Barcelona SC is a ‘clear favourite’ in the match against Montevideo City Torque for the Copa Libertadores, the main Uruguayan newspapers agree

In allusion to the youth of the Uruguayan club (founded 15 years ago) and the tradition and seniority of representing Ecuador (97 years), the news agency AFP talk about the “the freshness of the Montevideo City Torque, owned by the group that owns Manchester City”, which “will collide this Tuesday with the history of the Ecuadorian Barcelona SC, in a duel in Montevideo (Centenario Stadium) that will open the 2022 edition of the Copa Libertadores de América ”.

And although in the previous days the Uruguayan media lowered the profile of the cupbearer duel, informatively speaking, this Tuesday the new Uruguayan team already had more space in the newspapers of the eastern country. Newspaper The countryin its digital edition, titled ‘America looks at it: Montevideo City Torque opens the fire of the Copa Libertadores 2022’.

The newspaper adds that “the most anticipated day of all has arrived, because tonight at the Montevideo City Torque Centenario stadium the Copa Libertadores will begin to live for the first time in its history. Quite an achievement. And quite a challenge, because the road for citizens, if luck and football accompany them, can become quite long”.

And how to face Barcelona The country mentions that City Torque will have to “turn to the precision and intensity football that earned them even international recognition when they competed for the Copa Sudamericana. The premiere is never easy and on this occasion, in addition, he will face it without his starting goalkeeper, because Gastón Guruceaga is suspended. This implies that Francisco Tinaglini will go from the start.

‘Barcelona, ​​pleasant surprise’

For The Republic, from the Uruguayan capital, “in principle, the Ecuadorian cast is a clear favorite, although they must demonstrate such superiority on the pitch. In the last edition of the Barcelona contest she was one of the pleasant revelations, reaching the semifinals where she lost to Flamengo”.

The newspaper reproduces the words of Roman Neck, Torque technician. The coach said that they arrive “to give anyone a fight.” And he expands on the explanation of how he has prepared the meeting with Barcelona: “We have prepared it like the others, with the little time we had because we played a few days ago with Cerro Largo. We intend to propose the usual, to dominate the ball, the spaces, to have control”.

Coello adds that “Barcelona is a good team, which usually participates in the Cup, last year they finished in the semi-finals. It is a difficult stop, but a very nice one because it is going to challenge us and it is going to measure us to see where we are internationally. They have seasoned and level players. We came to fight anyone. We are prepared. We are going to try to dominate them and hopefully we can be effective”.

old acquaintances

Y The Observer focuses on the Barcelona footballers who are known in the Charrúa media. “Directed by Fabián Bustos, he arrives with the Uruguayan Bruno Piñatares in his ranks despite the fact that the press maintains that he is suspended due to the accumulation of yellow cards. The Ecuadorian club, meanwhile, requested a report from Conmebol and from the body they informed him that it is enabled. The fans do not want to repeat the history of 2019, when Barcelona was eliminated by Defensor Sporting because he featured Sebastián Pérez in the lineup, who was not registered. The delegation of the Guayaquil club is also made up of former Peñarol defender Carlos Rodríguez, striker Gonzalo Mastriani and Brazilian Leonai Souza, former player of Plaza Colonia. (D)