Mexico's America qualified as Group Three winners with Fluminense pipping Nacional, held 0-0 by the Mexicans in Montevideo, into second place with equal goal difference but having scored more. Had Fred not converted the penalty, Nacional would have qualified on a better goals differential.
Paraguay's Cerro Porteno, with a brilliant performance from midfielder Jonathan Fabbro, came from two goals down to beat Colo Colo 3-2 in Santiago and win Group Five ahead of Santos, second after a 3-1 home win over Venezuela's Deportivo Tachira.
On a night of thrilling football, the ugly side of South America's premier club competition emerged at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Buenos Aires in a free-for-all between the Argentinos and Fluminense players after the final whistle.
"Nothing justifies the violence," Argentinos Juniors coach Pedro Troglio told Fox Sports.
At the Centenario in Montevideo, Nacional thought they were through by a difference of one goal only to learn of Fred's late goal in Buenos Aires that eliminated them. Flu finished with a goals tally of 9-9 to Nacional's 3-3.
Paraguayan striker Santiago Salcedo equalised with a penalty but former Brazil striker Fred restored Flu's lead with his first goal, a bullet of a free kick from 33 metres shortly before half-time.
Man-of-the-match Fabbro pulled a goal back just before half-time with a looping right-footed shot from left into the top far corner then had a hand in Porteno's equaliser four minutes into the second half when he laid the ball off to the right for right back Ivan Piris to blast a low shot into the net.
