River Plate will return to the Copa Sudamericana after 11 years when they face Bolivian side Blooming tonight in the first matchday of Group H, which they share with Carabobo of Venezuela and Bragantino of Brazil. Led by Eduardo 'Chacho' Coudet, who is under the obligation to reach the final stages of the second most important club tournament in the Americas, the team will compete in this competition for the twelfth time. River's best performance in the Copa Sudamericana came in 2014 when they won the title by defeating Colombian side Atlético Nacional in the final. Previously, the 'Millionaire' knocked out Boca Juniors in an unforgettable semi-final that ended 1-0, where Marcelo Barovero saved a key penalty from Emmanuel Gigliotti. Another standout performance came in 2003 when they reached the final and lost to Cienciano of Peru on a 4-3 aggregate score, according to the Argentine News Agency. The last time the 'Millionaire' played in the Copa Sudamericana was in 2015, an edition in which they were eliminated by Huracán.
