazilian final, the third in history, to be played in the mythical Maracaná. For Argentine football, the novelty is that it is the first time in history that Boca and River lose in the semi-finals of the same edition, although they will already have a rematch in 2021.
