Nuno Moreira loses for Vasco, ex-Sporting man makes history | OneFootball

Corinthians won the Copa do Brasil in the early hours of December 21 to 22, defeating Vasco da Gama 2-1 in the second leg of the final, thus bringing the Brazilian football season to a close. After a goalless draw in the first match, the São Paulo side was more effective in the decisive clash and ended up lifting the trophy – despite a former Sporting player making history.

The São Paulo team opened the scoring in the 18th minute, when Yuri Alberto successfully finished after an assist from Matheuzinho. Vasco responded before halftime and did so with a Portuguese touch. On the left, Gómez found space, lifted his head, and picked out Nuno Moreira at the far post. The winger, a Sporting academy graduate, headed the ball into the net and made history by becoming the first non-South American player to score in a Copa do Brasil final. It was his 11th goal of the season, crowning the best campaign of his career.

The tie, however, did not last long. In the second half, Corinthians regained control of the match with a high-quality team move, starting from their own defensive half. The ball reached Yuri Alberto, who set up Memphis Depay, with the Dutchman tapping in for 2-1 in the 63rd minute.

Until the final whistle, Vasco tried everything to equalize again, but without success. The Rio de Janeiro team thus missed the chance to win the second Copa do Brasil in their history, while Corinthians celebrated their fourth title in the competition, 16 years after their last triumph.

This season, wearing the Vasco da Gama shirt, Nuno Moreira – valued at 5 million euros – played 56 matches: 36 in the Brasileirão, eight in the Copa Sudamericana, eleven in the Copa do Brasil, and one in the Campeonato Carioca. In his 3,988 minutes on the pitch, the winger – an avowed admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo – scored eleven goals and provided seven assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.