Centenary Ambitions Crushed

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

2009 was drawing to a close, and the new year was around the corner. 2010 signaled the start of a new decade, and a time of celebration for fans of Corinthians. The new year completed the club’s one hundredth year of existence, and celebrations were in order. Since its establishment, Corinthians has grown to be one of the most storied clubs in Brazilian football, boasting the second biggest fan base in the country, and an impressive trophy cabinet. Yet, that trophy haul had one piece missing. A trophy Corinthians didn’t have, yet one all their state rivals possessed. For all their success, Corinthians had never won South America’s premier club competition, the Copa Santander Libertadores,

Thus, with all the festivities that were planned, the Copa Libertadores trophy was the set piece that every Corinthiano wanted to grace the party. What better way to mark one hundred years of existence? The club had gained automatic entry into the group stages of the competition by winning the 2009 Copa do Brasil. Now, it was time to conquer it, for the fans, for the club, for history.

(Source: philosofooty)