Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Botafogo secure place in last 16 with dramatic win over Patronato
Botafogo welcomed Patronato to Nilton Santos with an excellent lead; the Glorioso won 2-0 in Argentina. In the third minute, the hosts increased their lead. Janderson played a precise pass to Luis Enrique, who only had to score: 1-0.
The guests’ plans didn’t include conceding a goal, even if it came so quickly. But because the task had become more difficult, we still had to try. In the 13th minute, Gatito Fernandez saved a shot from Joel Ghiraldello, and his teammate, Enzo Roberto Diaz, shot high. It has to be said that the goalkeeper hadn’t played for around nine months, since the beginning of November last year, due to a shoulder injury, and he’s finally back on the pitch. Thirty minutes into the second half, Botafogo’s goalkeeper once again performed brilliantly, stopping Valentin Lautaro Pereira’s goal.
But in the 67th minute, not even the goalkeeper saved; Nicolas Domingo spotted Damian Arce (who had come on as a substitute ten minutes earlier) in the area, and the midfielder curled an incredible shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner of the goal; 1:1. Incidentally, even before the equalizer, in the 54th minute, Janderson shot Matias Budino in the back of the net from the penalty spot… The Patronato didn’t have much chance of returning the lawsuit in the future. They scored a goal in injury time, but the referee disallowed it due to an offside position. In the round of 16, Botafogo will play Guarani from Paraguay.
Emelec and Sporting Cristal draw 0-0
On Wednesday (19), Emelec and Sporting Cristal played out a goalless draw in an intense game at the George Capwell Stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The match was the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 playoffs. With a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Emelec adopted a more cautious approach, denying Sporting Cristal significant attacking opportunities.
In the first half, both teams had their moments, with Sporting Cristal’s Sosa and Chåvez coming close to opening the scoring, while Emelec’s Caicedo and Villalba also threatened the opposition defense. However, neither team managed to score and the first half ended in a draw.
The second half accelerated, with Emelec and Sporting Cristal exchanging chances. Brazilian goalkeeper Brenner made crucial saves for Emelec, while Ortiz showed his skills in defense for the Peruvian side. Despite the efforts of both teams, the match ended in a goalless draw.
With Emelec ‘s 1-0 aggregate win, they progressed to the last 16 and will face Defensa y Justicia.
Adam Bareiro’s goal earned San Lorenzo a 2-0 win over Independiente Medellín
In a decisive match of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs, San Lorenzo beat Independiente Medellín 2-0 to book their place in the last 16. The hero of the night was striker Adam Bareiro, who scored both goals for the Argentinian club, both from the penalty spot.
Despite playing at home, San Lorenzo were not the dominant team in terms of possession and initiative to create attacking opportunities. Independiente Medellín pressed their opponents, making it difficult for San Lorenzo to find space. However, in the 25th minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty when Bareiro was brought down in the box by Jhon Palacios. The Paraguayan striker calmly converted the penalty, giving his team the lead.
In the second half, the game saw some intense passing, with both teams having chances to score. But it was Bareiro who scored again in the 80th minute, using his physical strength to protect the ball and converting another penalty after being fouled by José Ortiz.
San Lorenzo ‘s 2-0 win secured their place in the last 16, where they will face São Paulo in what promises to be a thrilling Copa Sudamericana clash.