South American Dispatch: Cruzeiro Take Complete Control

Last year’s beaten finalists are clearly keen to erase the scars of their recent final defeat to Estudiantes de La Plata. The Brazilian club had deserved to win last week after leading their Bolivian hosts Real PotosI for most of the match.

A week ago an early strike from Wellington Paulista seemed to have set Cruzeiro on course for victory. A late, late equalizer from Correa of PotosI meant the task may not be so straight forward in Belo Horizonte this week.

Two-time winners of the Copa Libertadores, Cruzeiro were not about to be nudged out of the competition by inferior opposition when it came to the crunch second fixture.

Head coach of the Brazilian outfit, Batista has the wound of being a losing finalist still gnawing away at him. This may have been partly behind the reason he chose to field all of his top strikers last night.

After having kept the scores even away from home, and also securing the advantage of an away goal, the tie was Batista’s to lose. Credit, then, to the head coach for fielding his first choice front three of Kleber, Wellington Paulista and Thiago Ribeiro.

Despite fielding all his available strikers, Cruzeiro’s goals came from seven different personnel. The rout was kicked off by goals from Marquinhos Parana, Thiago Ribeiro and Kleber in the first half.

Real Potosi did their best to chuck in the tie in the second half when Yecerotte and Galindo were sent for early baths. Both dismissals came as a result of Cruzeiro amassing an unassailable lead.

The four goals in the second half which added insult to injury came from Jonathan, Eliandro, Bernardo and Joffre Guerron.

The execution of Batista’s tactics mean that Cruzeiro now take their place with Velez Sarsfield, Colo-Colo and Deportivo Italia in Group Seven of the Copa Libertadores.

Meanwhile, Bolivia's Real Potosi must hang on another year before Copa Libertadores glory becomes a realistic hope for them.

Copa Libertadores Round-Up

Libertad have rightly been sweating on their place in this year’s group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Last week the Paraguayan outfit lost away in Venezuela 1-0 to Deportivo Tachira.

In the second leg the highly decorated Paraguayans found themselves even further behind to their northern opposition. It was defender Pedro Boada who put Deportivo Tachira 2-0 up in the tie with a strike on the half-hour mark.

Unfortunately for the Venezuelans it was Boada’s goal that finally made the Paraguayans stand up and take notice. Rodolfo Gamarra levelled the scores on the night before half-time. After the interval a brace from Pablo Velazquez ensured that it would be the Paraguayans who would join Lanus of Argentina, Blooming of Bolivia and Universitario of Peru in Group Four of the Copa Libertadores.

Meanwhile Peruvian side Juan Aurich emphatically secured their berth in  Group Three with a 2-1 away win in Mexico.

Last night’s hosts Estudiantes Tecos were sent packing as Juan Aurich’s Panamanian striker Luis Tejada made it 1-0 on the night to the visitors at the interval. As the second half played itself out Juan Aurich’s Colombian marksman Roberto Ciciliano put the Peruvians 4-0 up on aggregate.

Both Tejada and Ciciliano looked like being astute summer signings as the pair were both picked up from Colombian outfit Millonarios during the January transfer window.

Estudiantes Tecos did find a consolation late on through Fredy Bareiro, but the tie ended 4-1 in favour of the Peruvians.

Juan Aurich now find themselves in Group Three of the Copa Libertadores alongside reigning champions Estudiantes of Argentina plus Bolivar of Bolivia and their domestic companions Alianza Lima.