LDU Quito came out with an ambitious lineup on Wednesday night, ready to attack, but they never really had a chance. Universidad de Chile had one hand on the Copa Sudamericana after their 1-0 win in Ecuador last week, and with a strike by Eduardo Vargas in the third minute of the second leg, they all but ended the tie. They went on to add two more goals for good measure, eventually winning 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate to capture their first ever continental trophy.
Copa Sudamericana Final 2011, Universidad De Chile Vs. LDU Quito: La U Win Easily In Spectacular Fashion
Vargas, the tournament’s leading scorer and the target of a number of European giants, was undoubtedly the man of the match. Not only did he score the opener in the 3rd minute, he was instrumental in the setup. Marcelo Diaz started the move out of the back, but Vargas touched the ball on three separate occasions before spraying wide to Matias Rodriguez. He swung in a cross that deflected out to Vargas, who buried a half volley.
La U continued to pressure throughout the first half while Diaz and the back three were suffocating. LDU Quito hardly got a sniff of the ball, couldn’t manage a shot on target and looked more or less hopeless. The competition’s second-leading scorer, Hernan Barcos, was an absolute non-factor.
Universidad de Chile playmaker Gustavo Lorenzetti didn’t start the game, but he came on in the 53rd minute and had a massive impact on the proceedings. In the 67th minute, he was on the receiving end of a nice elbow to the face from future Atlante defender Jorge Guagua, who received a straight red card. The game was hardly fair 11 vs. 11, so Liga didn’t have a prayer once Guagua was sent off. Lorenzetti would go on to score in the 79th minute.
Matias Rodriguez would get sent off for a second yellow card offense in the 85th minute, but it didn’t make La U any less effective. Just a minute after the red card was shown, Vargas would go on to score his second, an absolutely stunning goal in which he dribbled a long distance through the entire Liga defense before calmly slotting a short-range shot into the back of the net.
La U have captured their first ever Copa Sudamericana, and they’ve done it in stunning fashion with a 4-0 win in the final, the tournament’s leading scorer and a 35-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
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