Golazo: Thiago Ribeiro vs Guaraní, 2011 Copa Libertadores

Cruzeiro got off to a brilliant start to their 2011 Copa Libertadores campaign in Group 7. After hammering Argentine champions Estudiantes de La Plata 5-0 in their first game they beat Paraguayan side Guaraní 4-0 with two goals from Wallyson, one for Ernesto Farías and this lovely long range shot from Thiago Ribeiro.

Part of the Golazo series.

Partidazo: Cruzeiro 5-0 Estudiantes, 2011 Copa Libertadores

Before Cruzeiro and Estudiantes met in the opening round of Group 7 in the 2011 Copa Libertadores many people had selected the encounter out as the pick of the first round of games. It was widely expected that the Argentine champions Estudiantes would give Cruzeiro a tough game however the home side barely gave their visitors a chance to get started before Wallyson bundled the ball home affter one minute of play.

Cruzeiro utterly dominated the first half, scoring two more goals from Roger and Argentine midfielder Walter Montillo to make it 3-0 at half time. Montillo played an absolute blinder of a performance of the calibre that provokes the question why the hell did Argentine side San Lorenzo offload such a quality player to the wilderness of the Chilean league in 2008?

In the second half Montillo continued to control the game from midfield and bagged another goal before Wallyson rounded the game off with a late fifth goal to inflict Estudiantes' worst ever defeat in international competition. Throughout the game Estudiantes had no defensive shape and barely strung together a coherent attack, an astonishingly lacklustre performance from a team that only conceded eight goals in nineteen games to win the Apertura 2010 tournament.

A quick look through Estudiantes opening away games in Copa Libertadores in recent years should have had people running to put bets on Cruzeiro to win.

• 2006 - Bolívar 1-0 Estudiantes
• 2008 - Cuenca 1-0 Estudiantes
• 2009 - Cruzeiro 3-0 Estudiantes
• 2010 - Alianza Lima 4-1 Estudiantes

The only positive that Estudiantes can take from this game is the fact that after their 0-3 defeat against Cruzeiro in the opening game of the 2009 Copa Libertadores they recovered to to win the tournament, however nobody in the history of the tournament has recovered from a 5-0 defeat in their opening game to win the competition.

For more great games involving South American teams, check out the rest of the Partidazo series.

Highlights: 2011 Copa Libertadores, Group 7

  Reports & highlights of Group 7 in the 2011 Copa Libertadores.

Results

15-02-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	1-0	Guaraní (Par)
16-02-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	5-0	Estudiantes (Arg)
22-02-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	4-0	Guaraní (Par)
23-02-11
Estudiantes (Arg)	1-0	Deportes Tolima (Col)
02-03-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	0-0	Cruzeiro (Bra)
09-03-11
Guaraní (Par)	1-2	Estudiantes (Arg)
16-03-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	6-1	Deportes Tolima (Col)
17-03-11
Estudiantes (Arg)	5-1	Guaraní (Par)
30-03-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	1-1	Estudiantes (Arg)
31-03-11
Guaraní (Par)	0-2	Cruzeiro (Bra)
13-04-11
Guaraní (Par)	0-2	Deportes Tolima (Col)
Estudiantes (Arg)	0-3	Cruzeiro (Bra)

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Cruzeiro	6	5	1	0	20	1	+19	16
Estudiantes	6	3	1	2	9	11	−2	10
Deportes Tolima	6	2	2	2	5	8	−3	8
Guaraní	6	0	0	6	2	16	−14	0

Match reports

Round 1

The biggest shock result in the first round of games was Cruzeiro's 5-0 annihilation of Argentine champions Estudiantes which was orchestrated by Argentine midfielder Walter Montillo who bagged himself two goals. In the other game Deportes Tolima got off to a winning start with a 1-0 win against Guaraní.

Round 2

Cruzeiro continued their brilliant start to the campaign with a 4-0 demolition of Guaraní featuring another couple of goals from Wallyson to make it four in two games for the 22 year old striker, a goal for Cruzeiro's other Argentine Ernesto Farías and a cracking long range effort from Thiago Ribeiro to finish the game off.

Estudiantes recovered from their opening day mauling to record a 1-0 win against Deportes Tolima. A Pablo Barrientos free kick was enough to secure the three points in front of their own fans.

Round 3

Cruzeiro dropped their first points of the campaign in their first away game, drawing 0-0 with Deportes Tolima in Colombia. The game was not as boring as the scoreline suggests and the draw could be a reasonable result for both sides. Estudiantes closed the gap on Cruzeiro to a single point after a hard fought 1-2 away win against Guaraní. The visitors had to come back from a goal down at half time, the scorers were Pablo Barrientos and Leandro González.

