Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã held its breath through another scoreless Libertadores night, and Estudiantes found their way through it by trusting the tournament history that has long travelled with the club from La Plata. After drawing 0-0 in Argentina and again in Brazil, Estudiantes defeated Flamengo 3-2 on penalties to reach the Copa Libertadores final.
Juan Sebastián Verón, the former Estudiantes captain and now the club’s president, saw the passage as an expression of an identity built over generations. Estudiantes have repeatedly endured difficult stretches in this competition, he said, yet retained the belief that the trophy could still be within reach. He praised a strong squad and coaching staff, while stressing that the side had delivered when the occasion demanded it.
“History has a weight in tournaments like this,” Verón said. “It is not easy to maintain consistency, but in matches of this kind we did not fail. We played the way these games have to be played.”
Muslera’s long night in Rio
The decisive figure was Fernando Muslera. The 40-year-old goalkeeper stopped three Flamengo attempts in the shootout, denying Jorginho, Paquetá and Bruno Henrique after two goalless legs had separated neither team.
Muslera is contracted to Estudiantes until the end of December and is expected to retire once the season concludes. Verón nevertheless left open the possibility of a further year, while making clear that the goalkeeper’s decision would be respected.
For Muslera, the evening also carried a personal sense of repair. Verón said he had spoken frequently with him during and after the World Cup, when the Uruguay international endured a difficult period and became a target of blame. The president felt the goalkeeper had earned a chance to show his standing again.
“There is nothing like being given another opportunity,” Verón said. “He deserved this. Time has shown what he is. Football can allow a player to finish where his career began; we hope he stays another year, but we will support whatever he chooses.”
Estudiantes now head to a final staged at the same venue where the club won its first Copa Libertadores title, carrying the calm of a side that survived the Maracanã without conceding and left Brazil with a place in South America’s biggest club occasion.
