COLOMBIA

THE PIONEERS
Uruguayan Carlos Borges (Peñarol) was the scorer of
the Cup’s first goal (7-1 against Jorge Wilstermann) on
19 April 1960. In the same match, Carlos Borges himself
became the first footballer in scoring 2 goals in the Cup
(13 and 17 minutes).
The first one in scoring 3 points in a match was Coutinho,
in the 9-1 victory of Santos against Cerro Porteño (28 February
1962), though in the same encounter, outside forward Pepe also
scored 3 goals.
Alberto Spencer was the pioneer in converting 4 times, in the
Peñarol 7 - Wilstermann 1 already mentioned. The first one to
score 5 goals in the Cup competition was another Ecuadorian,
Enrique Raymondi, in Emelec’s triumph of 7-2 against Chile’s
Universidad Católica (21 February 1962).
Argentinian Juan Carlos Sánchez was the first and until today
the only one, who scored 6 goals in a match (Blooming 9 -
Deportivo Italia 0, on 7 April 1985).
WITHOUT THE GREAT PLAYERS
In the 16th edition of the Libertadores,
Chile was not represented by any of its
three main teams (Universidad de Chile,
Colo Colo and Universidad Católica).
In 1975, Unión Española and Huachipato
played.
In the 18th edition, it was the first time
that the following teams were not in the
Cup, to wit: Sporting Cristal, Universitario,
Alianza Lima. In 1977 Unión Huaral and
Sport Boys represented Peru.
In the 24th edition, Argentina did not
present for the first time some of the five
great teams. In 1983, the country was
represented by Ferro Carril Oeste and
Estudiantes LP. A proviso, in 1969
Argentina did not have any
representatives in the Libertadores except the champion defender
of Estudiantes de La Plata. River Plate and Vélez Sarsfield that were
the champions, refused to participate because they did not agree
with the economic regime.
Only in the 31st Limbert Cabrera
edition of the Cup, Uruguay was not
represented by Nacional or Peñarol. In 1960, Defensor Sporting
and Progreso played.
LiMBERT CABRERA X 2
On 25 February 1973, Jorge Wilstermann defeated
Argentina’s San Lorenzo by 1-0 with a goal scored by Limbert
Cabrera Rivero. Three days later, “the Aviator” defeated River
Plate1-0 with a goal scored by the same centreforward. When
anybody said that the goal had been scored by Limbert Cabrera,
you had to ask which one of them, because there were two men
CURIOSITIES OF THE LIBERTADORES CUP
with that name in the same team. The other one was
defender Limbert Cabrera Busset. They played
together for several years and they were not relatives
between them.
THE TWO TRIPLETS OF LILIO TORRALES
The Paraguayan forward scored 3 goals to Sport Boys of Peru
in 1991, playing for Atlético Colegiales and also 3 to Caracas FC in
1995, playing for Cerro Porteño.
SIX GOALS IN TWO MATCHES
Rodrigo Mendes (Grêmio) converted 6 goals in two
matches to Oriente Petrolero. It was in the 2002 Cup
on 3 February in Santa Cruz de la Sierra and 3 more
on 28 February in Porto Alegre.
TWO FOURTHS
In the 1970 Libertadores, Benicio Ferreira
(Olimpia) scored 4 goals to Chile’s Rangers and other
4 to Deportivo Cali of Colombia. The two goalkeepers
that suffered them were Argentinian: Luis Carrizo
(Rangers) and Ediberto Righi (Cali).
PEÑAROL’S LAPS OF HONOUR
Peñarol won the Libertadores five times, though
never upon Uruguayan soil. In 1960, they had a lap of
honour in Asunción, in 1961 in São Paulo and in1962,
1982 and 1987 in Santiago of Chile.
OLIMPIA’S LAPS OF HONOUR
Olimpia won the three Cups as visitor. In 1979.
The Candy-Box of Buenos Aires, in 1990 at the
Monumental of Guayaquil and in 2002 in São Paulo’s
Pacaembú.
MULTICLUB
Juan José Duarte, midfielder or occasional back
wing, is the only Uruguayan footballer that played the Copa
Libertadores for 4 clubs in his country. He surged from Nacional
(participated in two matches of the champion of America in 1971)
and afterwards he played in Wanderers (1975), Peñarol (1977)
and Bella Vista (1981).
NEVER MISSING
Víctor Espárrago, poli-functional anchorman, played 4
America’s finals with his club, Nacional of Montevideo. He was
present in all the 10 matches: 3 against Racing in 1967, 2 against
Estudiantes in 1969, 3 versus Estudiantes in 1971 and the other
2 against Inter of Porto Alegre, in 1980. When he won his last
Libertadores, he had spent 20 seasons in First Division. He was
the Captain and in those two collisions he had to mark no other
than Falcão.
CSF ● 121