What W.O. means and how it works after Flamengo’s Libertadores ruling | OneFootball

Conmebol confirmed on Thursday a W.O. win for Flamengo, awarding the points after the cancelled Libertadores match against Independiente Medellín in Colombia.

W.O. abbreviates the English words “walk” and “over”, a term used in sport to denote an effortless victory. The phrase is said to have originated in United States horse racing, when a lone entrant still had to complete the course to be declared the winner.

In football, a W.O. applies when a team fails to show, when a side drops below seven players, or when a match is cancelled through the home club’s responsibility. That latter scenario covered Independiente Medellín after disorder caused by their supporters at the stadium.

In all such cases, the opponent receives three points and a 3-0 result, regardless of any score at the time of stoppage. Those three goals count towards the club’s competition tally, but they do not accrue to individual players.

Flamengo had expected the ruling based on Conmebol precedents in the Libertadores and the Sudamericana. The three points secure first place in their group and the advantage of hosting the last-16 second leg at the Maracanã.

Source: Globo.com