With a saving goal by Uruguayan Rodrigo Amaral, The Strongest advanced to the group stage of the 2022 Copa Libertadores by beating Ecuador's Universidad Católica 2-1 in La Paz, in the second leg of the third round of the continental tournament.
Enrique Triverio opened the scoring for the home side after 2 minutes and Ismael Díaz equalized for Católica after 7 minutes in a match played at the Hernando Siles stadium in La Paz. The talented Rodrigo Amaral gave the victory to the 'Tigre de Achumani' in the 83rd minute.
The series ended 2-1 in favor of The Strongest, as the first leg was a scoreless draw in Quito. Universidad Católica of Ecuador will go on to play in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana.
The match kicked off for The Strongest with a goal scored by Enrique Triverio after connecting with a rebound in the Ecuadorian box following a cross from the right.
The home side's goal was a spur for the visitors to raise their game based on speed. The match gained in intensity. So much so that in the seventh minute, Panama's Ismael Diaz took advantage of a lapse of concentration by the Bolivian defense to score the equalizer.
The game became back and forth and both teams began to reach the opponent's goal with a permanent sense of danger. Before the 20th minute, the two scorers again had opportunities to increase the score.
The Ecuadorians were more ductile in the management of the soccer circuits, which provided greater depth to their game, particularly when the attackers established partnerships. In contrast, the Aurinegros relied more on the performance of individuals such as Henry Vaca, who did not shine tonight.
As the minutes passed, the Ecuadorians lost precision, leaving the locals to re-establish a modest dominance and appeal to long distance shots.
The ball moved away from the goals and play became centralized in the midfield. In the 40th minute, Triverio again had another chance to score, but it was well saved by goalkeeper José Cárdenas.
The second half repeated the concepts of intensity and balance between the two teams, although with the lively desire to avoid the penalty spot.
The 'camarata' showed their experience in the defensive arts and managed to box in the locals, who appeared to be short of ideas. With the clock running down, The Strongest insisted with long distance shots.
Gradually, the Ecuadorians were losing lucidity to reach Guillermo Vizcarra's goal.
Although in a disorganized way, The Strongest looked for the victory and when the match was entering the final stretch, Rodrigo Amaral scored the celebrated goal in the 83rd minute that gave the popular team from La Paz the qualification.
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