Round 4

Cruzeiro continued to look like the strongest team in the tournament with a 6-1 demolition of the Deportes Tolima side that held them to a goalless draw two weeks ago. Walter Montillo had another cracking game and scored the opening goal, Roger scored twice, Wallyson climbed to the top of the goalscorers chart with his fourth of the campaign. Gilberto and Thiago Ribeiro rounded off a brilliant evening with a goal each in the last few minutes. The only slight negative is that they conceded their first goal of the tournament, but with fifteen of their own in their first four games they will not be overly concerned.

Estudiantes edged closer to qualification with a thumping 5-1 win against group whipping boys Guaraní. They were three goals up within the first 25 minutes, Rodrigo López headed the first two goals, the second a really clever header from a huge Juan Sebastián Verón pass, the third was another header from Leandro González. Facundo Roncaglia got himself sent off for lashing out with an elbow early in the second half but this did not stop Estudiantes from attacking. Rodrigo López bagged his hat-trick on 59 minutes with yet another header. Guaraní pulled one back with a scruffy goal on 77 minutes but Estudiantes responded with another goal from González three minutes later to ensure that Estudiantes go into the fifth round of games with a positive goal difference. A fourth defeat in four games means that it is now impossible for Guaraní to progress to the knockout stages.

Round 5

Cruzeiro and Estudiantes both qualified for the knockout stages after Estudiantes managed a 1-1 draw against Deportes Tolima who were eliminated. A couple of hours later Cruzeiro won 2-0 against Guaraní to secure their position at the top of the group (barring an eight goal defeat in La Plata in their last game).

Round 6

With the qualifiers already determined before the sixth round kicked off there was little to play for but pride. Guaraní certainly didn't salvage any losing 0-2 at home to Deportes Tolima. The Paraguayans lost all six of their games shipping sixteen goals in the process.

Estudiantes had a chance to avenge their 5-0 mauling by Cruzeiro in the first round but were crushed 0-3 in front of their own fans. Surely not good preparation for the knockout phase. Cruzeiro scored twenty goals in their six group games and with sixteen points and a goal difference of plus 19 they will be the top seeds in the draw for the "octavos" (last sixteen).

Back to Group stage overview page

For more South American football highlights, including the Argentine and Brazilian leagues, the pick of the rest and other international tournaments:

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Game of the week: 27 October 2010 Cruzeiro 3-4 Atlético Mineiro.

This weeks game of the week is Brazil's Mineiro derby from Sunday. The home team Cruzeiro had the chance to take the lead in the Brazilian championship with a win against their local rivals Atlético Mineiro who were in the relegation zone.

However the home side found themselves 0-3 down after half an hour thanks to a hat-trick from Atletico striker Obina and eventually lost the game 3-4.

This surprise result lifted Atlético out of the relegation zone, made them the form team in the league with 12 points from their last 5 games and prevented their local rivals from going to the top of the table.

Adílson Batista mad celebration

English football fans have witnessed some great managerial celebrations, Who could forget Sunderland's Bob Stokoe running deleriously across the Wembley pitch in his hat and horrible red trousers in 1973, David Pleat's mad charge across Maine Road celebrating Luton Town's survival at Man City's expense in 1983 or Porto manager José Mourinho's celebrations in the last minute of the game at Old Trafford in 2004.

As great as these celebrations were, none of them could match Cruzeiro manager Adílson Batista for sheer lunacy.

For more crazy South American football check out the rest of the Cosas locas series.

Golazo: Joãozinho, CRUZEIRO vs River Plate, Copa Libertadores final 1976

The 1976 Copa Libertadores final was played between River Plate of Argentina, hoping to win their first Copa Libertadores and Cruzeiro of Brazil hoping to become the first Brazilian team to win the Libertadores since Santos way back in 1963.

Cruzeiro won the first leg 4-1 and River Plate won the second leg 2-1 necessitating a playoff game in the neutral venue of Estadio Nacional in the Chilean capital Santiago.

With the score tied at 2-2 on 88 minutes and extra time looming Cruzeiro striker Joãozinho lined up a free kick and arced it over the wall into the top left corner of the River Plate goal instigating delirious celebrations from the Cruzeiro players and a mass brawl involving several of the River Plate players.

Aftermath

After failing to win in the 1966 and 1976 Copa Libertadores finals, River Plate won the title in 1986 and 1996 both times beating the Jimmy Whites of South American club football, Colombian side América de Cali (who lost all 4 of their Copa Libertadores finals to date 1985, 1986, 1987, 1996).

Cruzeiro failed to retain their title, losing the 1977 final to Boca Juniors (fierce rivals of River Plate), they won their second Libertadores in 1997 against Peruvian team Sporting Cristal and reached the final for a fourth time in 2009 where they lost to Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina.

Part of the Golazo series.