It was always going to take a bunch of goals–just as I predicted–for my teams to get into the Finals, and goals it was as both Santos and Boca Juniors, finding themselves at the foot of the mountain after the 1st leg, hit for 3 at home.

Having lost 3-1 in Colombia, Boca needed a scoreline of 2-0 back at home (as they had the luxury of an away goal) to get past Cinderella-side Cucuta. Riquelme scored the 1st goal right before half-time while Palermo put Boca in the driver’s seat in the 2nd half. Substitute striker, Battaglia then added the insurance, and the smooth sailing, into the Finals at the final whistle.

Santos also scored 3 as they too faced a 2 goal 1st leg deficit at the hands of Gremio; unfortunately, it was only after Gremio had opened the scoring to get the vital away goal in the 2nd leg. Three goals down, Santos finally started to get its offensive engine running as they scored 3 unanswered goals in vain–as Gremio stole the limelight (despite the loss) and have booked their Finals appearance.

So, as most would anticipate, it’s Brazil vs. Argentina again this time around, and while Brazil usually edges out Argentina in the National side of things, this time it will be Buenos Aires over Porto Alegre in another Boca Copa Libertadores conquest.

You wouldn’t have thought it, but South America’s oldest club competition is about to hit its Quarterfinal stage. Yet, with lack of coverage, some savages don’t even know what the Copa Libertadores is all about!

Perhaps with the early elimination of teams like River Plate and Internacional, the tournament just didn’t seem to be as power-packed as usual, but don’t be fooled because there are still some quality sides in the hunt for South America’s best.

Still the trend has been the same, even in the Round of 16, as Brazilian clubs Sao Paulo and Flamengo have also been dumped out of the tournament, leaving the likes of Boca Juniors, Santos FC, and club America as the last standing traditional powerhouses.

The other clubs still fighting it out at the closing stages are the modests: Defensor Sporting (Uruguay), Gremio (Brazil), Cucuta Deportivo (Columbia), Libertad (Paraguay), and Nacional de Montevideo (Uruguay).

Boca is definitely the favorite as they have something to prove since their last trophy slip at the hands of Estudiantes in their domestic league, but at this stage anything can happen–America hopes to follow Pachuca’s lead as the 1st Mexican club to claim the prize.

If you want to keep up with the Last stages of the Cup, then you’ll need to find the nearest ESPN or Fox Deportes; otherwise, you’ll be left in the cold.

Pachuca became the first Mexican club to win a major South American trophy, defeating Colo Colo of Chile (2-1) in the 2nd Leg in Chile.

Having managed a (1-1) tie on the road in Mexico, Cola Cola went home with a chance to pull off the big time. In Mexico, Pachuca went ahead in the 2nd half after a nice offensive build-up ended with a cross from the left that was headed in at the back post by a white-ninja, Pachuca striker.

Colo Colo, however, bullrushed back to life with a powerful dribble that lead in the bald-headed striker, Suazo to fire home from close range. Late in the game, Pachuca showed life again, producing a corner and then went postal from about 30 meters.

With everthing to play for in Chile, Colo Colo came out and took the lead in the 1st half through Suazo, who struck again for the home side. Yet, Colo Colo could not undo the white-ninjas of Pachuca as the Mexican club made history when Caballero and Gimenez did the honors for the modest Mexicans and brought the trophy home. 

Boca Juniors fired off Alfio Basile with a finals trophy on his last match as manager for the club, before he tries to translate his club-winning-formula into victories and trophies for Argentina, taking over as manager for the Argentine National Team.

In a pulsating match in Brazil, Boca Juniors stayed off Sao Paolo 2-2 to reclaim the South American equivalent to the European Super Cup.

Sao Paolo took the initiative and opened up the scoring as Junior anticipated, got in behind the defender, and toe-poked the ball into the corner net, as Boca’s keeper tried desperately to beat Junior to the chase.

Sao Paolo’s slight lead in aggregate (2-2 [winning on away goals]) was short lived though as Boca responded with the equalizer before half-time. Boca strikers, Palermo and Palacio combined on headers to even the match—Palermo rising highest at the back post to head the ball across goal for Palacio to redirect past the frozen keeper.

With the overall advantage, Boca Juniors scored a second in the 2nd half as Palermo single-handedly ripped a right-footed-blast just inside the right post.

In the build-up to the goal, Sao Paolo failed to clear their defensive line. Boca’s pressure paid off, as Palermo showed both his strength and his deft touch as he held off a few defenders and absolutely gutted the last one as he cut the ball on to his right and finished off in champion style.

Sao Paolo leveled the scores late, but time was not on their side, and Boca celebrated as ReCopa Champions [(4-3) on aggregate] on foreign soil.