At the Bernabéu, in Madrid, two South American teams crossed the Atlantic to play the final game of the Copa Libertadores.
River Plate, from Argentina
And Boca Juniors, from Argentina.
Ending with this, in extra time:
6,000 miles from Buenos Aires, at one of the largest stadiums in soccer.
The place packed, for the spectacle of it all.
Bragging rights on the line for (at least) a year, with the championships of South America down to two teams from the same city.
Maybe the most tense game of the year, so far.
And in the last minute, Juan Fernando Quintero with the finishing touch.
A Bergkamp-esque behind-the-back flick and pass to himself around the defender…
A scramble to get back to the ball, and a boot downfield releasing Gonzalo Martínez onto goal.
Open net, last minute—the dagger.
🗓 9/12/2018 | ⌚ 19.01 hs. | La corrida histórica del Pity, el 3-1 en el Bernabéu y un grito por River campeón que sacudió al mundo entero. pic.twitter.com/HPuTcCeUYz
— River Plate (@CARPoficial) January 9, 2019
Just ten minutes earlier, it was Quintero who’d already made himself the hero.
Flipping a tie game around for River Plate, with a wondergoal.
Juan Fernando Quintero (10). pic.twitter.com/VMGrv1Hj3V
— Mr Fútbol (@SoyMrFutbol) December 9, 2018
So that’s how it ended:
A packed box for a last-chance effort from Boca Juniors, and then…
The 60-yard long ball to space.
The sprint, the touch, the goal by Martínez.
And the assist that put a (!!!) on this gem of a game from Quintero.
Juan Quintero 🌟
Most influential player for the River Plate tonight in the #SuperClasico . He came in 58th minute and then he did some show. Involved in the making of Pratto’s goal , a thunderbolt goal to break the equaliser and a sublime assist for the third goal.#riverplate🏆 pic.twitter.com/YYc0unUQaV— Abhishek S Nair (@AbhishekSNair2) December 9, 2018
With the final score 3-1.
And River Plate the champions of South America.