Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe has pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the Copa Sudamericana, eliminating Argentine giant River Plate in an extraordinary penalty shootout in Buenos Aires.

Santa Fe defeated River 8-7 on penalties Wednesday night after the match finished 1-1 at the legendary Más Monumental stadium.

But the way it ended made the victory unforgettable.

After 22 penalty kicks, the shootout eventually reached the goalkeepers. River goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán stepped up and missed his attempt before Santa Fe keeper Weimar Asprilla calmly converted the winning penalty, sending the Colombian club into the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals.

River Dominated — But Santa Fe Wouldn’t Go Away

River controlled much of the match and eventually took the lead in the 52nd minute through Sebastián Driussi.

Santa Fe refused to surrender.

In the 80th minute, Franco Fagúndez converted a penalty after Lucas Martínez Quarta was called for a handball, bringing the match level at 1-1.

With the first leg in Bogotá having finished 0-0, the entire Round of 16 matchup would be decided from the penalty spot.

That’s when things got wild.

22 Penalties Decide Everything

River appeared to have the advantage when Beltrán saved Santa Fe’s third penalty.

Former Colombian international Rafael Santos Borré then had an opportunity to win the shootout for River with its fifth attempt — but his shot struck the post.

Santa Fe survived.

Both teams continued trading goals and misses until every outfield player had taken a penalty.

That left the goalkeepers.

Beltrán had already made an incredible three saves during the shootout, but when his turn came to shoot, he sent his attempt over the crossbar.

Then came Asprilla.

The Colombian goalkeeper stepped forward and scored, sealing an 8-7 victory and triggering celebrations for Santa Fe.

Weimar Asprilla Becomes the Hero

Asprilla’s performance went far beyond scoring the winning penalty.

River had 31 shots during the match, while Asprilla repeatedly kept Santa Fe alive against relentless pressure from the Argentine club.

CONMEBOL described the Colombian goalkeeper as the standout performer of the night.

Remarkably, Asprilla wasn’t originally expected to be Santa Fe’s goalkeeper for the series. He received the opportunity following an injury to Andrés Mosquera and responded by keeping a clean sheet in the first leg before becoming the hero at the Monumental.

His winning penalty instantly gave Santa Fe one of the most memorable moments of its recent history.

Santa Fe’s Incredible Penalty Record Continues

There is another remarkable statistic behind the victory.

Santa Fe has now participated in four penalty shootouts in Copa Sudamericana history — and won all four.

Those victories came against Deportivo Cali in 2011, Huracán in the 2015 final, Millonarios in 2018 and now River Plate in 2026.

The 22 penalties against River also tied the record for the longest penalty shootout in Copa Sudamericana history.

Santa Fe now advances to face Brazil’s Vasco da Gama in the quarterfinals.

For River Plate, it is a painful elimination at home.

For Santa Fe and Colombian football, however, this was a night to remember:

Go into the Monumental. Survive River Plate. Take the shootout all the way to the goalkeepers — and have your keeper score the winner.

It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that.