Draw of death! Olimpia, River Plate and Boca in Vasco's path | OneFootball

Vasco will face a rematch with Olimpia of Paraguay in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 if they can get past Independiente Medellín in the playoff round. The Paraguayan side was in the same group as the Rio club in the previous stage, in a matchup where Renato Gaúcho’s team won 3-0 at home but ended up losing 3-1 away. If that group-stage clash had already been a traditional knockout tie in the Conmebol tournament, the Brazilians would have gone through thanks to a 4-3 aggregate score over the two matches.

+ Opponent set! Meet Independiente Medellín, Vasco’s rival in the Copa Sudamericana

Vasco faces a brutal path in the Sudamericana

The official draw held by the governing body mapped out a route considered extremely difficult by sports analysts on the way to the final. If they advance from the round of 16 by eliminating the Paraguayans, Vasco could run into traditional Argentine side River Plate as early as the quarterfinals. The Argentine club will face the winner of the playoff between Santa Fe and Caracas F.C. in the round of 16.

Also on Vasco’s side of the bracket are other traditional South American clubs such as Boca Juniors, São Paulo, and Grêmio, who could emerge as opponents in a potential semifinal.

Vasco has a tough bracket in its quest for the Sudamericana title – Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

Matchups on the other side of the bracket and possible final opponents

On the other side of the Copa Sudamericana bracket, the matchups also promise fireworks and will determine who could stand in Vasco’s way in a potential final. Atlético-MG is waiting for the winner of the playoff between Sporting Cristal and Red Bull Bragantino, while Santos will face Universidad Central and Botafogo will take on Lanús or Cienciano. Clubs such as Macará, Nacional of Uruguay, Tigre, and Montevideo City Torque are also in the mix on the opposite side of the continental competition.

If the club from São Januário can overcome all the giants on its side of the bracket and punch its ticket to the final, there is a strong chance of an all-Brazilian showdown. Vasco could play a historic final against Atlético-MG, Botafogo, or Santos if they confirm their status as favorites on the other side. The rules state that the playoffs will take place right after the break for the World Cup, between July 21 and 23 (first leg) and July 28 to 30 (second leg).

Complete Sudamericana bracket – Photo: Reproduction

+ Follow Papo na Colina on social media: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Google News.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.