Argentina’s San Lorenzo on Wednesday won the Copa Libertadores with a 1-0 win at home to Paraguay’s Nacional in the second leg of the final’s two-game series, giving the Buenos Airesclub a 2-1 win on aggregate. Following a handball in the box, Nestor Ortigoza converted a penalty in the 36th minute to give San Lorenzo the first major international title in its 106-yearhistory.
“This is a historic triumph, we are immensely happy,” coach Edgardo Bauza said after the game. “The team was very nervous, we didn’t play very well, especially in the firsthalf.” Nevertheless, he added: “We had to win it and we did. We found a way.”
The title gives the 12-time Argentine champion a spot in FIFA’s Club World Cup in December.
As theAssociated Press points out, San Lorenzo has one of the biggest fan bases in Argentina. When the club won the league title in Argentina last year, devoted fan Pope Francis hosted theteam in the Vatican and publicly hoisted the trophy in St. Peter’s Square.