The 2019 Copa Sudamericana first stage was played from 5 February to 8 May 2019.[1] A total of 44 teams competed in the first stage to decide 22 of the 32 places in the second stage of the 2019 Copa Sudamericana.[2]
The draw for the first stage was held on 17 December 2018, 20:30 PYST (UTC−3), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.[3][4][5] For the first stage, the teams were divided into two pots according to their geographical zones:[6][7]
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.
In the first stage, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule was used. If still tied, extra time was not played, and a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 27).[2]
The first legs were played on 5–7, 12–14, 26 February, 19–21 March and 2–4 April, and the second legs were played on 19–21, 26–28 February, 21 March, 16–18, 30 April, 1–2 and 8 May 2019.[8][9]
^The Estudiantes de Mérida v Argentinos Juniors match was originally scheduled for 2 May 2019, 18:15 local time, but was first re-scheduled to 16:00 local time, and later suspended and re-scheduled to 8 May 2019, 16:00 local time due to civil unrest in Venezuela.[10][11]
^The Fluminense v Deportes Antofagasta match was originally scheduled for 13 February 2019, 21:30 local time, but was re-scheduled to 26 February 2019 per request from the Brazilian Football Confederation.[16]
^The Deportes Antofagasta v Fluminense match was originally scheduled for 26 February 2019, 21:30 local time, but was re-scheduled to 21 March 2019, 19:15 local time per request from the Brazilian Football Confederation.[16]