Brazil's finest

Flamengo become Brazilian and South American champions in the same week

- Tim Vickery reports

Back in 2019, Flamengo began the era of Brazilian domination in the Copa Libertadores, snatching two late goals to beat Argentina's River Plate in the final in Lima. Six years later, the same city, and the same stadium, played host to another Flamengo triumph, as they overcame Palmeiras 1-0 in the duel of the titans, the race to become the first Brazilian side to accumulate four Libertadores titles.

Filipe Luis was the team's experienced left-back in 2019. Now he was the relatively inexperienced coach, savouring the most important win of his young career. As Flamengo turned the Peruvian capital into a Pacific version of Rio de Janeiro, Filipe Luis spoke of his satisfaction at “increasing the mystique of Lima”.

But an unforgettable game for Flamengo fans will not prove to be especially memorable for many others. The meeting of the two teams who have dominated Brazilian and South American football in recent times, the so-called “final of the century”, fell well short of expectations. The showpiece occasion was frequently dour and ugly, with only occasional outbreaks of something resembling top-class football.

A repeat of their recent free-flowing league meeting, won 3-2 by Flamengo, was always unlikely. But where that match was attractive, this one was attritional.

The key unknown going into the final was the approach of Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira. In that mid-October league game he had pressed high. A repeat was not probable, but this time he may well have gone too far the other way. Perhaps planning was thrown awry at the last minute, when Palmeiras found themselves stuck in traffic on the way to the ground - a hazard of using Univeritario's Monumental Stadium, which has a big capacity but is situated on the edge of town with only one road to take all the traffic.