2015 Copa Libertadores finals

2015 Copa Libertadores de América finals
Event2015 Copa Libertadores de América
UANL River Plate
Mexico Argentina
0 3
on aggregate
First leg
UANL River Plate
0 0
Date29 July 2015
VenueEstadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza
RefereeAntonio Arias (Paraguay)
Second leg
River Plate UANL
3 0
Date5 August 2015
VenueEstadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires
RefereeDarío Ubriaco (Uruguay)
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2016 →

The 2015 Copa Libertadores de América finals were the two-legged final that decided the winner of the 2015 Copa Libertadores de América, the 56th edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.

The finals were contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Mexican team UANL and Argentine team River Plate. The first leg was hosted by UANL at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza on 29 July 2015, while the second leg was hosted by River Plate at Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires on 5 August 2015.[1]

Club Atlético River Plate earned the right to represent CONMEBOL at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the semifinal stage, regardless of the result of the final, due to UANL being an invited team from CONCACAF and therefore not eligible to represent CONMEBOL at the tournament. Due to the same reason, River Plate also earned the right to play against the 2015 Copa Sudamericana winners in the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana.[2]

The first leg ended in a scoreless draw.[3] The second leg ended in a 3–0 win for River Plate, and they won the tournament for the third time in their history.[4][5][6]

Teams

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Team Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Mexico UANL None
Argentina River Plate 4 (1966, 1976, 1986, 1996)

UANL came into the finals as first-time finalists of the Copa Libertadores. River Plate had previously won two titles in four finals: 1986 and 1996.

Road to the finals

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Further information: 2015 Copa Libertadores

Note: In all scores below, the score of the home team is given first.

Mexico UANL Round Argentina River Plate
Opponent Venue Score Opponent Venue Score
Bye First stage Bye
Group 6 Second stage Group 6
Peru Juan Aurich Home 3–0 Bolivia San José Away 2–0
Argentina River Plate Away 1–1 Mexico UANL Home 1–1
Bolivia San José Away 0–1 Peru Juan Aurich Away 1–1
Bolivia San José Home 4–0 Peru Juan Aurich Home 1–1
Argentina River Plate Home 2–2 Mexico UANL Away 2–2
Peru Juan Aurich Away 4–5 Bolivia San José Home 3–0

Pos Team
 Pld Pts
1 Mexico UANL 6 14
2 Argentina River Plate 6 7
3 Peru Juan Aurich 6 6
4 Bolivia San José 6 4
Source: CONMEBOL

Pos Team
 Pld Pts
1 Mexico UANL 6 14
2 Argentina River Plate 6 7
3 Peru Juan Aurich 6 6
4 Bolivia San José 6 4
Source: CONMEBOL
Seed 2 final stages Seed 16
Bolivia Universitario
(won 3–2 on aggregate) 		Away 1–2 Round of 16 Argentina Boca Juniors
(won 1–0 on aggregate – Boca Juniors disqualified) 		Home 1–0
Home 1–1 Away 0–0 (susp.)
Ecuador Emelec
(won 2–1 on aggregate) 		Away 1–0 Quarterfinals Brazil Cruzeiro
(won 3–1 on aggregate) 		Home 0–1
Home 2–0 Away 0–3
Brazil Internacional
(won 4–3 on aggregate) 		Away 2–1 Semifinals Paraguay Guaraní
(won 3–1 on aggregate) 		Home 2–0
Home 3–1 Away 1–1

Format

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The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.[2]

Since UANL are from Mexico, they had to host the first leg regardless of seeding (Regulations Article 3.7b: "El Torneo deberá indefectiblemente finalizar en un país perteneciente al continente sudamericano. Para tal caso, de llegar a las finales un equipo que no pertenece al continente sudamericano, deberá indefectiblemente jugar su primer partido de local." English translation: "The Tournament shall invariably end in a country belonging to the South American continent. Therefore, provided that a team not belonging to the South American continent qualifies to the finals, it shall invariably play the first leg at its home.")[2]

