Mystery solved: Boca will face Independiente del Valle for the 16th round (or playoffs) of the Copa Sudamericana. The certainty came after the closing of the group stage of the tournament, delayed by the floods in Porto Alegre.
The victory of Inter de Porto Alegre over Delfín of Ecuador by 1 to 0 with goal by former River Lucas Alario That instance closed and the positions and crossings for the next round were confirmed.
So things, pIt could be said that Boca had the least seductive option of the two it had. Second in Group D behind Fortaleza of Brazil, Diego Martínez’s team will play against Independiente del Valle, third in Group F of the Libertadores that Palmeiras of Brazil won, followed by San Lorenzo.
The other xeneize possibility was to play against League of Quito, the last champion of the competition, an option that depended on a victory by Delfín by two goals difference or a victory by Inter. The difference in the picture lies more in the following instance. If they advance 16th, Boca will face Cruzeiro de Belo Horizonte while if they had fallen in the Quito League key, Lanús would have waited for them in the round of 16.
Boca will play first as a visitor in the always complicated height of Quito (week of July 17) and then he will define in La Bombonera (the week of the 24th)an instance in which it will not have several players summoned to the Under 23 for the Olympic Games, such as Kevin Zenón or Cristian Medina.
As for the other keys of 16ths, Rosario Central will face Inter de Porto Alegre, first as a local and then as a visitor. In the round of 16, the winner Fortaleza of Brazil awaits.
For its part, Racing, Lanús and Belgrano are already classified for the second round. The Academy awaits the winner of Racing de Montevideo vs. Huachipato from Chile; Granate for Always Ready from Bolivia against Liga de Quito; and the Pirate for Athletico Paranaense vs. Cerro Porteño.
Also The group stage of the Libertadores is over, with the pending between Gremio de Porto Alegre and Estudiantes de La Plata, which finished 1 to 1 in Brazil. In a hot match, Pincha – only playing for honor – prevented the gaúchos from finishing first in their zone.
Consequently, the leader of Group C was The Strongest, who will play in the round of 16 against Peñarol. Gremio will have to face the last champion, Fluminense, a key that on the other side has San Lorenzo against Atlético Mineiro. Complicated route for the Cyclone…
