Cruzeiro tries to regroup after Copa final loss

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) - Cruzeiro coach Adilson Batista is hoping his side can turn its attention back to the Brazilian league after the disappointment of losing at home to Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores final.

Batista's team went down 2-1 in a second leg match watched by nearly 65,000 fans at a packed Mineirao stadium on Wednesday.

"We have to rebound from this disappointment," he said. "It's hard, but we are going to do it."

Cruzeiro appeared on its way to winning the title after scoring early in the second half, but Estudiantes struck twice to clinch its fourth trophy in Latin America's most important club competition.

The two sides had drawn 0-0 in the first leg last week in Argentina, while Cruzeiro had won all its previous six matches at home in this year's Copa Libertadores.

"I have to apologize to Cruzeiro fans for failing to give them this title which was so important," Batista said. "The players were saddened, they were crying because of this loss."

Many players rushed off the field weeping as stunned fans watched from the stands. It was only the third loss for Cruzeiro against Argentine teams in 36 matches at Mineiro - Velez Sarsfield had done it in 1996 in the Supercopa Sudamericana and Boca Juniors in last year's round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.

In the Brazilian league, Cruzeiro is only 16th in the 20-team standings, just off the relegation zone. The bottom four clubs will go down, while the top four will secure a spot in next year's Copa Libertadores.

"Hopefully now we can play well against Corinthians on Sunday and then beat Santo Andre (on Wednesday)," the coach said, referring to the team's upcoming matches. "We have to try to recover to go back to the Copa Libertadores."

Cruzeiro is coming off a 3-0 loss to Atletico Mineiro, a result that ended its 12-match unbeaten streak against the Belo Horizonte rival. The loss came after Batista rested most of its regular starters ahead of the Copa Libertadores final.

The team had been playing mostly with second stringers in the Brazilian league so the starters could focus on the Copa.