Following their 1-0 defeat away in Brazil, with Brazilian international veteran Luis Fabiano providing the winner with his first goal for his new club, Libertad rallied back to clinch a 2-0 home win, qualifying them for the quarterfinals of the 2011 Copa Sudamericana. They sat out a few of their first choice players in the first leg, but Libertad brought in some new faces for the second leg, including their biggest star Victor Caceres, and were able to do enough to advance past the Brazilian title contenders.
Copa Sudamericana 2011, Libertad Vs. Sao Paulo: Veteran Paraguayans Overturn First Leg Loss To Advance
Libertad locked up the series at 1-1 in the ninth minute, after Manuel Maciel drew a penalty on Luis Fabiano following a set piece. Fabiano doesn’t spend a whole lot of time near his own penalty area, and based on his poor challenge on Maciel, it’s obvious why he isn’t a defender. Sergio Aquino stepped up and converted the penalty, putting Libertad up 1-0 on the evening.
The winner came in the 67th minute, and it was a stunner. Running onto a ball laid off by substitute striker Rodolfo Gamarra, José Núñez blasted a left-footed shot past Rogerio Ceni from 10 yards out at his near post, sending Libertad through to the quarterfinals, where they will take on LDU Quito.
See More:
