Who will the historical character of Lima 2.0 be? Who will fate choose to be the hero of the novel? And the villain? Will someone make a terrible mistake? Or will someone present an eternal play, the kind that lives in a fan’s damp retina for eons?
For now, we only know that the football gods are fans of the talisman. Our recent history in the Libertadores displays strange characters. Last year, Luiz Henrique made up his mind, but the cry came from Junior Santos’ goal. A year earlier, JFK scored in overtime, ran up the stairs and was ejected.
Gabigol has reached two finals, the first, the epic one, at the same stadium today. Breno Lopez scored in the last minute from an empty Maracanã in 2020. And in 2021 we had goals from Rafael Vega and Gabigol… before a move, in extra time, created a bizarre spike. Andreas Pereira’s mistake against Deverson earned Palmeiras the title…and the Red and Black fans have never forgiven him.
Read more: Filipe Luis leaves second place in the 2021 Libertadores behind him and points to the “game of details” in the match between Palmeiras and Flamengo.
Read more: Abel Ferreira says he is honored to be in the third Libertadores final with Palmeiras and praises the team: “Young and disrespectful”
Andreas struggled, was sold, and thought a lot about returning to Flamengo… and ended up with his rival. He became a sworn enemy, being booed mercilessly at the Maracanã. It’s almost tempting to speculate what the bleached-haired Belgian has in store this afternoon. forgiveness? Salvation? It cannot be denied that his presence generates electricity in both fans. Until his failure, Andreas was the best player in that final. His talent is clear. But… he still doesn’t look completely comfortable in Palmeiras.
Today there is no red and black person they would rather see than Jorginho. The Italian-Brazilian veteran has been a kind of metronome in the midfield, able to dictate and control the tempo of the matches in which he plays. He is assisted by one of the most technical experts in football: Chilean Eric Pulgar. Flalippi Luis is an experienced team with a backbone (Rossi, Danilo, Leo Pereira, Alex Sandro, Jorginho) who has trained in big matches. There is Arascaeta, the best player on the continent in 2025.
The Uruguayan conjurer is a magician of small spaces, able to deceive the senses in a small way. Suddenly, the handkerchief turns into a major estate, the silence becomes eerie, and rumors echo in a roar. Arrascaeta simplifies any complexity. It seems to act in a straight line even when changing direction. He is capable of technical shooting, dry shooting, precise passing and annoying dribbling.
On the other hand, Palmeiras arrives in Lima at a bad time. The containment wheels are not going well. Labeling suffers. The Roque-Flaco duo has faltered. But every football fan knows that speculation and analysis are just froth. Abel Ferreira’s team sells any game at a high price. In 2021, Flamengo also arrives as favourites.
Until 6pm… all we can do is play upbeat tunes. And remember that often the hero hides before our eyes. Who will it be this time? Everton Cipollinha reincarnated? Alan the clever? Talented Carrascal? Samo Leno? Little does Mauricio or Felipe Anderson remember? Luigi boy? Historically decisive BH? Forgotten Michael in the backseat – who has missed a great goal in 2021? An unlikely name like Kelvin? Goalkeeper?
Not long to go. Save your nails.