2023-10-04 02:59:04
03/10/2023
Fortaleza of Brazil qualified for its first final of the Copa Sudamericana by beating a heavyweight 2-0 this Tuesday: Corinthians of Sao Paulo, which has already seen better times.
The ‘Leão’ sealed the semifinal series with goals from attacker Yago Pikachu (49) and captain Tinga (55) in the second half of the game played at the Arena Castelão World Cup stadium, in the city of Fortaleza (northeast).
The victory, after the 1-1 draw in the capital of São Paulo a week ago, made those led by Argentine Juan Pablo Vojvoda the first club from the Brazilian northeast to qualify for the final of the international tournament.
And they achieved it by eliminating the second most popular team in Brazil, in which former Brazilian coach Mano Menezes debuted, replacing Vanderlei Luxemburgo, fired for equality in Sao Paulo.
Fortaleza will now wait for its rival in the final, which will be played on October 28 in Maldonado, Uruguay. Liga de Quito is a favorite after beating Defensa y Justicia 3-0 in Ecuador. The winner of the series will be determined on Wednesday in Argentina.
Hello, Cassio
The script of the film seen in Sao Paulo last Tuesday had some similarities, despite the fact that the albinegro bench had a new occupant: Mano Menezes, the hope to save a turbulent season.
‘Timão’ once again opted to give up the initiative, Luxembourg’s signature, but on this occasion he planted his lines further from his goal and sought to hurt his rival with armed plays in a few passes.
In this way, he almost surprised Fortaleza, faithful to the offensive script written by Vojvoda since he arrived in Brazil in May 2021, and which has made him a revelation, with unprecedented qualifications for the Copa Libertadores (2022, 2023).
From São Paulo territory, left back Fábio Santos (20) gave the first of three passes that ended with Yuri Alberto face to face with Joao Ricardo. But the forward, to the visitor’s misfortune, defined against the goalkeeper’s body.
The scare woke up the hosts, accustomed to proposing and keeping the ball. Then they pressed the keys to breathe closer to Cássio, who had good reflexes on two shots by Yago Pikachu (37, 45+1), substitute for the injured Marinho.
lion bite
The versatile player warned from the first half that he was going to be important. And just at the beginning of the second half he was, just at the moment when Fortaleza invaded the visiting field.
After a series of rebounds inside the area, the ball fell at his feet. Although the play seemed lost after he tripped, he managed to stop quickly, elude an opponent and shoot Cássio.
The Paulistas tried to shake it off as soon as they served from midfield, but the locals quickly knocked them out with a header from captain Tinga, after a cross from the left by Bruno Pacheco after a corner.
The disadvantage demonstrated the ‘Corinthian’ difficulty in proposing and its lightness in attack, diminished by the departure of striker Róger Guedes to Qatari football in August. The five substitutions ordered by Menezes barely changed the dynamics of the match.
The Sao Paulo eleven, with financial problems for years, lost the chance to save the season and now must focus on staying in the Brazilian first division, as it is four points from the relegation zone.
They were also looking for their first title in the Sudamericana, but at the Arena Castelão, in front of 60,451 spectators, they showed again that they are far from their best times.
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