<P> The Copa Libertadores stayed on Brazilian soil for the remainder of the 1990s as Cruzeiro, Vasco da Gama and Palmeiras took the spoils . The cup of 1997 pitted Cruzeiro against Peruvian club Sporting Cristal . The key breakthrough came in the second leg of the final when Cruzeiro broke the deadlock with just under 15 minutes left in a match attended by over 106,000 spectators in the Mineirão . Vasco da Gama defeated Barcelona SC with ease to record their first title in 1998 . The decade ended on a high note when Palmeiras and Deportivo Cali, both runners - up in the competition before, vied to become winners for the first time in 1999 . The final was a dramatic back - and - forth match that went into penalties . Luiz Felipe Scolari managed to lead yet another club to victory as the Verdão won 4--3 in São Paulo . </P> <P> This decade proved to be a major turning point in the history of the competition as the Copa Libertadores went through a great deal of growth and change . Having long been dominated by teams from Argentina, Brazil began to overshadow their neighbors as their clubs reached eight finals and won six titles in the 1990s . </P> <P> From 1998 onwards, the Copa Libertadores was sponsored by Toyota and became known as the Copa Toyota Libertadores . That same year, Mexican clubs, although affiliated to CONCACAF, started taking part in the competition thanks to quotas obtained from the Pre-Libertadores which pitted Mexican and Venezuelan clubs against each other for two slots in the group stage . The tournament was expanded to 34 teams and economic incentives were introduced by an agreement between CONMEBOL and Toyota Motor Corporation . All teams that advanced to the second stage of the tournament received $25,000 for their participation . </P> <P> During the 2000 Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors returned to the top of the continent and raised the Copa Libertadores again after 22 years . Led by Carlos Bianchi, the Virrey, along with outstanding players like Mauricio Serna, Jorge Bermúdez, Óscar Córdoba, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Martín Palermo, among others, revitalized the club to establish it among the world's best . The Xeneizes started this legacy by defeating defending champion Palmeiras in the final series . Boca Juniors won the 2001 edition after, once again, defeating Palmeiras in the semifinals and Cruz Azul in the final series to successfully defend the trophy . Cruz Azul became the first ever Mexican club to reach the final after great performances against River Plate and an inspired Rosario Central . Like their predecessors from the late 1970s however, Boca Juniors would fall short of winning three consecutive titles . As with Juan Carlos Lorenzo's men, the Xeneizes became frustrated as they were eliminated by Olimpia, this time during the quarterfinals . Led by World Cup winner - turned manager Nery Pumpido, Olimpia would overcome Grêmio (after some controversy) and surprise finalists São Caetano . Despite this triumph, Olimpia did not create the winning mystique of its past golden generations and bowed out in the round of 16 the following season, after being routed by Grêmio 6--2, avenging their controversial loss from the year before . </P>

Why do mexican teams play in copa libertadores