Author: Vishwajit Sawant
On a night marked by cautious play, Corinthians and Fortaleza drew 1-1 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana semi-final on Tuesday at the Arena Neo Química. The two goals of the match, scored by Zé Welison for Fortaleza and Yuri Alberto for Corinthians, came in a lively first half. However, both teams opted for a more conservative approach in the second half, leaving the final decision for the semi-final place to the second leg scheduled for next Tuesday at the Arena Castelão in Fortaleza.
The next match promises to be a high-level affair, with the winner securing a historic place in the Copa Sudamericana final. In the event of another draw, the fate of the semi-final will be determined by a penalty shoot-out.
Fortaleza dominated the first 30 minutes of the match, despite not having more possession. Their attacks, mainly from Fagner’s side, threatened Corinthians a lot, culminating in a controversial goal in the 22nd minute. The corner taken by Marinho found the head of Zé Welison and, although Corinthians goalkeeper Cássio made the save, the referee initially called a foul, but the intervention of the VAR overturned the decision, confirming the goal.
Fortaleza also had their complaints, as they felt that two penalty appeals were denied, one involving Gil and Bruno Pacheco and the other involving Fábio Santos and Marinho. However, the team opted to adjust their tactics and allowed Corinthians to have more possession, with Renato Augusto orchestrating the moves for the home side.
Corinthians’ equalizer came 40 minutes into the second half, when Fagner played a fine pass over Zé Welison in defense, setting up Renato Augusto. In midfield, Renato Augusto gave a precise pass to Yuri Alberto, who advanced and hit a powerful shot to tie the match.
In the second half, Corinthians controlled possession, while Fortaleza continued to threaten from set-pieces and lateral moves. Despite Marinho’s injury, Fortaleza’s speed continued to be an important factor, and Corinthians introduced Mosquito to give them more mobility. Fortaleza could have won it, but in the 92nd minute Pikachu’s shot into the bottom corner was saved by Cássio.
While the teams prepare for the decisive second leg of the Copa Sudamericana semi-final at the Arena Castelão next Tuesday, the focus is now on the Brasileirão. Corinthians will visit São Paulo on Saturday at the Morumbi Stadium, while Fortaleza will host Grêmio at the Castelão Arena on the same day. The stage is set for an intense battle in both the domestic championship and the Copa Sudamericana, with the dream of reaching the final at stake.