03.07.2009 11:59
Cruzeiro reach Libertaodores final
Pau Ramírez
OLne of FC Barcelona's possible rivals in the Club World Cup will come from the Copa Libertadores and now it is known that the final will be played on June 15 between Brazil's Cruzeiro and Argentina's Estudiantes de la Plata.
On Wednesday, Estudiantes booked their place with a 3-1 aggregate win over Nacional de Montevideo
and a day later Cruzeiro went through after drawing 2-2 with Gremio de Porto Alegre.
The winner of the South American trophy will qualify directly for the Club World Cup and
could meet European champions FC Barcelona in the tournament.
Over by the break
After winning 3-1 at home in the first leg, striker
Wellington's two goals in the second game earned Cruzeiro a 5-3 overall victory. The home side made
the better start in the game, but Maxi Lopez and German Herrera missed early chances.
Cruzeiro played on the break and took the lead ten minutes before the interval when
Wellington volleyed home when picked out by a cross from Kleber. Two minutes the same player scored
again with a diving header as he connected with a centre from Jonathan.
Rever pulled a goal back in the second half and Souza then drew Gremio level on the night,
but Adilson was sent off for a foul on Kleber and with his dismissal went any chance that the
Brazilian's had of making a comeback.
In search of their third title
The Belo Horizonte side, for whom former Blaugrana defender Juan Pablo Sorin plays, go in search of
their third Copa Libertadores having won the tournament in 1976 and 1997. Estudiantes won the cup
in three consecutive years having been triumphant in 1968, 1969 and 1970, before losing in the 1971
final.