The 2011 Copa Libertadores de América (officially the 2011 Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. It was held from January 25 to June 22 of the same year. Brazilian club Internacional were the defending champion, but they were eliminated by Uruguayan team Peñarol in the round of 16. Internacional was succeeded by Brazilian club Santos, who won their third title after defeating Peñarol in the two-legged finals. Santos qualified to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana.
Qualified teams Starting from 2011, the most recent Copa Sudamericana champion would earn a berth in the tournament. However, the country of the Copa Sudamericana champion would not gain an extra berth. The Copa Sudamericana champion would take the lowest-placed berth already assigned to the country if they did not qualify for the Copa Libertadores through domestic performance.
AssociationTeam Entry stageQualification method ArgentinaArgentinos Juniors Second Stage2010 Clausura championEstudiantes 2010 Apertura championVélez Sársfield 2010 tournaments aggregate table best non-championGodoy Cruz 2010 tournaments aggregate table 2nd best non-championIndependiente First Stage2010 Copa Sudamericana champion BoliviaJorge Wilstermann Second Stage2010 Apertura championOriente Petrolero 2010 Clausura championBolívar First Stage2010 Clausura runner-up BrazilInternacional Second Stage2010 Copa Libertadores de América championSantos 2010 Copa do Brasil championFluminense 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A championCruzeiro 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-upCorinthians First Stage2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd placeGrêmio 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th place ChileUniversidad Católica Second Stage2010 Primera División championColo-Colo 2010 Primera División round 1 leaderUnión Española First Stage2010 Primera División Liguilla winner ColombiaJunior Second Stage2010 Apertura championOnce Caldas 2010 Finalización championDeportes Tolima First Stage2010 Primera A aggregate table best non-champion EcuadorLDU Quito Second Stage2010 Serie A championEmelec 2010 Serie A runner-upDeportivo Quito First Stage2010 Serie A 3rd place ParaguayLibertad Second Stage2010 Primera División aggregate table best championGuaraní 2010 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best championCerro Porteño First Stage2010 Primera División aggregate table best non-champion PeruUniversidad San Martín Second Stage2010 Descentralizado championLeón de Huánuco 2010 Descentralizado runner-upAlianza Lima First Stage2010 Descentralizado aggregate table best non-finalist UruguayPeñarol Second Stage2009–10 Primera División championNacional 2009–10 Primera División runner-upLiverpool First Stage2009–10 Primera División aggregate table best non-finalist VenezuelaCaracas Second Stage2009–10 Primera División championDeportivo Táchira 2009–10 Primera División runner-upDeportivo Petare First Stage2009–10 Primera División aggregate table best non-finalist Mexico(CONCACAF)3 inviteesAmérica Second Stage2010 Apertura classification phase best eligible teamSan Luis 2010 Apertura classification phase 2nd best eligible teamChiapas First Stage2010 Apertura classification phase 3rd best eligible team
Draw The draw for the 2011 Copa Libertadores was held on November 25, 2010, in Asunción.Estelar Sorteo de la Copa Santander Libertadores de América 2011 The drawing procedure for the 12 teams in the first stage was to alternatively draw a team from each pot. The drawing procedure for the 26 teams in the second stage was to draw out the pots beginning with Pot 1. One team from each pot would be placed, in the order of being drawn, into one of eight groups from 1 to 8. When drawing from Pot 3, if a team had been placed in a group where a team from the same football association was already placed, they were moved to the subsequent group until they were no longer in a group with a team from the same association. However, a first stage winner may be drawn with a team from the same association in the second stage.
For the first time, the seeded teams for the second stage were changed. Up until 2010, the 8 seeded teams included the reigning champion, and clubs from the football associations of Argentina and Brazil. For 2011, the seeded teams consisted of berths 1 from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and berths 2 from Argentina and Brazil. The reigning champion–Internacional–was berth 1 for Brazil. For 2012, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay would all have their berth 1 teams be seeded teams instead of the berth 1 teams from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
Prior to the draw, it was announced that Caracas would be one of the eight seeded teams. During the draw, however, Deportivo Táchira was accidentally drawn as the seeded team for Group 4 and Caracas was drawn into Group 5 as a non-seeded team. After the ceremony, CONMEBOL recognized their error and transferred Caracas over to Group 4 and Deportivo Táchira over to Group 5.
First stagePot 1Pot 2 Independiente1 Corinthians1 Grêmio1 Unión Española1 Cerro Porteño1 Chiapas1 Bolívar1 Deportes Tolima1 Deportivo Quito1 Alianza Lima1 Liverpool Deportivo Petare
Second stagePot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4 Internacional Argentinos Juniors Estudiantes1 Santos Junior LDU Quito1 Universidad San Martín1 Caracas Jorge Wilstermann Oriente Petrolero1 Universidad Católica1 Colo-Colo1 Libertad1 Guaraní1 Peñarol Nacional Vélez Sársfield1 Godoy Cruz1 Fluminense1 Cruzeiro1 Once Caldas1 Emelec1 León de Huánuco1 Deportivo TáchiraWinner 1 Winner 2 Winner 3 Winner 4 Winner 5 Winner 6 América San Luis 1Teams had not yet fully qualified to the specific berth when the draw took place.
Schedule All dates listed are Wednesdays, but matches may be played on the day before (Tuesdays) and after (Thursdays) as well.
Stage First leg Second leg First stage January 26 February 2 Second stageFebruary 9, 16, 23 March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 April 6, 13, 20 Round of 16 April 27 May 4 Quarter-finals May 11 May 18 Semi-finals May 25 June 1 Finals June 15 June 22
First stage
The First Stage began on January 25 and ended on February 3. Team 1 played the second leg at home.
