Cruzeiro challenges history in South America in search of continental recovery

Cruzeiro challenges history in South America in search of continental recovery < In Attack

Cruzeiro prepares for decisive games in Mineiro and Sul-Americana
(photo: Alexandre Guzanshe/EM/DA Press)

Cruzeiro’s campaign in search of the unprecedented Copa Sudamericana title begins this week. In 2024, Raposa will compete in the tournament for the seventh time in its history.

Despite having seven international victories and a lot of tradition in Conmebol competitions, the celestial team never had a great campaign in the South American Championship. In all the editions they played, Cruzeiro was eliminated in the first phase or in the round of 16.

To have a positive performance this season, the Minas Gerais team will have to break this writing that has lasted since 2003, when the tournament was created.

At that time, the Sudamericana had a more modest prize pool and did not offer a place for the Copa Libertadores the following year. Therefore, there was less interest from Brazilian clubs in competing for the trophy, which has increased in value in the last decade.

Who is Cruzeiro’s opponent in the debut?

Raposa starts the South American Championship against Universidad Católica, on Thursday, starting at 9pm, at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium, in Quito, Ecuador.

Group B members

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Catholic University, Quito, Ecuador
Unión La Calera, from La Calera, Chile
Alianza FC, from Valledupar, Colombia

Dispute format

Currently, Brazilian teams enter directly into the group stage of the South American Championship. The leader of each of the eight groups advances to the round of 16, while the second-placed teams must compete in a repechage stage against teams eliminated in the Libertadores.

Fox Campaigns in South America

2003: eliminated in the first phase
2004: eliminated by Internacional in the round of 16
2005: eliminated by Vélez Sarsfield, from Argentina, in the round of 16
2006: eliminated by Santos in the first phase
2007: eliminated by Goiás in the first phase
2017: eliminated by Nacional, from Paraguay, in the first phase

In five of these seven editions, Cruzeiro was eliminated in the first phase. The exceptions occurred in 2004, when he moved from Goiás before facing Inter; and 2005, the year in which they eliminated Juventude in the stage before the clash with Vélez.

Fasting from international achievements

The last 25 years have been fast for Cruzeiro. The club’s last international achievement was the 1998 Recopa Sul-Americana, whose finals against River Plate were only played between August and September 1999.

Since then, Raposa’s history has been one of early eliminations. Cruzeiro only reached one South American final in the 21st century. In 2009, the star team lost the Copa Libertadores final to Estudiantes.