Conmebol: Liga de Quito, the Copa Libertadores champion with the lowest performance in history

Once the 62nd edition of the Copa Libertadores de América ended in November, with Palmeiras as two-time continental champion, Conmebol published on Sunday the performances of all the monarchs that the tournament had since 1960, with Liga de Quito, the only club in Ecuador to be crowned, as the one with the lowest performance in history: 47.6 %.

The albos won the Libertadores title 13 years ago by beating Brazilian Fluminense in the final (round trip) on penalties. Never before or after has another Ecuadorian team repeated the achievement, with Barcelona Sporting Club and Independiente del Valle as the closest. The canaries were finalists twice (1990 and 1998), while the striped ones from Pichincha fought for the trophy on one occasion (2016).

At the 2008 edition of the Cup, Liga arrived as Ecuadorian champion (2007). The university students surpassed group 8 in second place, precisely behind the Flu. In this instance, the team led by Edgardo Bauza won three games, drew one and lost two. The Argentine Arsenal and the Paraguayan Libertad completed the key.

In the round of 16, Ponciano’s cast ran into Estudiantes de La Plata, whom they surpassed on the global scoreboard (3-2) with a victory in Quito (2-0) and a defeat in Argentina (2-1). In the quarterfinals, against San Lorenzo de Almagro, there were draws at 1 in both games; the albos prevailed in the penalty shootout. In the semifinals a similar situation was presented as in the previous round, with the League equaling 1 in the field of América de México and without goals in the Ecuadorian capital; the away goal was decisive.

In the series for the title, those from the capital defeated Fluminense 4-2 at Casa Blanca, in a series whose return, at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, was for the Cariocas 3-1. The definition was extended to penalties, where goalkeeper José Francisco Cevallos dressed as a hero by saving three penalties (3-1).

The numbers show the performance of Liga: 47.6%.

That figure is even lower than that recorded by Independiente in 2016, when he lost in the Cup final against the Colombian Atlético Nacional. Scratch yield was 64.3% five years ago. Likewise, it is lower than that of Barcelona in 1990 (53.1%, considering that the victories were worth two points) and equal to that of the Canaries in 1998 (47.6%).

Palmeiras, this year, took the title with a 77% performance.

Estudiantes de La Plata, in 1969, is the club with the best numbers to win the cup: 100%, in four games. As defending champion (1968), Pincharrata appeared from the semifinals, where they won both games (round trip) against Universidad Católica de Chile, and defeated Nacional de Uruguay in the finals. (D)