The 2014 Copa Libertadores de América (officially the 2014 Copa Bridgestone Libertadores for sponsorship reasons) was the 55th edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. Atlético Mineiro were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Atlético Nacional in the round of 16.
In the finals, Argentine team San Lorenzo defeated Paraguayan team Nacional 2–1 on aggregate to win their first title, and earned the right to play in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2015 Recopa Sudamericana. The streak of four successive tournaments won by a Brazilian team was broken; in fact, none of the four semifinalists were from Brazil (first time since 1991, and the first finals since 2004 to not feature a Brazilian team) or had reached the final before.
Qualified teams AssociationTeam Entry stageQualification method ArgentinaVélez Sarsfield Second stage2012–13 Primera División super championNewell's Old Boys 2013 Torneo Final championSan Lorenzo 2013 Torneo Inicial championArsenal 2012–13 Copa Argentina championLanús First stage2013 Copa Sudamericana champion BoliviaBolívar Second stage2013 Clausura championThe Strongest 2013 Apertura championOriente Petrolero First stage2013 Clausura runner-up BrazilAtlético Mineiro Second stage2013 Copa Libertadores championCruzeiro 2013 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A championFlamengo 2013 Copa do Brasil championGrêmio 2013 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-upAtlético Paranaense First stage2013 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd placeBotafogo 2013 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th place ChileUnión Española Second stage2013 Transición championO'Higgins 2013 Apertura championUniversidad de Chile First stage2013 Apertura Liguilla winner ColombiaAtlético Nacional Second stage2013 Apertura champion and 2013 Finalización championDeportivo Cali 2013 Primera A aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedSanta Fe First stage2013 Primera A aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified EcuadorEmelec Second stage2013 Serie A championIndependiente del Valle 2013 Serie A runner-upDeportivo Quito First stage2013 Serie A aggregate table best team not yet qualified MexicoSantos Laguna Second stage2013 Apertura classification phase best team not qualified for 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions LeagueLeón 2013 Apertura classification phase 2nd best team not qualified for 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions LeagueMorelia First stage2013 Apertura classification phase 3rd best team not qualified for 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League ParaguayCerro Porteño Second stage2013 Primera División tournament champion with better record in aggregate tableNacional 2013 Primera División tournament champion with worse record in aggregate tableGuaraní First stage2013 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualified PeruUniversitario Second stage2013 Descentralizado championReal Garcilaso 2013 Descentralizado runner-upSporting Cristal First stage2013 Descentralizado aggregate table best team not yet qualified UruguayPeñarol Second stage2012–13 Primera División championDefensor Sporting 2012–13 Primera División runner-upNacional First stage2012–13 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualified VenezuelaZamora Second stage2012–13 Primera División championDeportivo Anzoátegui 2012–13 Primera División runner-upCaracas First stage2012–13 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualified
Draw
The draw of the tournament was held on December 12, 2013, in Luque, Paraguay.
For the first stage, the 12 teams were drawn into six ties containing a team from Pot 1 and a team from Pot 2, with the former hosting the second leg. The seeding of each team was determined by which associations reached the furthest stage in the previous Copa Libertadores.
Pot 1Pot 2 Lanús Atlético Paranaense Botafogo Santa Fe Guaraní Nacional Oriente Petrolero Universidad de Chile Deportivo Quito Morelia Sporting Cristal Caracas
For the second stage, the 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four containing one team from each of the four seeding pots. The seeding of each team was determined by their association and qualifying berth (as per the rotational agreement established by CONMEBOL, the teams which qualified through berths 1 from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela were seeded into Pot 1 for odd-numbered years, while the teams which qualified through berths 1 from Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay were seeded into Pot 1 for even-numbered years). Teams from the same association in Pots 1 and 2 could not be drawn into the same group. However, a first stage winner, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw, could be drawn into the same group with another team from the same association.
Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4 Vélez Sarsfield Newell's Old Boys Atlético Mineiro Cruzeiro Bolívar Unión Española Cerro Porteño Peñarol San Lorenzo Arsenal Flamengo Grêmio The Strongest O'Higgins Nacional Defensor Sporting Atlético Nacional Deportivo Cali Emelec Independiente del Valle Universitario Real Garcilaso Zamora Deportivo Anzoátegui Santos Laguna León First stage winner G1 First stage winner G2 First stage winner G3 First stage winner G4 First stage winner G5 First stage winner G6
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (all dates listed are Wednesdays, but matches may be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well). There was a two-month break between the quarterfinals and semifinals due to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
StageFirst legSecond legFirst stageJanuary 29February 5Second stageFebruary 12, 19, 26March 12, 19, 26April 2, 9Round of 16April 16, 23April 23, 30QuarterfinalsMay 7May 14SemifinalsJuly 23July 30FinalsAugust 6August 13
First stage
In the first stage, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule was used. If still tied, the penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (no extra time was played). The winners of each tie advanced to the second stage to join the 26 automatic qualifiers.
Second stage
In the second stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. Each team earned 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. If tied on points, the following criteria were used to determine the ranking: 1. Goal difference; 2. Goals scored; 3. Away goals scored; 4. Drawing of lots. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Knockout stages
In the knockout stages, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the following rules: Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. However, CONMEBOL required that the second leg of the finals must be played in South America, i.e., a finalist from Mexico must host the first leg regardless of seeding. In the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule was used. If still tied, the penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (no extra time was played). In the finals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule was not used, and 30 minutes of extra time was played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner. If there were two semifinalists from the same association, they must play each other.
Seeding
Bracket
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule was not used, and 30 minutes of extra time was played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner.
San Lorenzo won 2–1 on aggregate.
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerTeamGoals1 Julio dos Santos Cerro Porteño5 Nicolás Olivera Defensor Sporting53 Daniel Angulo Independiente del Valle4 Mauro Boselli León4 Bruno Rodrigo Cruzeiro4 Juanmi Callejón Bolívar4 Gustavo Canales Unión Española4 Luis Miguel Escalada Emelec4 Juan Manuel Falcón Zamora4 Felipe Gedoz Defensor Sporting4 Jô Atlético Mineiro4 Omar Pérez Santa Fe4 Ricardo Goulart Cruzeiro4 Junior Sornoza Independiente del Valle4 Wallyson Botafogo4
Team of the Season Source:
PositionPlayerTeamGoalkeeper Ignacio Don NacionalDefenders Emmanuel Mas San Lorenzo Santiago Gentiletti San Lorenzo Stefan Medina Atlético Nacional Julio Buffarini San LorenzoMidfielders Silvio Torales Nacional Juan Ignacio Mercier San Lorenzo Sherman Cárdenas Atlético NacionalForwards Ignacio Piatti San Lorenzo Nicolás Olivera Defensor Sporting William Ferreira Bolívar
See also 2014 FIFA Club World Cup 2014 Copa Sudamericana 2015 Recopa Sudamericana
References
External links
Copa Libertadores 2014, CONMEBOL.com