BUENOS AIRES — Argentina's River Plate completed the most remarkable transformation in the team's history Wednesday when it beat Mexican club Tigres 3-0 to guarantee its third Libertadores Cup triumph. The win came four years after the Buenos Aires club was relegated for the first time in over a century and means that under the stewardship of Marcelo Gallardo it now holds both of South America's top club competitions, having won the Copa Sudamericana in December. “The history of this club is about fighting for these kind of competitions,” said midfielder Leonardo Ponzio. “Today is the greatest that you can achieve as a club and we did it.” Lucas Alario, the 22-year old striker who only joined the club in July, got the opener on the stroke of half time when he dived to glance home a curling cross from Leonel Vangioni. Carlos Sanchez was felled in the penalty box with 74 minutes gone and then hammered the spot kick past Nahuel Guzman before Ramiro Funes Mori guaranteed the victory when he rose to head home a corner four minutes later. The result gave River a 3-0 aggregate victory after the first leg in Monterrey ended scoreless. The match was scrappy with 44 fouls and nine yellow cards but River was superior throughout in constant rain and heavy conditions at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The result gives River their third Libertadores title, the South American equivalent of Europe's Champions League, following triumphs in 1986 and 1996 and means it will travel to FIFA's Club World Cup in December. River won the tournament in spite of being the last-placed of the 16 teams that qualified for the knock out phase in April. It only advanced into the quarter-finals after its arch rivals Boca Juniors were disqualified from the tournament when a Boca fan attacked River players in the tunnel at half time in the second leg. It lost the home leg of the quarterfinals against Cruzeiro but destroyed the Brazilians 3-0 in Belo Horizonte, before overcoming Paraguayan side Guarani, the surprise package of the competition, in the semifinals. The final was a particular triumph for manager Gallardo, who played for the club when it beat Colombian side America of Cali to win the title in 1996. Gallardo was barred from the dugout after being sent off in the first leg but joined the team as it rode around the stadium in an open-topped bus. Thousands of River fans stayed behind to watch and thousands more congregated in the center of Buenos Aires to celebrate the win. “They deserved it,” said Rafael Sobis, a Tigres player who won the trophy twice with Brazilian side Internacional. “They should enjoy it. Life goes on.” — Reuters
