Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã had to wait until the closing minutes for relief as Flamengo drew 1-1 with Independiente del Valle and secured a place in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals for the second successive season.
Playing with 10 men for much of the second half, Leonardo Jardim’s side absorbed sustained Ecuadorian pressure after Djorkaeff Reasco had put Independiente ahead on the night. Giorgian De Arrascaeta then settled the tie in the 83rd minute, his equaliser restoring calm and extending Flamengo’s aggregate advantage.
De Arrascaeta turns the tie back Flamengo’s way
Independiente had made the Maracanã uneasy in the 30th minute. A counterattack ended with Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi failing to clear decisively in front of goal, allowing 27-year-old Reasco to pounce from close range. The goal left the visitors one strike away from levelling the overall score.
Flamengo’s task grew harder when Jorginho was dismissed in the 65th minute after receiving a second yellow card. The Brazilian team dropped deeper as Independiente sought another goal, but the decisive moment arrived from a long Rossi clearance.
The visiting defence and goalkeeper Aldair Quintana misjudged the bounce, leaving De Arrascaeta with a clear route to goal. The ball went over Quintana and the Uruguayan midfielder finished into an unguarded net from the six-yard area.
It was De Arrascaeta’s fourth Libertadores goal of this campaign and his second in the knockout rounds, following his strike against Cruzeiro in the second leg of the round of 16. He has now scored five times since returning from the collarbone fracture he suffered in May.
An Argentine journey awaits
Flamengo’s progress means Brazil will supply three of the four semi-finalists. Fluminense and Palmeiras will meet in the other tie, opening in Rio de Janeiro before the return fixture in São Paulo.
The other semi-final sends Flamengo to face Estudiantes de La Plata. The first match is planned for Argentina, with the Maracanã hosting the return leg.
The opening semi-final matches are provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 14 October, followed by the second legs on 21 October, although kick-off times and final confirmation of the calendar are still pending.
