Argentine club Independiente is one of the most successful clubs in Latin America, but has not won a major international trophy since 1995.
That could change when the Copa Sudamericana final opens on Wednesday, a two-leg affair against Brazil's Goias. The return match is next week in Argentina.
Known as the "Rey de Copas" (King of Cups), Independiente has won seven Copa Libertadores titles, the most by any club in Latin America's top club competition. It also has two world club titles and 14 Argentine league trophies.
Goias, meanwhile, lacks tradition and titles. It has just been relegated to the second division in the national league and the club's main trophy came when it won the 1999 second division.
The Copa Sudamericana is a distant second in stature to the Copa Libertadores, much like the Europa League is No. 2 in Europe compared to the Champions League.
But a trophy is a trophy.
"Our goal is to win the Copa Sudamericana to try to overcome the disappointment of the relegation in the Brazilian league," said 20-year-old Goias defender Rafael Toloi, a regular in Brazil's youth squads.
Independiente eliminated defending Copa Sudamericana champion Liga de Quito of Ecuador in the semifinals, while Goias stunned four-time Brazilian champion and 1999 Copa Libertadores winner Palmeiras, winning the second leg in front of nearly 40,000 Palmeiras fans.
Independiente coach Antonio Mohamed is still uncertain if he will be able to count on midfielder Hernan Fredes, who is nursing a right-foot injury. Fredes has trained separately from the group but a team statement said he is likely to be available for the first-leg match.
Goias' second-stringers lost 3-1 to Atletico Mineiro in its second-to-last match in the Brazilian league on Sunday, while Independiente was beaten 2-1 by Estudiantes in the Apertura in Argentina.
Independiente is 18th in the 20-team league with only 13 points from 16 matches. League-leading Estudiantes, the Copa Libertadores holders, have 36.
The winner of the Copa Sudamericana advances automatically to the Copa Libertadores, which starts in January and ends in June.
