Author: Serg Atrakhov, Vishwajit Sawant
Goiás beat Cruzeiro 1-0 to escape relegation
In a thrilling match at the Arena Independência in Belo Horizonte, Cruzeiro had many shots (14) at the visitors’ goal, but only hit the target once in 90 minutes. Goiás had fewer shots (6), but the ball flew across the goal twice. In one of these cases, the shot turned into an assist. In the 28th minute, Sander played a pass into the area for João Magno. Although referee Caio Max Augusto Vieira watched the episode for a long time via the VAR system, in the end he counted the goal. The first half was tense and marked by frequent fouls, which hampered the attacking power of both teams. Cruzeiro’s lack of creativity left them in 11th place, while Goiás managed to climb out of the relegation zone and into 17th.
Goalless draw with Internacional and RB Bragantino in the fight for points
A very tight game between Internacional and RB Bragantino resulted in a 0-0 draw during the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship at the Nabi Abi Chedid Stadium in Bragança Paulista. The match marked the return of coach Eduardo Coudet to Internacional, but neither team managed to score, despite several opportunities. Bragantino goalkeeper Cleiton proved to be a formidable presence in goal, denying attempts from Inter’s Alan Patrick and Enner Valencia. In the 16th minute, Alan Patrick’s goal for the hosts was disallowed for offside. In the 83rd minute, the referee missed a penalty after Enner Valencia fell in the box. Both teams fought hard for a breakthrough, with Bragantino’s Léo Ortiz coming closest, hitting the post late on. With this result, Bragantino are in 7th place with 25 points, while Internacional are in 10th place with 23 points.
Santos and Botafogo draw 2-2 in exciting, action-packed game
League leaders Botafogo unexpectedly dropped two points at Vila Belmiro. However, you could say the opposite; he managed to score a point. In fact, in the 82nd minute, the Rio side were 2-0 down, but managed to snatch a draw by scoring twice. Botafogo can be praised for their character, but who stopped them from playing with such dedication throughout the match…?
Santos’ double goal was scored by Marcos Leonardo. In the 24th minute, he closed down Jean Lucas’ pass and, in the 82nd minute, he completed the attack after Lucas Lima’s pass. Only then did the Glorioso “remember” that they were confidently leading the standings, and not their opponents. Note that, in the 62nd minute, João Paulo’s worrying injury forced him off the pitch, with Vladimir replacing him, conceding Santos’ two goals. In the 84th minute, Tikinho and Soares took advantage of Janderson’s pass and, in the 88th minute, Adryelson sealed the win from a corner: 2-2. In the 90th minute, after a free-kick, Philipe Sampaio could even bring victory for Botafogo, but it wouldn’t have been entirely deserved, given the way the whole game was going.
Vasco suffer fifth consecutive home defeat, Athletico-PR emerge victorious with 2-0 win
For Vasco, this was their third home game in an empty stadium. Remember that after the riots that took place on June 22 at São Januário during the matchday 11 game against Goiás, Vasco were suspended for four games without spectators. It is worth noting that the Supreme Court of Sports Justice (STJD) commuted the sentence. In the 18th round match against Gremio (August 6), the Rio de Janeiro club will be allowed to play with the presence of: children under 12, women not associated with organized supporters and people with disabilities. However, due to the decision of the General Court of Appeal that came into force, it will not be held in São Januário, but in another stadium.
Until the 71st minute, the game was tied. The teams exchanged blows, but in the 71st minute Vitor Roque found a pass from Christian, who opened the scoring at 1-0. And nine minutes later, Vitor Bueno easily beat Leo Jardim from the penalty spot with a shot into the bottom left-hand corner: 2-0. Vasco tried to score at least one “prestige goal”, but failed. In the 96th minute, Zé Ivaldo was shown the red, leaving Atlético in the minority, but for the hosts it was little consolation. Atlético-PR have climbed to fifth place, while Vasco remain bottom in 20th.