Chile memories drive Vasco return to Santiago for Audax Italiano test | OneFootball

Vasco da Gama return to Santiago on Wednesday at 19:00 Brasília time to face Audax Italiano in the Copa Sul-Americana group stage. The meeting comes in the fourth round and in a city that carries some of the club’s proudest history.

According to Globo.com, the Chilean capital staged the “Expresso da Vitória” in 1948, when Vasco became the world’s first continental club champions, and did so unbeaten. Every match of that tournament was played at the Estadio Nacional, with Colo-Colo organising while FIFA, Conmebol and Uefa focused on national teams.

Fresh from an unbeaten state title, Vasco were invited to represent Brazil, their side underpinning the four-time Rio state select and featuring seven Brazil internationals who would go to the World Cup two years later. Even so, River Plate’s “La Máquina”, led by a young Di Stéfano, were fancied. Nacional, Emelec, Litoral and Municipal completed the single round-robin field.

Needing only a draw in the final game against River, Vasco held out for 0-0 and took Brazil’s first continental trophy home. The team were greeted with celebrations on their Rio return, and in 1996 Conmebol recognised the title. Two years later, a side featuring Pedrinho, Felipe, Carlos Germano, Mauro Galvão, Juninho, Donizete and Luizão won the Copa Libertadores.

Vasco’s first meeting with Chilean opposition was a 1-1 draw with Colo-Colo. The Audax tie will be their 16th match in the country, with a record of six wins, five draws and four defeats.

They had not visited Chile for eight years. In 2018’s Libertadores, they won 4-0 at Universidad Concepción in Concepción, their biggest away victory in the competition, then beat Universidad de Chile 2-0 at the Estadio Nacional in a direct fight for third place and a Sudamericana berth, with goals from Bruno Silva and Yago Pikachu.

Source: Globo.com