Copa Libertadores 2014: Score and Recap for Nacional vs. San Lorenzo

The opening leg of the 2014 Copa Libertadores final between Paraguay's Nacional de Asuncion and Argentinian club San Lorenzo was held on Wednesday at Estadio Defensores del Chaco.

After a hard-fought first half that ended in a scoreless gridlock, the hosting Tricolor looked like they would succumb to their superior opponents. A reprieve arrived just in time, courtesy of Julio Santa Cruz's last-minute goal at 90'+3' to provide the equaliser and a 1-1 draw.

Santa Cruz roofed it on the short right side with just 20 seconds remaining in the three minutes of allotted stoppage time. A beautiful header from Fredy Bareiro made the goal possible, because Santa Cruz didn't touch the ball until his monumental strike.

Before the match, veteran defender and team captain Raul Piris commented on what it meant for the underdog Paraguayan squad just to make it to this juncture of the tournament, per FIFA.com:

"

I'm really happy, because I know how hard it is to [fulfill] certain dreams in football. I used to watch the teams that made it to the final on TV and it was always the big boys. Now I know that if you show dedication, hard work and humility, anyone can do it. We knew what a big ask it was, but here we are.

"

San Lorenzo had dominated Bolivar 5-1 in two legs of the semifinals, so Piris and Co. knew it was going to be a tall task to seize the initial advantage, particularly with a trophy at stake on the road next. Even in the midst of that adversity, the Nacional defence staved off San Lorenzo's attack in playing inspired football for the first 45 minutes or so.

But as Goal.com's Tom Webber implied at the intermission, the Azulgrana were dictating the pace on the pitch:

With the way the impassioned fans were supporting Nacional despite how one-sided possession often was, that mindset was evident throughout this fixture. However, the visitors deserve credit for entering a hostile environment and nearly coming out on top.

Part of what allowed the heavy favourites to dominate the match was strong play in the midfield, particularly from Nestor Ortigoza. Bleacher Report's Jerrad Peters was impressed:

At around the 61st minute, a set-piece chance came off a corner kick when central midfielder Silvio Torales saw a header go just wide of the mark.

Not long thereafter, the near-crushing blow came from San Lorenzo striker Mauro Matos. He found the back of the net at approximately 65' off a cross from prodigious 20-year-old playmaker Hector Villalba that made like a magnet to Matos' right foot before the finish.

This ESPN Datos graphic illustrates how it took 15 passes for the ball to get to Matos' foot for the eventual winner, which he put in the lower left corner past Nacional goalkeeper Ignacio Oscar Don:

ESPN FC's Sam Kelly interjected with a key reminder, which gives Nacional fans some solace:

But scant chances were available for the home team to even fathom notching the equaliser. Kelly implied that in his analysis of the remainder of the match:

Then Santa Cruz managed the improbable tying goal to turn this Copa Libertadores upside down.

It was going to be a challenge as it was just for Nacional to have any edge for when the final's second leg heads back to Buenos Aires this next Wednesday. What hurts San Lorenzo is that crafty winger Ignacio Piatti won't be in action for the finale, since he's obligated to join MLS' Montreal Impact, per BBC World Service's Juan Arango:

All San Lorenzo needed was a draw, and they played that way from the beginning, even if it was a bit disappointing in the end. The club from Paraguay has shown a lot of heart to keep it close, but Argentina will likely be celebrating their 23rd Copa Libertadores champion soon enough.

Manager Edgardo Bauza must make sure his players don't come out too complacent playing at home next week, though they shouldn't based on how this first leg ended.

There should be some concern about their failure to capitalize on chances against the stout Paraguayan defence too. As long as some adjustments are made and tweaks to the attack are implemented, though, San Lorenzo should handle business at Estadio Pedro Bidegain and come out on top.

Note: Statistics are courtesy of ESPNFC.us.