1997 Supercopa Libertadores finals

1997 Supercopa Libertadores finals 1997 Supercopa Libertadores São Paulo BRA 30px 1 River Plate ARG 30px 2 on aggregate First Leg 0 0 December 4, 1997 Estádio do Morumbi São Paulo Mario Sánchez Yanten (Chile)La Supercopa se mira y se toca El Gráfico December 1997 137 es 26 45,413 Second Leg 1 2 December 17, 1997 Estadio Monumental Buenos Aires Ubaldo Aquino (Paraguay)La Supercopa se mira y se toca El Gráfico December 1997 137 es 14 59,180https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/1997/12/18/esporte/25.html River Plate; São Paulo Folha de S.Paulo 18 December 1997 26 December 2025 1996 The 1997 Supercopa Libertadores finals were the final matches of the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores, the tenth and final edition of South America's secondary club football competition. The two-legged event was contested between São Paulo of Brazil and River Plate of Argentina. The first leg was played at the Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, on 4 December 1997 and the second leg was played on 17 December 1997 at the Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires. They were both appearing in their second final. São Paulo had previously won the tournament in 1993, while River Plate had lost the final of the 1991 edition. Each team had to progress through their group stage in first position, and subsequently play a single knockout round, totalizing eight matches. São Paulo won their group against Flamengo, Olimpia and Vélez Sarsfield before beating Colo-Colo, while River Plate defeated Atlético Nacional after finishing ahead of Vasco da Gama, Santos and Racing Club to qualify for the final. A crowd of 45,413 spectated the first leg at the Estádio do Morumbi, which resulted in a goalless draw. Watched by a crowd of 59,180 at the Estadio Monumental, River Plate took an early lead in the second half when Marcelo Salas scored. Dodô equalised the match minutes later for São Paulo, but the Chilean striker would sign a brace for a 2–1 scoreline. No further goals were scored, thus crowning River Plate champions of the last edition of the Supercopa Libertadores. Background The Supercopa Libertadores was founded in the late 1980s.2015-02-10 Hace 27 años comenzaba la Supercopa https://www.conmebol.com/noticias/hace-27-anos-comenzaba-la-supercopa/ 2025-12-24 CONMEBOL es-ES It was established to determine who would face the Copa Libertadores' season champion in the Recopa Sudamericana, looking to crown the best team in South America.en Seguir 2019-05-22 Dio la vuelta al mundo, no se jugó por cuatro años y tiene a Boca como máximo ganador: cómo es la historia de la Recopa Sudamericana https://www.infobae.com/deportes-2/2019/05/22/dio-la-vuelta-al-mundo-no-se-jugo-por-cuatro-anos-y-tiene-a-boca-como-maximo-ganador-como-es-la-historia-de-la-recopa-sudamericana/ 2025-12-24 infobae es-ES The competition brought together every past winner of the Copa Libertadores into a single-elimination tournament until 1997, when the format was altered to have a double round-robin precede the two-legged semi-final and final matches.2019-12-05 El nuevo torneo que prepara CONMEBOL: ¿cómo sería la Supercopa Sudamericana y quiénes la jugarían? https://www.goal.com/es-ar/noticias/supercopa-sudamericana-como-seria-quienes-jugarian/1wbem9uvbnl461cmqos2umn8qi 2025-12-25 www.goal.com es-AR The Supercopa Libertadores was regarded as the second most prestigious South American club competition.Lance! Supercopa Sul-Americana; relembre o que era, campeões e regras https://www.lance.com.br/lancepedia/supercopa-sul-americana-libertadores.html 2026-01-16 Supercopa Sul-Americana; relembre o que era, campeões e regras pt-br 2025-10-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20251020105345/https://www.lance.com.br/lancepedia/supercopa-sul-americana-libertadores.html live São Paulo first qualified for the Supercopa Libertadores as winners of the 1992 Copa Libertadores.Supercopa Libertadores Points Rankings 1988-1997 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/sasuppts.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Alvim Gonzalez Miguel They won their first Copa Libertadores final after beating Argentine team Newell's Old Boys 3–2 on penalties, following a 1–1 tie over two legs.Copa Libertadores de América https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copalib.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Stokkermans Karel 2015-05-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20150524152408/http://www.rsssf.com/sacups/copalib.html live Their debut tournament saw them beat fellow Brazilian squad Santos, but lose their quarter-final match against Club Olimpia of Paraguay.Supercopa Libertadores 1992 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa92.