“Losing While Winning,” by LDU Quito, Copa Sudamericana Style

(My favorite part of this celebrating fans video? The dad with his baby — dangling Michael Jackson-style — at about the 1:30 mark. Dad’s thinking: “The kid got to be there when we won the cup!” Mom’s watching on TV thinking, “Where’s the gun?” Unless she’s a futbal fan herself, of course, in which case she’s thinking, “The kid got to be there when we won the cup!” Yet another reason, gentleman, to marry the footy-loving woman.)

But anyhoo. Copa Sudamericana, South America’s secondary club tournament. Similar to Europe’s Europa league. 2009 version.

Or: A win is a win is a win. Even when it comes in the form of a 3-0 loss.

If there is a strategy manual for “Winning a Two-Leg Cup Final Even While Finishing With Nine Men,” it would probably include the following:

Be sure you finish the first leg up 5-1.

If that’s the case, then Liga Deportiva Universitaria Quito was just following the playbook. (It didn’t hurt that Fluminense finished the match with ten.) LDU Quito took home the Cup, but they did cut it a little close while causing their fans a bit of stress in the process. Final score of the second leg? 3-0, Fluminense.

Fluminense struck first in the first leg, but after that it was a Total World Domination by Quito that went something like this:

In the second leg, Fluminense seems to have decided to work on things like attacking, which made the game a little different. Only good goalkeeping, the offside flag, a cruel goalpost (and perhaps a missed handball?) kept them from the upset.