Atletico Mineiro won the Libertadores Cup for the first time on Wednesday by beating three-time champions Olimpia 4-3 in a shootout after their two-leg final ended 2-2 on aggregate.
Central defender Leonardo Silva scored once in normal time and netted the Brazilian side’s fourth penalty before midfielder Matias Gimenez shot Olimpia’s fifth against the post to spark wild celebrations by a 60,000 crowd at the Mineirao in Belo Horizonte. Victor had saved Olimpia’s first kick.
Trailing 2-0 from
the first leg defeat in Asuncion last week, Atletico pulled a goal back through Jo in the 46th minute then levelled the aggregate score when Leonardo Silva headed home three minutes from the end of normal time.
Olimpia’s Julio Manzur was sent off in the 85th minute, leaving the Paraguayan side a man short for the whole of extra time, but neither team could deliver another goal.
It marked a fourth successive Brazilian victory in South America’s elite club competition and put Atletico into the Club World Cup in December.
‘It was the title I was missing. I came back to Brazil for this. Everyone said I was finished, let them talk now,’ Atletico’s talismanic playmaker
Ronaldinho told reporters on the pitch, who had
been due to take his
team’s fifth penalty if necessary.
With the victory, Ronaldinho joined a select group of players to have lifted the South American and European club titles after winning the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006.
‘We should have settled the tie in first half but we’re proud to be vice-champions of South America,’ the Paraguayan side’s coach Ever Almeida, who won the title twice as a player with Olimpia, told Fox Sports.
Atletico had already made remarkable recoveries in the previous two rounds, owing their survival to a penalty save by goalkeeper Victor in
the dying seconds of the quarter-final against
Tijuana and another in the semi-final shootout
victory over Newell’s Old Boys.
Victor gave Atletico
the ideal start in the shootout on Wednesday, saving from defender Herminio Miranda and Atletico converted all four of theirs.
‘When it’s written, it’s written, this was meant for us,’ said Altetico coach Cuca.
While Atletico’s players were receiving their medals and the trophy, some fans ran onto the pitch of the newly-refurbished World Cup stadium and almost got into a fight with Olimpia players but stewards controlled the situation.

ROLL OF HONOUR
(Last 10 years)
Year Winners Runners-up
2004 Once Caldas Boca Juniors
2005 Sao Paulo Atletico Paranaense
2006 Internacional Sao Paulo
2007 Boca Juniors Gremio
2008 LDU Quito Fluminense
2009 Estudiantes Cruzeiro
2010 Internacional Guadalajara
2011 Santos Penarol
2012 Corinthians Boca Juniors
2013 Atletico Mineiro Olimpia