Leila Pereira, president of Palmeiras, first woman to win a title in a Conmebol tournament

Daily The viewer from Colombia described the title achieved by the Brazilian team Palmeiras by winning the final of the South American Recopa hand in hand with its president, Leila Pereira.

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A fact for history. Palmeiras, who won this Wednesday night Paranaense for the Recopa Sudamericana, awarded his President Leila Pereira the continental title, the first for a president in football from the south of the continent.

Pereira has been linked to the team since 2015 when crephisa, his company, became the main sponsor of Palmeiras. Since December 2021 she has assumed her position as president of the Verdão club.

“Our achievements, our greatest asset. Conference in advance !!!”, the leader wrote on her Twitter account: @leilapereiralp posing with the trophy

Palmeiras won the Recopa Sudamericana for the first time by beating Athletico Paranaense 2-0 in Sao Paulo, in the Brazilian final of the tournament that faces the champions of the two main club competitions in the region (Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana).

midfielders Ze Rafaelat minute 49, and Danielin 1988, gave victory to the team that runs the Portuguese Abel Ferreirawinner of the last two editions of the Copa Libertadores.

“I am a man who works a lot in silence and today life rewarded me (…). It was a title that Palmeiras did not have, we are recorded in history once again”, said Zé Rafael at the end of the match.

Accustomed to waiting for his opponents, the Furacão de Alberto Valentinewinner of the Sudamericana-2021, suffered to match the series, which in the first leg, in Curitiba (south), was 2-2.

With the victory, the São Paulo players avenged the defeat last year in the same competition, against the Argentine Defense and Justice.

absence of vertigo

Emotions were low in the duel between the champions of South America. Although Palmeiras dominated the ball, neither of them had a single shot on goal in the first half.

When two teams that build their strength on giving the initiative to the opponent face each other, the risk of the absence of offensive football is real. And that happened at the Allianz Parque, two casts with creation problems that constantly collided with the opposing defense.

Although the locals were more willing, especially with the speedy Rony and Duduthe solid rear guard built by Valentim managed to prevail.

The second leg of the Cup Winners’ Cup was a duel between two studious coaches obsessed with tactics, whose destiny, as the unwritten laws of football usually dictate, was going to be determined in a still ball.

Zé Rafael was collapsed on the border of the area. He himself accommodated the ball and caressed it, with his right leg, to defeat Santos’ stretch, who managed to touch the ball.

The awakening

With the advantage in their pockets, the São Paulo players did not lock themselves in but rather sought a little more to give them peace of mind to win their fourth title in eight finals played since Ferreira, sent off in the final minutes, landed in Sao Paulo, in November 2020.

Although it was not overwhelming, the magic that was missing in the first half visited Allianz Parque at times, especially in a Chilean by Rony (54) that Santos cleared.

Given the lack of reaction from Paranaensefrom whom the Argentine River Plate snatched the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2019, in the only time they had played for the trophy until then, Verdão backed up several meters and waited in their field.

Those from Curitiba, who recognize that their strength is in their unity, had a hard time articulating dangerous plays.

“We lacked the aggressiveness that we had in Curitiba”, confessed defender Pedro Henrique.

When the red and blacks were focused on the attack, although without intimidating Weverton’s goal, Danilo buried any chance of equalizing by scoring after an assist from the Colombian Eduard Atuesta. Thus he assured an unprecedented cup to the emerald giant. (D)