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Andrés Juan Pablo Ciullini Pablo 2026-02-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20260217013846/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa92.html live São Paulo would reach the final of the Supercopa Libertadores a year later, which they won against Flamengo. After a 4–4 aggregate draw, the penalty shoot-out at the Estádio do Morumbi went in favour of the host team 5–3.Supercopa Libertadores 1993 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa93.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Andrés Juan Pablo Ciullini Pablo 2025-08-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20250816005921/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa93.html live River Plate had first won the Copa Libertadores in 1986, when they beat Colombian team América de Cali on both legs of the final. Therefore, they had played in every season of the Supercopa Libertadores since 1988. During their run in the first edition of the tournament, River Plate defeated Club Olimpia and Grêmio, but fell short in their semi-final match against Racing Club, to whom they suffered a 3–2 loss on the aggregate.Supercopa Libertadores 1988 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa88.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Ciullini Pablo Semproni Fernando Rivera Guillermo 2025-12-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20251201035242/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa88.html live They would eventually qualify for the 1991 final, which they lost to Cruzeiro. The first leg went in their favour 2–0, but their opposition managed a 3–0 comeback to take the match.Supercopa Libertadores 1991 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa91.html 2025-12-25 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Bovi Diogo Julio Ciullini Pablo 2025-04-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20250430110429/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa91.html live Route to the finals 1997 Supercopa Libertadores The competition proper started with the group stage, contested as four double round-robin groups of four teams, with the winner of each group advancing to the knockout stages. The semi-final and final knockout stage ties were decided based on home and away matches.Andrés Juan Pablo Ciullini Pablo Alvim Gonzalez Miguel Supercopa Libertadores 1997 https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa97.html 2026-02-24 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation BRA São PauloRoundARG River PlateOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResultBRA Flamengo2–3 (A)Matchday 1ARG Racing Club3–2 (H)ARG Vélez Sarsfield5–1 (H)Matchday 2BRA Santos3–2 (H)PAR Olimpia0–0 (A)Matchday 3BRA Vasco da Gama5–1 (H)BRA Flamengo1–0 (H)Matchday 4ARG Racing Club3–2 (A)ARG Vélez Sarsfield3–3 (A)Matchday 5BRA Santos1–2 (A)PAR Olimpia4–1 (H)Matchday 6BRA Vasco da Gama2–0 (A)note Vasco da Gama The match between Vasco da Gama and River Plate on 30 October was abandoned in the 70th minute after local fans tossed a rock that collisioned with linesman Juan Riquelme.River cambió la historia y se clasificó https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/river-cambio-la-historia-y-se-clasifico-nid79803/ La Nación 31 October 1997 24 December 2025Group 2 winner Group 2 yes no SAOFinal standingsGroup 3 winner Group 3 yes no RIVOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legCHI Colo-Colo4–13–1 (H)1–0 (A)Semi-finalsCOL Atlético Nacional3–22–0 (H)1–2 (A) São Paulo São Paulo entered the competition in the group stage. They were drawn in Group 2 alongside Flamengo, Olimpia and Vélez Sarsfield. São Paulo lost 3–2 their opening match at the Estádio do Maracanã, but proceeded to win their two following home fixtures, with a resounding victory against Vélez Sarsfield and a close 1–0 affair against their fellow Brazilian team Flamengo. After the latter failed to secure a 3–1 advantage on their fifth matchday, São Paulo were given the chance to qualify if they earned a victory in their final fixture. They would win 4–1 against Olimpia, topping their group and reaching the knockout stage.Supercopa Libertadores 1997 - Match Details https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa97det.html 2025-12-26 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Ciullini Pablo 2025-06-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20250625011408/https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/supcopa97det.html live Their opponent in the semi-finals would be Colo-Colo of Chile, who finished in first position of Group 1. The first leg would go 3–1 in favour of São Paulo at the Estádio do Morumbi, courtesy of goals from Fabiano, Víctor Aristizábal and Dodô. Colo-Colo would pull one back through Ivo Basay, who later had a penalty stopped by Rogério Ceni. The second leg at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano would