2007 Copa Libertadores finals explained

Event:2007 Copa Toyota Libertadores
Team2:Grêmio
Team1association:
Team2association:
Team1score:5
Team2score:0
Team1score1:3
Team2score1:0
Team1score2:2
Team2score2:0
Firstleg:First leg
Secondleg:Second leg
Details:on aggregate
Date1:13 June 2007
Date2:20 June 2007
Stadium1:La Bombonera
Stadium2:Estádio Olímpico
City1:Buenos Aires
Attendance1:50,993
Attendance2:53,952
Referee1:Jorge Larrionda
Referee2:Oscar Ruiz
Man Of The Match1a:Juan Román Riquelme
Man Of The Match2a:Juan Román Riquelme
Previous:2006
Next:2008

The 2007 Copa Libertadores finals was a two-legged football match-up to determine the 2007 Copa Libertadores champion. The series was contested between Argentine club Boca Juniors and Brazilian club Grêmio. The first leg of the tie was played on June 13 at Boca Juniors' home field, La Bombonera, with the second leg played on June 20 at Gremio's Estádio Olímpico. Boca Juniors won the series 5–0 on aggregate,[1] achieving their sixth Copa Libertadores title.[2]

Qualified teams

TeamPrevious finals app.
1963, 1977, 1978, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
1983, 1984, 1995

Route to the finals

GrêmioBoca Juniors
São Paulo
A
0–1
Round of 16
First leg
Vélez Sársfield
H
3–0
Riquelme 9'
Palermo 61'
Rodríguez 89'
São Paulo
H
2–0
Tcheco 17'
Diego Souza 74'
Second leg Vélez Sársfield
A
1–3
Bustos (o.g.) 32'
Defensor Sporting
A
0–2
Quarterfinals
First leg
Libertad
H
1–1
Palermo 90'
Defensor Sporting
H
2–0
(p. 4–2)
Tcheco 22'
Teco 45'
Second leg Libertad
A
2–0
Riquelme 61'
Palacio
Santos
H
2–0
Tcheco 34'
Carlos Eduardo 36'
Semifinals
First leg
Cúcuta Deportivo
A
1–3
Ledesma 27'
Santos
A
1–3
Diego Souza 34'Second leg Cúcuta Deportivo
H
3–0
Riquelme 44'
Palermo 61'
Battaglia 90'

Final summary

First leg

GK 12 Mauricio Caranta
DF 4
DF 6
DF 3 Claudio Morel Rodríguez
DF 21 Clemente Rodríguez
MF 8
MF 24
MF 19
MF 10
FW 14
FW 9 Martín Palermo (c)
Substitutes:
GK 25 Pablo Migliore
MF 5
MF 2 Matías Silvestre
MF 11
MF 15 Guillermo Marino
FW 17 Mauro Boselli
MF 23
Manager:
Miguel Russo
GK 1 Sebastián Saja
DF 2
DF 4 William
DF 14
DF 16 Lúcio
MF 15
MF 22
MF 10 Tcheco (c)
MF 7 Diego Souza
FW 11 Carlos Eduardo
FW 9
Substitutes:
GK 12 Galatto
MF 8
DF 6
MF 5 Edmílson
DF 3
MF 18 Ramón
FW 20 Douglas
Manager:
Mano Menezes
Man of the Match:
Juan Román Riquelme

Assistant referees:
Wálter Rial
Edgardo Acosta
Fourth official:
Líber Prudente

----

Second leg

GK 1 Sebastián Saja
DF 2
DF 4 William
DF 14
DF 16
MF 7
MF 8
MF 22
MF 10 Tcheco (c)
FW 11 Carlos Eduardo
FW 9
Substitutes:
GK 12 Galatto
DF 3
DF 6
MF 18 Ramón
MF 19
FW 20 Douglas
FW 21
Manager:
Mano Menezes
GK 12 Mauricio Caranta
DF 4
DF 6
DF 3 Claudio Morel Rodríguez
DF 21 Clemente Rodríguez
MF 8
MF 24
MF 19
MF 10
FW 14
FW 9 Martín Palermo (c)
Substitutes:
GK 25 Pablo Migliore
DF 2
MF 23
MF 16
MF 5
FW 17
FW 11 Bruno Marioni
Manager:
Miguel Russo
Man of the Match:
Juan Román Riquelme

Assistant referees:
Juan Carlos Bedoya
Jovani Zapata
Fourth official:
Albert Duarte

Aftermath

With this appearance in the last stage Boca Juniors achieved a record-tie 9 times in the finals, winning five of the seven previous occasions. At that moment only Peñarol of Uruguay had played that number of finals. The media praised Juan Román Riquelme's performance in the finals, crediting him as Boca Juniors' most notable player. Riquelme had returned to Boca Juniors after a frustrating experience in Spanish club Villarreal where manager Manuel Pellegrini excluded him from the senior squad due to personal disputes.[3] Under the guidance of manager Miguel Ángel Russo, Riquelme was the top scorer of the team (and second of the 2007 edition behind Salvador Cabañas with 8 goals in 11 matches, three of them in the finals.[4]

The 5–0 aggregate score remains nowadays as the largest victory in the history of Copa Libertadores' finals.[5]

On the other hand, Grêmio –that had played three finals winning two of them– became the second Brazilian club with most Copa Libertadores finals contested (four until then), just behind of São Paulo who had six.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copa07.html Copa Libertadores 2007
  2. https://historiadeboca.com.ar/copa-libertadores-2007/2007/109.html Copa Libertadores 2007 overview
  3. https://tn.com.ar/deportes/esencial/el-mejor-riquelme-todos-los-goles-del-torero-en-la-copa-libertadores-2007_565036 El mejor Riquelme
  4. http://www.elequipo-deportea.com/futbol/5256/orteman--riquelme-hizo-facil-la-libertadores.html Orteman: "Riquelme hizo fácil la Libertadores"
  5. http://www.diariopublicable.com/democracia/1594-2007---la-sexta-copa-de-boca.html La sexta Copa de Boca