Classy Internationalists 3-2 Fiery Nationalists – Internacional win Copa Libertadores 2010

There was anger, acrimony, a brawl, some lovely football, the announcement of a potentially truly top class player and Pele. There was also heartbreak, tears, good goals and goodbyes. All in all, pretty much what you can come to expect from South American football’s biggest club game, the Copa Libertadores final.

In the blue and white corner we had Chivas Guadalajara. Fierce, proud, strong, defending Mexican honour – the non-South Americans in South America’s final. It is for the prestige (and TV revenues, no doubt) that Mexican teams are permitted into what should really be a CONMEBOL only international club competition, but, as a team that only fields players of Mexican origin, Chivas really take Mexico’s presence in the Copa Libertadores to the next level. The tournament is a holy grail of sorts for Mexican teams as none has ever managed to win it. Chivas, the embodiment of Mexican identity, were desperate to be numero uno.

In the red corner, Internacional. Philosophically speaking, the name in itself immediately positions Inter at polar opposites with Chivas. Formed as a rebellious riposte to the exclusivity of football teams of the time in early twentieth century Porto Alegre, Internacional, as the name suggests, were created with an open doors policy. Unlike the discriminatory practices of the city’s two established football clubs, Grêmio and Fuss-Ball, anyone – Brazilian or foreign – could join Internacional.

Ironically, despite the ideological differences, things used to be different. Internacional and Chivas actually formed out of very similar circumstances. Chivas, though now closed to non-Mexicans, was founded by a Belgian, Edgar Everaert, and comprised players of many different nationalities including Belgians, French, Spanish and English, as well as Mexicans, under the original name ‘Union’.

It was only amidst a wave of nationalistic sentiment in the build-up to the Mexican Revolution of the early twentieth century that Union changed its recruitment policies (and name), becoming Chivas Guadalajara and sticking a sign up on the door saying ‘No foreigners’. In terms of origin therefore, Inter and Chivas, formed within three years of each other, are closer than they think.

Tale of the tape

Nonetheless, over a century has passed since those days. For both clubs, the 2010 Copa Libertadores final was about representing their respective nations and winning silverware. The former was important. Cruz Azul were the only Mexican team before Chivas to make it to the Libertadores final, before being denied a landmark victory by Boca Juniors and an agonising penalty shootout in 2001.

The relative recency of a pretty major fallout which saw Mexican teams Chivas and San Luis withdraw from the 2009 Copa Libertadores over disagreements on how to handle the swine flu outbreak also gave Chivas’ campaign added gravitas. The rift was eventually solved when CONMEBOL fast-tracked the pair straight into the knockout stages of this edition, but the squabble, which saw San Luis president Eduardo del Villar accuse the South American federation of “racism” only increased the ‘us and them’ mentality of Mexican teams in the Libertadores. Chivas carried that cross with them into the final.

Inter too were defending Brazilian honour. Brazilian teams have lost the Libertadores final to foreign opposition six times since 2000, with Grêmio, Fluminense and Cruzeiro failing in the last three consecutive finals. All-Brazilian finals in 2005 and 2006 apart, Brazilian teams have lost every final they’ve contested since 2000. It was becoming a burden on the national consciousness.

As the saying goes, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Before the second leg in Porto Alegre, the long-held theory by Mexican teams that they’re not quite treated as equals in the Copa Libertadores was again given opportunity for airing when the Mexican national anthem was prematurely cut short pre-match by the impressive brass band at Internacional’s Beira-Rio stadium.

Adolfo ‘Bofo’ Bautista, who is used to courting scandal in this competition having been spat on by then Boca Juniors coach Jorge Benitez in 2005, reacted to the slight by running off in disgust to warm up during the full, hearty rendition of the Brazilian national anthem, while other Chivas players stood around talking. The Beira-Rio erupted in boos for the show of disrespect and, after 60 seconds of hate, normal levels of hostility resumed.

The game was bad-tempered. Inter led 2-1 from the first leg in Guadalajara and boasted a 100% home record, so there was always the chance that Chivas could lose their cool if things didn’t go their way. Briefly, Marco Fabian’s excellently struck goal out of nowhere gave Chivas a 1-0 half time lead (2-2 on aggregate) and hope. But hope can be a spiteful mistress. And so she proved when, in the second half, Internacional hit back.

Rafael Sobis, who seems to save his Copa Libertadores goals strictly for finals, hit Inter’s all-important equaliser after a delicious pass from the left by Kleber. Youngster Leandro Damião then fired Inter into a 2-1 lead in the 76th minute, before Giuliano, one of the players of the tournament, wrapped up proceedings with a wonderful goal, beating two men with skill and power before chipping the ball home for 3-1. 3-2 it ended after Omar Bravo’s stoppage time consolation goal, but that left Chivas 5-3 down on aggregate and a man down, after Omar Arellano saw red for a truly spiteful tackle on Andres D’Alessandro. There was to be no comeback.

Internacional’s second Copa Libertadores triumph (after 2006) was built on several factors. Their eye for young Brazilian talent. Their unbreakable home record. Their Argentine midfield, blending the tenacity of terrier-like Pablo Guiñazú and the wonderful craft and know-how of D’Alessandro, who can also be a nasty so-and-so when he wants to. The likes of Tinga, Kleber, Bolivar and Andrezinho, who all impressed along the way.

But when the dust settles, 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder Giuliano may well be held as the iconic symbol of Inter’s 2010 success. With six goals overall the young attacking midfielder, who strongly resembles Kaka in style, was one of the leading lights throughout the campaign. However it is in the latter stages when Giuliano really showed his worth.

He scored a crucial late goal at Estudiantes in the quarter finals to send the holders out agonisingly on away goals. He scored the winner against São Paulo in the first leg of the semi final. And he scored in both legs of the final, grabbing an equaliser in Guadalajara when Inter were 1-0 down and putting the icing on the cake with a brilliant effort to round off the tournament. What’s more, almost all of this was done from a starting position on the bench. One of the stars of the 2009 Under-20 World Cup, Giuliano – a classic number 10 type with great balance and poise, and authority in his play – looks a star in the making.

At the final whistle all hell broke loose. A huge brawl erupted, Patricio Araujo was busted wide open, to coin a WWE phrase, and ‘El Bofo’ Bautista complained about the host’s “lack of respect” for Chivas and the Mexican anthem. Then, out of nowhere, Pele appeared, all smiles, to present Inter their trophy. The Copa Libertadores is nothing if not unpredictable.

(pic #1 via Generoso Mrack on Flickr)
(pic #2 via Eduardo Mancini on Flickr)

Brazil, Brazilian Football, Chivas Guadalajara, Copa Libertadores, Football in Latin America, Giuliano, Internacional, Mexico