In an exciting final, Fortaleza came second in the Copa Sudamericana this Saturday (28). On penalties, Leão do Pici was beaten by LDU, 4-3, in Maldonado, Uruguay, and is runner-up in the continental tournament.
In normal time, the two teams tied 1-1. Lucero opened the scoring for Fortaleza 2 minutes into the second half. Alzugaray left everything the same soon after. He equalized after 10 minutes. In extra time, the tie was maintained. The Ecuadorian team’s dramatic victory was guaranteed on penalties thanks to three saves by goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez.
READ MORE
++ Neymar is nominated for the 2023 Samba Gold Award
++ Samba Gold nominees are revealed and voting is open now
++ Samba Gold 2023 voting process: how it works
Fortaleza had a historic campaign in the South American Championship. In the group stage, Laion had an almost perfect campaign and finished group H in first place, with 15 points, five wins and one defeat.
In the round of 16, the Ceará team overcame Libertad, from Paraguay. Away from home, they beat the Paraguayans 1-0. Afterwards, the two teams drew 1-1 at Castelão.
In the next phase, Leão do Pici beat América-MG twice. They won 3-1 in Belo Horizonte and 2-1 at home. Before the final, Corinthians was eliminated from the competition by Fortaleza. In São Paulo, Fortaleza drew 1-1. In Castelão, the team won 2-0.
Samba Gold 2023: Open voting!
Voting for the Samba Gold Award 2023 is now open. Choose your favorite in the men’s, women’s and under-20 categories!