River lose 1-0 but go to Libertadores final on aggregate
SHOWS: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RIVER PLATE COACH, MARCELO GALLARDO, SAYING:
"I'm hugely happy for our players, I'm hugely happy for our fans who must be really pleased, really pleased. Playing in another Copa Libertadores final and once again beating Boca and knocking them out - it hasn't quite hit me yet."
2. WHITE FLASH
3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RIVER PLATE COACH, MARCELO GALLARDO, SAYING:
"I take my hat off to this group of players who once again had the spirit and the hunger to keep going and today we're in the final once again. I congratulate them, it's a huge achievement, it's exciting. We're one step closer to seeing if we can once again win the final of the Copa Libertadores."
4. WHITE FLASH
5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOCA JUNIORS FORWARD, CARLOS TEVEZ, SAYING:
"Not all fans, when you lose against your biggest rival and don't make it through, would have the greatness to keep standing up and cheering you on. I'm proud to wear this shirt and be the captain of this club. The truth is that it hurts my soul that we couldn't give them [the fans] a better result."
6. WHITE FLASH
7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOCA JUNIORS COACH, GUSTAVO ALFARO, SAYING:
"We reached the semi-finals and you feel sorry for the players, sorry for the fans and for the dream that all our Boca supporters had of getting to play in a final, because ultimately it's losing against your biggest rival with all the significance that has."
STORY: Reigning champions River Plate qualified for the final of the Copa Libertadores 2-1 on aggregate on Tuesday (October 22) despite losing 1-0 and surviving a late onslaught by arch rivals Boca Juniors.
River won the first leg of the semi-final 2-0 at their home stadium earlier this month and were on the back foot for large parts of the match but it was not until the last few minutes that Boca threatened River's two-goal lead.
Substitute Jan Hurtado got on the end of Lisandro Lopez's commanding header with just 10 minutes left but the home side could not get the all-important equaliser.
The match, which came less than a year after violence interrupted the competition final between the same two clubs, was delayed for 15 minutes due to the amount of ticker tape on the pitch but passed without any major security incidents.
Last year the second leg of the final was moved to Spain after River fans attacked the Boca coach as it neared River Plate's Monumental stadium.
And in 2015 Boca were kicked out of the competition after their fans attacked the River players with pepper spray in the tunnel at half time of their last 16 tie.
Tuesday's result means that River meet either Flamengo or Gremio in the final planned for Santiago, Chile on Nov. 23.
The two Brazilian sides meet on Wednesday's second leg in Rio, with the tie balanced at 1-1 after the first leg in Porto Alegre.
It will be the third Copa Libertadores final in five years for River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo and the team's seventh final in total.
The Buenos Aires club won the title in 1986, 1996, 2015 and 2018.
