Small Ecuadorean side mix it with South American giants

(Reuters) - Independiente del Valle are the odd men out in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, where they will meet favourites Boca Juniors in July after a break for next month’s Copa America Centenario. They have only been in Ecuador’s top flight since 2010, but they have reached the last four in their first season in the Libertadores, overcoming Guarani of Paraguay in the qualifying round. In contrast, the other three semi-finalists have won South America’s top club trophy 10 times between them. Boca is looking for a record-equalling seventh title. The Copa America Centenario, marking the 100th anniversary of the oldest continental competition for national teams, will take place in the United States from June 3-26. Independiente reached the last four by beating Mexico’s UNAM Pumas 5-3 on penalties after a 3-3 result on aggregate in their quarter-final tie on Tuesday night. Boca qualified when they beat Nacional of Uruguay last week. The Ecuadoreans are unbeaten at their 7,000-capacity ground in the Andean town of Sangolqui, where opponents struggle in the thin air 2,500 metres above sea level. They upset title holders River Plate of Argentina in the round of 16, beating them 2-0 in the home leg at the Atahualpa national stadium in nearby Quito before a 1-0 defeat in Buenos Aires sent them through as 2-1 winners on aggregate. The other semi-final is between Brazil’s Sao Paulo and Atletico Nacional of Colombia. The competition has been interrupted after the quarter-finals for the third year in a row -- in 2014 for the World Cup in Brazil and last year for the Copa America in Chile. (Writing by Rex Gowar, editing by Larry King)