The 2018 Copa Sudamericana first stage was played from 13 February to 23 May 2018.[1] A total of 44 teams competed in the first stage to decide 22 of the 32 places in the second stage of the 2018 Copa Sudamericana.[2]
Draw
The draw for the first stage was held on 20 December 2017, 20:00 PYST (UTC−3), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.[3][4] For the first stage, the teams were divided into two pots according to their geographical zones:
Pot A (South Zone): 22 teams from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Pot B (North Zone): 22 teams from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
The 44 teams were drawn into 22 ties (E1–E22) between a team from Pot A and a team from Pot B, with the teams from Pot B hosting the second leg in odd-numbered ties, and the teams from Pot A hosting the second leg in even-numbered ties. This distribution ensured that teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same tie.[5]
† Drawn as Bolivia 3 (San José) and Bolivia 4 (Nacional Potosí).
‡ The identity of the team Chile 1 was not known at the time of the draw.
Format
In the first stage, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would be used. If still tied, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 27).[2]
^The Estudiantes de Mérida v Deportes Temuco match was originally scheduled on 10 April 2018, 20:30 local time, but was re-scheduled to 18 April 2018, 18:15 local time due to the suspension of operations by Copa Airlines in Venezuela.[8][9]
^The Bahia v Blooming match was originally scheduled for 8 May 2018, 19:15 local time, but was re-scheduled to 23 May 2018, 21:45 local time, due to a clash with Bahia's round of 16 first leg in the 2018 Copa do Brasil.[11]