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Ecuador's LDU Quito wins Copa Libertadores

Thu 3rd, July 2008

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Sports Network) - Jose Francisco Cevallos stopped three penalty kicks as Ecuador's LDU Quito won a shootout against Brazil's Fluminense 3-1 to break a 5-5 aggregate tie and win the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.

LDU Quito became the first team from Ecuador to ever win the Copa Libertadores, which is South America's version of the Champions League. The event started in 1960 and teams from Brazil and Argentina have combined to win 34 of 49 titles.

Fluminense was trying to win its first Copa Libertadores and be Brazil's third winner in the last four years. Fluminense dominated the second leg Wednesday, getting a hat trick from Thiago Neves for 3-1 win.

But after LDU Quito won the first leg at home, 4-2, the second game leveled the series at 5-5, which forced overtime and eventual penalty kicks.

Cevallos was huge in the shootout, saving attempts from Dario Conca, Neves and Washington in the hostile environment at Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro.

Patricio Urrutia, Franklin Salas and Joffre Guerron converted penalty kicks for LDU Quito. The Ecuadorian club earned a spot in FIFA's Club World Cup with the victory.

LDU Quito scored just six minutes into the second leg when striker Luis Bolanos scored from the center of the penalty area. The goal pushed the Ecuador club's aggregate lead to 5-2, but Neves led Fluminense back.

Neves tied the match in the 11th minute on a shot from outside the area, and in 28th minute scored from close range to put his side in front. He completed his hat trick in the 57th minute on a curling free kick.

LDU Quito held on to force overtime and penalties. And the Ecuadorian club just continued its tournament-long high-wire act by winning the shootout.

LDU finished second in the group stage of the tournament - to Fluminense - and was just 2-2-4 combined in the knockout stage. LDU Quito won on aggregate, 3-2, in the round of 16, advanced through the quarterfinals on penalties and sneaked through the semifinals on away goals.

LDU Quito's only victory in its last six games of the Copa was in the first leg of the final.

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