Fortaleza has nothing to lose and everything to prove
En las orillas del Río de la Plata, dos clubes sudamericanos se preparan para disputar una final que condensa décadas de ambición continental: Liga de Quito, portadora de una historia de títulos internacionales, y Fortaleza, un club brasileño que llega por primera vez a esta cima. El sábado 28 de octubre, en el Estadio Domingo Burgueño Miguel de Uruguay, se resolverá quién escribe el próximo capítulo de la Copa Sudamericana 2023. Para uno será la confirmación de una dinastía; para el otro, el nacimiento de una nueva era.
- LDU Quito llega como favorito con cinco títulos internacionales en su historia y una goleada 3-0 sobre Defensa y Justicia que mostró su poderío ofensivo, con Paolo Guerrero como figura.
- Fortaleza desafía las expectativas tras eliminar al gigante Corinthians con un contundente 3-1 en el global, demostrando que su presencia en la final no es casualidad.
- El estadio uruguayo de apenas 22.000 localidades será el escenario de una disputa donde cinco millones de dólares esperan al campeón y dos millones al subcampeón.
- LDU ya pisó suelo uruguayo desde el jueves temprano, con Guerrero al frente del grupo, entrenando y realizando la inspección del campo para llegar en óptimas condiciones.
- El partido arranca a las 3 p.m. hora Ecuador y se transmitirá por DirecTV Sports, ESPN y Star Plus, con toda Sudamérica como testigo de este duelo continental.
Faltan dos días para que Liga de Quito y Fortaleza se enfrenten en la final de la Copa Sudamericana 2023, el sábado 28 de octubre en el Estadio Domingo Burgueño Miguel de Uruguay, un recinto con capacidad para 22.000 espectadores que acogerá la segunda competición de clubes más importante del continente.
LDU llega como favorito con una historia continental envidiable: campeón de la Copa Libertadores en 2008, de la Sudamericana en 2009 y de la Recopa en dos ocasiones consecutivas. Esta será su octava final continental. En semifinales, el equipo ecuatoriano liquidó a Defensa y Justicia con un global de 3-0, con Paolo Guerrero como protagonista al anotar dos goles. El delantero también encabezó la delegación que viajó a Uruguay el jueves, donde el equipo entrenará y realizará la inspección del estadio antes del partido.
Fortaleza, por su parte, llega por primera vez a una final de esta magnitud tras protagonizar una de las sorpresas del torneo: eliminar a Corinthians, uno de los favoritos, con un 3-1 en el global. El club brasileño busca su primer título continental mayor, lo que convierte este encuentro en una historia de consagración frente a una de continuidad histórica.
El ganador recibirá cinco millones de dólares y el subcampeón dos millones. El pitazo inicial está programado para las 3 p.m. hora Ecuador, con transmisión en DirecTV Sports, ESPN y Star Plus para toda la región.
Two days remain before Liga de Quito and Fortaleza meet in the Copa Sudamericana final on Saturday, October 28, in Uruguay. The match will be played at Estadio Domingo Burgueño Miguel in Ciudad del Este, a 22,000-capacity venue that will host the second-most prestigious club competition in South American football.
LDU arrives as the tournament favorite, chasing their fifth international title. The Ecuadorian club has won the Copa Libertadores once, in 2008, and claimed the Copa Sudamericana in 2009, along with back-to-back Recopa Sudamericana titles in 2009 and 2010. This will be their eighth continental final. To reach this stage, LDU dismantled Argentina's Defensa y Justicia with a 3-0 aggregate victory, with striker Paolo Guerrero scoring twice in the tie. In their most recent domestic matches, the club has won three of their last five games, including a 1-0 victory over Emelec and a 3-0 rout of Defensa y Justicia.
Fortaleza, the Brazilian challenger, arrives seeking their first major continental trophy. The club pulled off a significant upset in the semifinals, eliminating Corinthians—one of the tournament favorites—by a 3-1 aggregate score. Corinthians drew 1-1 at home but fell 2-0 away, unable to overcome Fortaleza's determined push toward the final.
The squad from Quito has already traveled to Uruguay and begun preparations. The team arrived early Thursday morning with Guerrero leading the contingent. LDU will train Thursday and conduct a field inspection on Friday at the venue where the final will take place. The financial stakes are substantial: the champion will receive five million dollars, while the runner-up will earn two million.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Ecuador time and 5 p.m. Brazilian time. The match will be broadcast across multiple platforms throughout South America, including DirecTV Sports, DTVGO, Pluto TV, ESPN, and the streaming service Star Plus. For LDU, this represents a chance to add another trophy to their continental cabinet. For Fortaleza, it is an opportunity to claim their first piece of silverware at this level of continental competition.
Notable Quotes
LDU arrives as the tournament favorite, chasing their fifth international title after winning the Copa Libertadores in 2008 and the Copa Sudamericana in 2009— Tournament records
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this match feel like it matters beyond just the trophy itself?
Because LDU has already proven they belong in this conversation—they've won at the highest level before. For Fortaleza, this is their moment to announce themselves as something more than a regional power. That asymmetry changes everything.
Paolo Guerrero scored twice against Defensa y Justicia. Is he the reason LDU will win?
He's certainly their most dangerous player, but it's not that simple. Guerrero is 39 years old. He's a finisher, a leader, someone who knows how to perform in these moments. But Fortaleza has already shown they can beat favorites—they just eliminated Corinthians. This isn't a one-man story.
Fortaleza beat Corinthians 3-1. That's not a small thing.
No, it's not. Corinthians came in as one of the tournament favorites, and Fortaleza went to their stadium and won 2-0. That tells you something about their mentality, their ability to perform under pressure. They're not just here to participate.
What does the five million dollars mean for a club like Fortaleza?
It's transformative. For a Brazilian club outside the traditional Rio-São Paulo axis, that kind of prize money can reshape their ability to compete domestically and internationally. It's not just money—it's validation.
LDU has been here eight times before. Does that experience matter?
It should. They know what it takes to win at this level. But experience can also be a weight. Fortaleza has nothing to lose and everything to prove. Sometimes that's more dangerous than experience.
What happens if LDU loses?
They go home with a runner-up finish and two million dollars. It stings, but their continental pedigree remains intact. For Fortaleza, a loss would be heartbreaking—they were so close to something historic.