Sao Paulo, which will play its second South American Cup final this Saturday against Independiente del Valle, in which it aspires to its second title, is the team that played the most semifinals in the tournament and the one that lost the most times in that instance.
On September 8, the Tricolor from São Paulo played its fifth semifinal in the tournament and suffered more losses than the number of times it reached the final.
In the last one, the fifth that allowed him to enter his second final since the one he played and won in 2012, he prevailed in a definition by charges from the penalty spot 4-2 against fellow Brazilian Atlético Goianiense, whom he beat 2- 0 in regulation time to tie the series.
Both goals were scored by Patrick, while Argentina’s Giuliano Galoppo converted the last and decisive charge in the penalty shootout.
The first leg in the city of Goiania had ended with a 3-1 victory for Goianiense and therefore the hosts were forced to win, at least, with a two-goal difference.
Now on the road is Independiente del Valle.
THE OTHER VICTORY
In 2012 Sao Paulo also reached the final by defeating the Chilean Catholic University in the semifinals, after drawing 1-1 at the San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium, in Santiago, and 0-0 at Morumbí.
In that final they defeated the Argentine Tigre, after a 0-0 first leg and a second leg in which the Buenos Aires team withdrew at halftime, when they lost 2-0, and claimed that the conditions for security to continue.
Tigre did not come out to play the second half and Sao Paulo was the undefeated champion of the tournament.
THE THREE LOSSES
In 2003, River Plate qualified for the final by defeating Sao Paulo in a very even semifinal in which the Millionaire won 3-1 at the Monumental stadium and the Brazilians defeated the Argentines 2-0 at the Morumbí.
That time it was the difference goal that got the Tricolor out of the South American final.
Ten years later, in 2013, it was Ponte Preta who eliminated him by beating him 1-3 at the Morumbí and after a 1-1 draw at the Romildo Vitor Gomes Ferreira stadium.
And the following year it was the Colombian Atlético Nacional, who would fall in the final against River Plate, which would leave him without the option of disputing the title after a definition by penalties in Morumbi himself.
Five semifinals, three defeats and two wins, is the balance of Sao Paulo that on Saturday will try to win its second title in its second final.
The single final of the 21st edition of the South American Cup between Sao Paulo and Independiente del Valle will be played on October 1 at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in the Argentine city of Córdoba. EFE