Matches

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First leg

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Near the end of the first half, Tigres defender Hugo Ayala left the game with an ankle injury. River Plate right-back Gabriel Mercado was booked soon after for a stamp on André-Pierre Gignac, leading him to miss the second leg.[7] At the break, River manager Marcelo Gallardo made an attacking double substitution, withdrawing Rodrigo Mora and Tabaré Viúdez for Gonzalo Martínez and Nicolás Bertolo, but was also suspended after shouting at the fourth official. Despite Tigres having most of the possession and late opportunities from Juninho and Jürgen Damm, the game ended goalless.[8][9]

UANL Mexico0–0Argentina River Plate
Report
Attendance: 40,000
UANL
River Plate
GK 1 Argentina Nahuel Guzmán
RB 2 Mexico Israel Jiménez
CB 4 Mexico Hugo Ayala downward-facing red arrow 41'
CB 3 Brazil Juninho (c)
LB 6 Mexico Jorge Torres Nilo
RM 27 Mexico Jürgen Damm Yellow card 54'
CM 19 Argentina Guido Pizarro
CM 5 Uruguay Egidio Arévalo Ríos downward-facing red arrow 70'
LM 11 Mexico Damián Álvarez
CF 9 Brazil Rafael Sóbis Yellow card 32'
CF 10 France André-Pierre Gignac
Substitutes:
GK 22 Mexico Enrique Palos
DF 14 Mexico Iván Estrada
DF 24 Mexico José Rivas upward-facing green arrow 41'
MF 18 United States José Francisco Torres
MF 23 Mexico Gerardo Lugo
MF 29 Mexico Jesús Dueñas upward-facing green arrow 70'
FW 16 Mexico Enrique Esqueda
Manager:
Brazil Ricardo Ferretti
GK 1 Argentina Marcelo Barovero (c)
RB 25 Argentina Gabriel Mercado Yellow card 42'
CB 2 Argentina Jonathan Maidana
CB 6 Argentina Ramiro Funes Mori
LB 21 Argentina Leonel Vangioni Yellow card 4'
RM 8 Uruguay Carlos Sánchez
CM 23 Argentina Leonardo Ponzio Yellow card 64'  downward-facing red arrow 76'
CM 5 Argentina Matías Kranevitter
LM 19 Uruguay Tabaré Viúdez downward-facing red arrow 46'
CF 7 Uruguay Rodrigo Mora downward-facing red arrow 46'
CF 13 Argentina Lucas Alario
Substitutes:
GK 26 Argentina Julio Chiarini
DF 3 Colombia Éder Álvarez Balanta
MF 10 Argentina Gonzalo Martínez upward-facing green arrow 46'
MF 16 Argentina Nicolás Bertolo upward-facing green arrow 46'
MF 27 Argentina Lucho González upward-facing green arrow 76'
FW 9 Argentina Fernando Cavenaghi
FW 29 Argentina Javier Saviola
Manager:
Argentina Marcelo Gallardo Red card 72'
Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico, hosted the first leg.

Assistant referees:[10]
Eduardo Cardozo (Paraguay)
Juan Zorrilla (Paraguay)
Fourth official:
Julio Quintana (Paraguay)

Second leg

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River opened the scoring at the end of the first half when recent signing Alario headed Leonel Vangioni's low cross from the left into the goal. At 8' Lucas Alario committed an illegal strong entry against the ankle of Guido Pizarro, foul that media later considered that deserved red card.[11][12] Alario saw yellow card. At 25', Tigres had four players with yellow card, three of them defenders.

At 46' Ramiro Funes Mori committed another illegal strong entry, this time against Rafael Sóbis, foul that media also later considered that deserved red card. Funes Mori was amonestated. When Carlos Sánchez went down in the penalty area, he scored the resulting spot kick, shooting to the left of the goalkeeper to double the team's lead. Four minutes later, a corner kick from the right was headed by Ramiro Funes Mori through the legs of the goalkeeper to secure a 3–0 victory, River's first Copa Libertadores for 19 years.[13][14] The match was played under a heavy rainfall and polemic arbitration.

