Brazil’s Fluminense will be able to use one of their strongest weapons against Ecuador’s LDU in the first game of the Libertadores Cup finals: striker Washington is confirmed on the team that will face LDU on Wednesday night in Quito.
Washington, the top scorer of his team, was suffering from muscle pain on his left thigh and was not confirmed for Wednesday’s game. Though he is not completely recovered, Washington will play.
Fluminense’s head coach Renato Gaucho will not make any changes for the upcoming game. He will use the same players of the past six matches: Fernando Henrique, Gabriel, Luiz Alberto, Thiago Silva, Junior Cesar; Ygor, Arouca, Dar o Conca, Ccero, Thiago Neves; Washington.
LDU’s headcoach Edgardo Bauza will also start with the team he has been using in the past games: Jose Cevallos, Guerron, Jairo Campos, Calle, Ambrossi, Araujo, Enrique Vera, Urrutia, Bolanos, Manso and Bieler.
Unlike the other Libertadores games, the away goal rule is not considered in the finals. If there is a tie in aggregate goals, there will be extra time.
LDU and Fluminense have already played twice in Libertadores Cup 2008: in Quito, they tied 1-1, and Fluminense won the home game.
Brazilian fans are confident that the positive results will be repeated not only because of the good results in the competition, but also because Wednesday is the 13th anniversary of one of the most emblematic victories of the team.
In the 1995 State Championship, Renato Gaucho, who is currently Fluminense head coach, assured the team’s victory with a belly goal. The fans believe that the memory of the 1995 game will give inspiration to the team.