When it appeared that Boca Juniors would take one step closer to defending its 2007 title, Fluminense had other ideas. A goal was just enough for the "Tricolor" to end any the Xeneizes' hopes of hoisting the Copa Libertadores trophy for a second consecutive year.

Those two away goals that Fluminense scored in the first leg (2-2 draw) in Buenos Aires ended up being a huge factor. Boca dominated a great portion of the return match at the Estadio Maracana, but a couple of defensive miscues ended up being the Xeneizes' worst enemy.

While narrating this match for Fox Sports, I had this feeling that "Flu" would never figure out the airtight Boca defense, led by Paraguayan international Claudio Morel. All the Brazilians would need is a free kick awarded to them just outside the penalty area. Washington, the team's lead scorer in the competition, decided to take a chance of the situation to beat Pablo Migliore. It appeared that this set piece seemed to tailored for Thiago Neves, but Washington must have convinced him (at least on this one) that this play was his. Washington's goal evened the score at 1-1, 3-3 on the aggregate. Again, those two goals in the opening match of the series proved vital for the team led by Renato Gaúcho.

It's hard to believe that Fluminense will be making its first appearance in the most important tournament in the Americas given Brazil's constant appearances in the final. Of the previous six editions of the Libertadores, Brazilian squads have played for the championship in five of the last six years.

Fluminense's opponent in the final, Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito (better known as Liga) will also appear in the final for the first team in club history. But it's the first time that these two sides have faced each other. As a matter of fact, they faced each other twice in the group stage. In the first meeting in Quito, they played to a scoreless draw. The Ecuadorian side also known as the "Albos" (all-whites) gave "Flu" all they could handle in the following matchup in Rio de Janeiro, but fell 1-0.

This Liga squad has surpassed expectations because of the quality opponents that they took on in the knockout stage. In the Round of 16 and in the quarterfinals it bumped out a pair of Argentine teams, Estudiantes de La Plata and San Lorenzo. Then in the semifinal round the "Albos" eliminated Club América, a team that had played out of its mind .

Joffre Guerrón and José Francisco Cevallos have played an important role in Liga's run to the final.

Let's begin with Guerrón, a midfielder who generates dangerous plays and runs from the right wing. His quick pace and his ability to shake off defenders with ease is what has teams outside of Ecuador lining up to sign him. Club América, Boca Juniors, Getafe and Udinese are teams that have reportedly shown interest in purchasing his rights.

As for Cevallos, he's been a pleasant surprise as far as keepers go. He is 37 years old and looks like he might be able to play beyond 40. In the series against América he made some crucial saves that enabled the "Albos" to clinch a berth in the final.

This Fluminense-Liga final should be pretty close, but if the "Albos" want to become the first Ecuadorian team to win the Libertadores, the first leg in Quito is a must-win for them. They have to take use the altitude of Quito, which is well over 10,000 feet above sea level, to their advantage. If they don't, yet another Brazilian team will be celebrating a championship.