Nacional coach Marcelo Gallardo could not hide his delight after a remarkable Copa Libertadores victory over Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro.
A Dede own-goal and a second-half strike from Vicente Sanchez led the Uruguayan outfit to a 2-1 Group 5 victory over the Copa do Brasil holders, and the scoreline was scant reflection of a game Nacional dominated.
The win represented a debut Copa victory for the rookie coach, who led his men to first place in the Apertura after just six months in charge.
Gallardo did not hold back on the praise for his men, and declared himself pleased with Nacional’s victorious start in the continental competition.
“It is an historic triumph. I was told that Nacional had not beaten a Brazilian team for four decades away from home in the Libertadores. This is magnificent,” the coach said on Wednesday.
“Everything we wanted came to pass. We usually have a tough time against the Brazilians, so we had to be dynamic and defend as high up the pitch as possible. The players understood this perfectly. The massive sacrifice of our boys has to be applauded.”
Nacional’s next Libertadores test will come next Thursday, when they host Paraguayan side Libertad.
