Nacional has virtually assured its presence in the preliminary phase two of the Copa Libertadores de América thanks to the massive 6-1 victory that it achieved at the Hernando Siles stadium, in La Paz, last Wednesday night against an opponent with a defense of paper: National of Potosí.
El Nacional thrashes in La Paz and starts the Copa Libertadores at a steady pace
The military made no concessions and showed no mercy for the weakness of their opponent, who has been harshly criticized by the Bolivian press. The rematch will be played next Wednesday, February 15 at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium in Quito and if there is no misfortune, surprise, or miracle, El Nacional will advance to the second preliminary phase, where the Colombian Deportivo Independiente Medellín awaits.
The amounts that Aucas, Barcelona SC, Independiente del Valle, Universidad Católica and El Nacional will receive for participating in Copa Libertadores 2023
Ever Hugo Almeida, DT of the Creoles, spoke of the historic result. For the former Uruguayan nationalized Paraguayan goalkeeper, the Libertadores is an old acquaintance because he lifted the trophy twice when he was a player for Olimpia de Asunción. He was champion in 1979 (against Boca Juniors) and in 1990 (against Barcelona SC).
2022: Aucas, unprecedented champion of Ecuador who will debut in the Copa Libertadores
Almeida recalled, at the press conference in La Paz, that the 90 minutes of the first leg are missing to formalize the classification. “We know what the Libertadores is. The return commitment will be 0-0 (at the start) and with that result we are going to play the game”, said the 74-year-old coach.
And despite the wide score of 6-1, Almeida anticipated that El Nacional will perform in the second leg as it did as a visitor against Potosí. “I liked that we won. “We got tired in the second half due to the dynamics we carried out at the beginning”, but “we came to look for the result, but that’s not why we are going to play differently in Quito”, declared the coach.
Nacional will return to series A of the LigaPro in 2023, after two consecutive seasons in series B. Its reappearance in Libertadores is via the Ecuador Cup.
The champion of that contest that grants a quota to the Conmebol tournament was Independiente de Valle, but when they were crowned in the Copa Sudamericana this team left a place for another Ecuadorian representative. It was not the lucky Nine of October because by that time he had already lost the category. This is how El Nacional qualified as the third best placed in the Ecuador Cup. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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