also result in a São Paulo win, after Dodô scored the lone goal of the game in stoppage time. River Plate River Plate also entered the competition in the group stage. The draw determined they would be playing Vasco da Gama, Santos and Racing Club in Group 3. They would earn 12 points over their first four matchdays, following a pair of 3–2 home victories against Racing Club and Santos, a 5–1 rout against Vasco da Gama, and another 3–2 away win against their fellow Argentine side. A triumph at Santos' Vila Belmiro would have sent them into the semi-finals with a game to spare, but they were denied after sustaining a 2–1 loss. As a result, the first and second place of Group 3 were to be decided at Vasco da Gama's home ground. At the São Januário, River Plate earned a 2–0 victory that qualified them to the next stage. Their first knockout stage match would be against Atlético Nacional of Colombia, winners of Group 4. The opening leg played at River Plate's Estadio Monumental was won by the home side 2–0, after Chilean striker Marcelo Salas scored a brace in the first half. The return leg hosted at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot ended 2–1 to Atlético Nacional, but a 3–2 aggregate ensured the visitors reached the finals. First leg Summary thumb|338x338px|Serginho almost opened the scoring from an individual effort. The first leg was held at the Estádio do Morumbi, the home ground of São Paulo. The home side attempted to exert pressure from the first whistle, and had their first opportunity just two minutes into the match. Marcelinho Paraíba ran down his flank and crossed for Fabiano, who was unable to shoot on target. River Plate responded swiftly through right-back Hernán Díaz, whose delivery met Enzo Francescoli, although the striker also failed to capitalize.Con personalidad, River https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/con-personalidad-river-nid82309/ LA NACION 1997-12-05 2026-01-31 es Turin Ignacio 2026-02-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20260222022520/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/con-personalidad-river-nid82309/ live The visitors started to gradually prevail, as they pressed upon their opposition's build-up. Another scoring prospect arose for their side in the tenth minute, when Marcelo Salas, after a cross from Marcelo Gallardo, headed wide while unmarked. São Paulo were rendered unable to muster any attack, product of a lack of coordination and their opposition's reliance on fouls to prevent their efforts. They began to count on sporadic runs by full-backs Zé Carlos and Serginho to dictate their plays. The latter missed the last chance for his team in the opening half, when he shot wide across the goal in the 43rd minute.5 December 1997 São Paulo não passa do 0 a 0 contra o River https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fol/esp/s2046053.htm 2025-12-26 Folha de S.Paulo Moments later, River Plate were given an opportunity to score after Roberto Monserrat recovered possession of the ball. The midfielder sorted it out to Salas, whose cross to Francescoli was intercepted by Edmílson. The second half gave way to a São Paulo strategy that involved a more aggressive attacking approach, which ended up being mainly reliant on crosses. Just two minutes into the half, River Plate midfielder Sergio Berti received a straight red card following a disqualifying tackle on Fabiano. This prompted the visitors to renege from attacking, choosing instead to adopt a defensive scheme based on retaining possession and avoiding taking risks. Although a man up, São Paulo remained adamant on sending deliveries into the box, which centre-backs Celso Ayala and Eduardo Berizzo repeatedly repelled. In response, home side manager Darío Pereyra would sub in attacking midfielder Reinaldo for defender Álvaro, looking to better their offensive efforts and break the deadlock. As a result, Sidney was moved back to the defense, and the home side began to play with only one defensive midfielder. River Plate's Ramón Díaz immediately replied to this change. He substituted Francescoli for defender Diego Placente, as they continued to rely on a strong defensive effort in order to remain the score. São Paulo were unable to improve under the new formation, but they would have two last chances. At the 75-minute mark, Serginho followed up on an individual play by taking a shot that rattled the crossbar. Seven minutes later, a França shot hit the post. Their offensive game plan was unable to pose any further threat, and River Plate managed to hold on to the draw. Details December 4, 1997 21:40 -3 São Paulo BRA 0–0 RSSSF CONMEBOL ARG River Plate Estádio do Morumbi São Paulo 45,413 Mario Sánchez Yanten (Chile) _red_white_&_blackhorizontal3 _redbottom _whitestripe FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF 000000 São Paulo _riverplate9697a _river9698a _color_3_stripes_white D00000 D63232 D00000 000000 D00000 River Plate GK 1BRA Rogério Ceni (c)DF 13BRA Zé CarlosDF 15BRA EdmílsonDF 14BRA Álvaro 61DF 6BRA SerginhoMF 8BRA AlexandreMF 5BRA Sidney MF 7BRA FabianoMF 23BRA Marcelinho ParaíbaFW 9BRA França 85FW 10BRA DodôSubstitutes:MF 22BRA Reinaldo 61MF 19BRA Fábio Mello 85Manager:URU Darío Pereyra GK 1ARG Germán BurgosDF 4ARG Hernán DíazDF 2PAR Celso AyalaDF 6ARG Eduardo BerizzoDF 3ARG Juan Pablo Sorín 55MF 5ARG Leonardo Astrada 82MF 8ARG Roberto Monserrat MF 10ARG Marcelo Gallardo MF 11ARG Sergio Berti 0 48FW 7CHI Marcelo SalasFW 9URU Enzo Francescoli (c) 62Substitutes:MF 14ARG Marcelo Escudero 55MF 25ARG Diego Placente 62MF 15ARG Leonel Gancedo 82Manager:ARG Ramón Díaz Assistant refereesEduardo Gamboa (Chile)Jaime Alejandro Toro (Chile) Second leg Summary thumb|300x300px|Marcelo Salas scored twice to give River Plate the Supercopa trophy. At the Estadio Monumental, São Paulo started the game by applying pressure. Thanks to their superior ball control and fast-paced plays, they managed to funnel danger through Serginho and Alexandre, although failing to put any shots on target. Nonetheless, the first scoring chance fell to River Plate nearing the tenth minute; referee Ubaldo Aquino pointed to a handball by defender Álvaro after a cross, and awarded a penalty to the home side. Enzo Francescoli stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort was denied by Roger, who dived to his left. The São Paulo goalkeeper kept the match level once again in the 21st minute, when he prevented an own goal by teammate Edmílson.18 December 1997 River bate São Paulo e vence a Supercopa https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/1997/12/18/esporte/24.html 2025-12-26 Folha de S.Paulo Ribeiro Arnaldo At the half-hour mark, midfielder Marcelinho Paraíba was sent off as a result of an accumulation of cards, leaving the visitors a player down. However, both sides remained unable to score, and the half ended goalless.A River Plate ya no le falta nada... https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/mam-691682 El Tiempo 1997-12-18 2026-01-31 spanish 2020-09-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20200929052518/https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-691682 live During the interval, River Plate manager Ramón Díaz told his team to focus on getting behind the São Paulo full-backs, who kept pushing forward.1997: El título que más gocé https://www.elgrafico.com.ar/articulo/1090/35725/1997-el-titulo-que-mas-goce 2025-12-26 El Gráfico es Just a minute after the restart, pressing high earned them the opening goal as Marcelo Salas recovered possession and passed to Gallardo, who went on to orchestrate an attack. Gallardo then filtered the ball over to Francescoli, who looked up and sent a cross that Salas finished to give River Plate the lead.2020-12-17 El recuerdo de la Supercopa Sudamericana 1997 https://riverelmasgrande.com/contenido/9377/conquistando-la-copa-que-faltaba 2025-12-26 River, el más grande es Not long after, Aquino missed a possible penalty for São Paulo, and ruled instead a back pass to goalkeeper Germán Burgos, awarding a free kick inside the area.18 December 1997 Juiz dá título da Supercopa ao River Plate https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fol/esp/s2047411.htm 2025-12-26 Folha de S.Paulo The visitors went on to score from the set piece, but the goal was disallowed after the referee indicated Burgos had stepped forward before the play resumed. On the follow-up chance, São Paulo managed to equalise through Dodô, who unleashed a long-range shot to make it 1–1. Nonetheless, River Plate returned the favour with another swift response: in the 57th minute, Diego Placente anticipated a play in defense and played the ball for Salas, who controlled it past Edmílson and Álvaro, and then beat Roger, who had stepped forward to try to deny him.La Supercopa se mira y se toca El Gráfico December 1997 137 es 8 At the 75-minute mark, the home side were also reduced to ten players, as Leonardo Astrada received a second booking and was consequently sent off. In response, Ramón Díaz subbed in fellow midfielder Leonel Gancedo, as they looked to stabilize. They continued to create scoring prospects, following two efforts in quick succession from Salas and Juan Pablo Sorín, which Roger successfully fended off. Ultimately, neither team managed to score any further goals, and Aquino blew for full-time with the final result of 2–1 to River Plate. Details December 17, 1997 22:10 -3 River Plate ARG 2–1 RSSSF CONMEBOL BRA São Paulo Salas 46 57 Dodô 51 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires 59,180 Ubaldo Aquino (Paraguay) _threeredhoops _riverplate9697H _threeredhoops _red hoops adidas _color_3_stripes_red ffffff FFFFFF ffffff 000000 FFFFFF River Plate _spfc10a _spfc10A _spfc10a _redbottom _whitestripe ffffff 000000 São Paulo GK 1ARG Germán Burgos 50 DF 4ARG Hernán Díaz 33 DF 2PAR Celso Ayala 64 DF 6ARG Eduardo BerizzoDF 25ARG Diego Placente 81MF 5ARG Leonardo Astrada 2 75MF 8ARG Roberto MonserratMF 10ARG Marcelo Gallardo 86MF 3ARG Juan Pablo SorínFW 7CHI Marcelo SalasFW 9URU Enzo Francescoli (c) 22 77Substitutes:MF 15ARG Leonel Gancedo 77MF 14ARG Marcelo Escudero 81MF 21ARG Santiago Solari 86Manager:ARG Ramón Díaz GK 12BRA RogerDF 13BRA Zé CarlosDF 15BRA Edmílson 90 DF 14BRA Álvaro DF 6BRA Serginho (c)MF 8BRA Alexandre 6 82MF 5BRA Sidney MF 7BRA Fabiano 68MF 23BRA Marcelinho Paraíba 2 30 FW 24COL Víctor Aristizábal 60FW 10BRA DodôSubstitutes:MF 22BRA Reinaldo 60DF 2BRA Cláudio 68MF 19BRA Fábio Mello 82Manager:URU Darío Pereyra Assistant refereesBonifacio Nuñez (Paraguay)Nelson González (Paraguay) Post-match River Plate manager Ramón Díaz was euphoric after the win. In the midst of celebration, he stated: "This team is top-notch; it's a huge satisfaction to be a part of it. I owe everything to these players and to the fans." He also reflected on the game: "We showed what we're made of. We won by displaying great prowess in our football [...] Exactly how we meant to do it.""Macri debe estar en un baúl" https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/macri-debe-estar-en-un-baul-nid83385/ LA NACION 1997-12-18 2026-02-01 es Insúa Leonardo 2021-02-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20210225071021/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/macri-debe-estar-en-un-baul-nid83385/ live The São Paulo side, for their part, showed disappointment following the loss. Midfielder Paulo Silas, albeit unable to play in the match, criticized referee Ubaldo Aquino: "They didn't respect us. The referee gave the penalty from midfield. Even if we played for 15 hours, São Paulo wouldn't win this final. Aquino didn't deserve to referee this game." Darío Pereyra followed up by accusing the match official of underperforming: "I don't like to talk about the refereeing, but I can't help but say I was not satisfied at all with his performance." Chilean striker Marcelo Salas scored four goals during the Supercopa Libertadores knockout stages, allowing his team to be crowned champions of the tournament for the first time. In total, he had scored seven goals during the competition, placing just behind Ivo Basay on the top scoring list. Among other merits, one of them being the top scorer for River Plate in the 1997 Torneo Apertura, Salas won the South American Footballer of the Year award.El paso de Marcelo Salas por River Plate https://www.espn.com.ar/futbol/chile/nota/_/id/2260893/marcelo-salas-matador-carrera-paso-por-river-plate ESPN 2025-07-14 2026-01-31 es 2025-07-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20250716021827/https://www.espn.com.ar/futbol/chile/nota/_/id/2260893/marcelo-salas-matador-carrera-paso-por-river-plate live The finals of the Supercopa Libertadores occurred within a packed domestic schedule for River Plate, who were competing alongside Boca Juniors for the Torneo Apertura. Four days after the second leg, Salas would score on a 1–1 draw against Argentinos Juniors to steer one point clear of their second-placed rivals and win the Argentine league for the third consecutive time.Histórico: River se consagró tricampeón https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/historico-river-se-consagro-tricampeon-nid83725/ LA NACION 1997-12-22 2026-01-31 es Claudio Mauri 2022-05-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20220516075607/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/historico-river-se-consagro-tricampeon-nid83725/ live In turn, São Paulo had finished 12th in the first phase of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, and thus were unqualified to enter the league play-offs.Brazil 1997 https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/braz97.html 2025-12-26 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Leme de Arruda Marcelo Alvim Gonzalez Miguel Bovi Diogo Julio 2024-08-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20240814072910/https://rsssf.org/tablesb/braz97.html live See also 1997 Copa Libertadores finals 1997 São Paulo FC season São Paulo FC in international football Notes note References Category:Supercopa Libertadores finals Supercopa Libertadores Finals 1997 Supercopa Libertadores Finals 1997 Category:Football competitions in Buenos Aires 2 Category:1997 in Argentine football Category:1997 in Brazilian football Category:December 1997 sports events in South America Category:International sports competitions in Buenos Aires Category:International sports competitions in São Paulo Category:Football competitions in São Paulo (city) Category:20th century in São Paulo Category:1990s in Buenos Aires 1997 Category:Men's football matches in Brazil Category:Football matches in Argentina