River Plate Argentina3–0Mexico UANL
Alario 45'
Sánchez 75' (pen.)
Funes Mori 79'		 Report
Attendance: 69,000
River Plate
UANL
GK 1 Argentina Marcelo Barovero
RB 18 Uruguay Camilo Mayada
CB 2 Argentina Jonathan Maidana
CB 6 Argentina Ramiro Funes Mori Yellow card 47'
LB 21 Argentina Leonel Vangioni
RM 8 Uruguay Carlos Sánchez Yellow card 76'
CM 23 Argentina Leonardo Ponzio
CM 5 Argentina Matías Kranevitter downward-facing red arrow 82'
LM 16 Argentina Nicolás Bertolo
CF 13 Argentina Lucas Alario Yellow card 9'  downward-facing red arrow 69'
CF 9 Argentina Fernando Cavenaghi (c)  Yellow card 56'  downward-facing red arrow 77'
Substitutes:
GK 26 Argentina Julio Chiarini
DF 3 Colombia Éder Álvarez Balanta
MF 10 Argentina Gonzalo Martínez
MF 15 Argentina Leonardo Pisculichi upward-facing green arrow 77'
MF 27 Argentina Lucho González upward-facing green arrow 82'
FW 22 Argentina Sebastián Driussi upward-facing green arrow 69'
FW 29 Argentina Javier Saviola
Manager:
Argentina Matías Biscay[15]
GK 1 Argentina Nahuel Guzmán
RB 2 Mexico Israel Jiménez Yellow card 17'  downward-facing red arrow 77'
CB 24 Mexico José Rivas Yellow card 25'
CB 3 Brazil Juninho (c) Yellow card 19'
LB 6 Mexico Jorge Torres Nilo Yellow card 72'
RM 27 Mexico Jürgen Damm
CM 19 Argentina Guido Pizarro
CM 5 Uruguay Egidio Arévalo Ríos downward-facing red arrow 64'
LM 20 Mexico Javier Aquino
CF 10 France André-Pierre Gignac Yellow card 22'
CF 9 Brazil Rafael Sóbis
Substitutes:
GK 22 Mexico Enrique Palos
DF 25 Mexico Antonio Briseño
MF 11 Mexico Damián Álvarez
MF 15 Mexico Manuel Viniegra
MF 18 United States José Francisco Torres
MF 29 Mexico Jesús Dueñas upward-facing green arrow 64'
FW 8 Ecuador Joffre Guerrón upward-facing green arrow 77'
Manager:
Brazil Ricardo Ferretti
Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted the second leg.

Assistant referees:[10]
Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)
Nicolas Taran (Uruguay)
Fourth official:
Andrés Cunha (Uruguay)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "El 29 de julio y el 5 de agosto se define al campeón de la 56° edición de la Bridgestone Libertadores" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. July 23, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores 2015 – Regulamento" (PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com.
  3. ^ "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores: Tigres y River Plate empataron 0-0 en primera final" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. 29 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores: River Plate es campeón tras derrotar 3 a 0 a Tigres" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. 5 August 2015.
  5. ^ "River Plate win third Copa Libertadores title with victory over Tigres". Guardian. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  6. ^ "River Plate 3 Tigres 0". Goal.com. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Tigres 0-0 River Plate: Visitors lose Gallardo in Copa Libertadores final first leg". Goal.com. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Tigres UANL 0 River Plate 0: Visitors lose Gallardo in Copa Libertadores final first leg". FourFourTwo. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores: Tigres (0) vs River Plate (0)". YouTube. 30 July 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Árbitros para los juegos de la final de la Bridgestone Libertadores" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. July 24, 2015.
  11. ^ "La patada que pudo haber dejado a Alario afuera del partido". 5 August 2015.
  12. ^ "River Plate: ¿Esta falta de Alario no era para tarjeta roja? | DEPORTE-TOTAL". 5 August 2015.
  13. ^ "River Plate win third Copa Libertadores title with victory over Tigres". The Guardian. Reuters. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  14. ^ "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores: River Plate (3) vs Tigres (0)". YouTube. 6 August 2015.
  15. ^ "Matías Biscay estará en el banco reemplazando a Gallardo". Diario Jornada. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
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