TeamsScoresTie-breakersTeam 1Team 21st leg2nd legDeportes Tolima 4:1 Corinthians0–02–0———Chiapas 4:0 Alianza Lima2–02–0———Deportivo Petare 1:4 Cerro Porteño0–11–1———Unión Española 4:1 Bolívar1–00–0———Deportivo Quito 3:3 Independiente0–21–0−1:+1——Grêmio 4:1 Liverpool2–23–1———
Second stage
The Second Stage, played in home-and-away round-robin format, began on February 9 and ended on April 20. The top two teams from each group qualified for the knockout stages.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Knockout stages
The last four stages of the tournament (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals), played in home-and-away two-legged format, form a single-elimination tournament, contested by the sixteen teams which advance from the Second Stage.Copa Santander Libertadores de América 2011 Reglamento In each tie, the team with the higher seed will play at home in the second leg.
Seeding The 16 qualified teams are seeded in the knockout stages according to their results in the second stage, with the group winners seeded 1–8, and the group runners-up seeded 9–16. The teams were ranked by: 1. Points (Pts); 2. Goal difference (GD); 3. Goals scored (GF); 4. Away goals (AG); 5. Drawing of lots.
+Teams qualified as a group winnerSeedTeam 1 Cruzeiro 16 +19 20 5 2 Libertad 14 +8 13 4 3 Internacional 13 +11 14 5 4 Junior 13 +2 9 4 5 Cerro Porteño 11 +5 13 6 6 Universidad Católica 11 +2 11 8 7 LDU Quito 10 +8 12 2 8 América 10 +1 8 3+Teams qualified as a group runner-upSeedTeam 9 Santos 11 +3 11 4 10 Vélez Sársfield 10 +5 12 4 11 Grêmio 10 +3 9 2 12 Estudiantes 10 −2 9 3 13 Chiapas 9 −2 6 1 14 Peñarol 9 −5 6 3 15 Fluminense 8 0 9 4 16 Once Caldas 7 −1 7 5
Bracket
Round of 16 The Round of 16 began on April 26 and ended on May 5. Team 1 played the second leg at home.
TeamsScoresTie-breakersTeam 1Team 21st leg2nd legCruzeiro 3:3 Once Caldas2–10–2−1:+1——Libertad 3:3 Fluminense1–33–0 +1:−1——Internacional 1:4 Peñarol1–11–2———Junior 2:2 Chiapas1–13–30:01:3—Cerro Porteño 2:2 Estudiantes0–00–00:00:05–3Universidad Católica 6:0 Grêmio2–11–0———LDU Quito 0:6 Vélez Sársfield0–30–2———América 1:4 Santos0–10–0———
Quarter-finals The Quarterfinals began on May 11 and ended on May 19. Team 1 played the second leg at home.
TeamsScoresTie-breakersTeam 1Team 21st leg2nd legLibertad 0:6 Vélez Sársfield 0–32–4———Cerro Porteño 2:1 Chiapas1–11–0———Universidad Católica 3:3 Peñarol0–22–1−1:+1——Santos 2:1 Once Caldas1–01–1———
Semi-finals The Semi-finals began on May 25 and ended on June 2. Team 1 played the second leg at home.
TeamsScoresTie-breakersTeam 1Team 21st leg2nd legCerro Porteño 3:4 Santos0–13–3———Vélez Sársfield 3:3 Peñarol0–12–10:00:1—
Finals
The Finals were played over two legs, with the higher-seeded team playing the second leg at home. If the teams were tied on points and goal difference at the end of regulation in the second leg, the away goals rule would not be applied and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the title would be decided by penalty shootout.
Santos won on points 2-1.
Copa Libertadores de América2011 ChampionSantosThird Title
Top goalscorers Pos Player Club Goals 1 Roberto Nanni Cerro Porteño 7 Wallyson Cruzeiro 7 3 Neymar Santos 6 Lucas Pratto Universidad Católica 6 5 Maximiliano Moralez Vélez Sársfield 5 Juan Manuel Olivera Peñarol 5 Wason Rentería Once Caldas 5 8 Carlos Bacca Junior 4 Douglas Grêmio 4 Jonathan Fabbro Cerro Porteño 4 Augusto Fernández Vélez Sársfield 4 Leandro Damião Internacional 4 Franco Niell Argentinos Juniors 4 Esteban Paredes Colo-Colo 4 Nicolás Pavlovich Libertad 4 Rafael Moura Fluminense 4 Santiago Silva Vélez Sársfield 4 Thiago Ribeiro Cruzeiro 4
Awards
Best Player +PlayerTeamNotesNeymar Santos
Player of the week WeekPlayerTeamNotes4 Walter Montillo Cruzeiro5 Patricio Rodríguez Independiente6 Juan Manuel Olivera Peñarol7 Luis Carlos Cabezas Caracas8 Carlos Bacca Junior9 José Luis Villanueva Universidad Católica10 Thiago Ribeiro Cruzeiro11 Roberto Nanni Cerro Porteño12 Hernán Barcos LDU Quito13 Jonathan Fabbro Cerro Porteño14 Lucas Pratto Universidad Católica15 Dayro Moreno Once Caldas16 Juan Manuel Martínez Vélez Sársfield17 Maximiliano Moralez Vélez Sársfield18 Darío Rodríguez Peñarol
See also 2011 FIFA Club World Cup 2011 Copa Sudamericana 2012 Recopa Sudamericana 2011 U-20 Copa Libertadores
References
External links Official webpage