América-MG made history on Tuesday night (15), as they overcame the pressure of the fans who attended the Monumental stadium, in Guayaquil (Ecuador), and beat Barcelona 5-4 in the penalty shootout, after a draw by 0 to 0 in the 90 minutes, to qualify for the first time in history for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores.
?? A night of #Liberators of @AmericaMG! Coelho went through 2⃣ penalty shootouts in 2022 and will play in the Group Stage for the first time.
? It’s the way of #GloriaEterna! pic.twitter.com/2RYYqW5J5y
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@LibertadoresBR) March 16, 2022
Coelho arrived under pressure, having to decide the spot away from home after a goalless tie in the first leg, played in Minas Gerais last week.
However, with the ball rolling, the Minas Gerais team showed strength and had clear opportunities to secure the classification. But the score remained unchanged until the end and the spot was decided on penalties.
And on penalties, Coelho didn’t miss a shot (with Wellington Paulista, Maidana, Felipe Azevedo, Índio Ramírez and Juninho Valoura), while Barcelona saw goalkeeper Jailson shine and defend Leonel Quiñónez’s kick.
THIS HERE IS LOVE, IT’S A FIGHT AND WILL ALWAYS OVERCOME YOURSELF! ??
THIS HERE IS AMERICA FOOTBALL CLUB! ??#CoelhãoNaLiberta#PraCimaDelesCoelho #We areVolt pic.twitter.com/QWkbSNeeaZ
— America FC ✊? (@AmericaMG) March 16, 2022
With the classification guaranteed, it is now up to América-MG to wait for the draw for the Libertadores groups, which is scheduled to be held on March 25th.
