Vasco undone by mistakes, beaten by Mirassol in Brasileirão opener | OneFootball

Vasco was defeated by Mirassol by 2 to 1 on Thursday (29), at the José Maria de Campos Maia Stadium, the Maião, in the opening round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. Despite a good start to the match and taking the lead, the Cruz-Maltino once again showed difficulties in playing out from the back under pressure and was punished throughout the game.

Good start and Vasco's advantage

Vasco started better at Maião. With a lot of movement in the offensive sector and without a reference striker, Fernando Diniz's team created good plays with Coutinho, Andrés Gómez, and Rojas, who moved well between the lines and troubled the opposing defense.

The initial superiority was converted into a goal at 22 minutes, when Puma Rodríguez appeared well on the right side and crossed perfectly for Coutinho, who scored with a header and opened the scoring for the Cruz-Maltino.

Shortly after the goal, Coutinho clashed heads with João Victor, causing concern, but both continued on the field after medical attention.

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Photo: Reproduction/SporTV

Vasco retreats and concedes the equalizer

After taking the lead, Vasco slowed down and started to lower their defensive lines. Mirassol grew into the game and began to pressure Vasco's ball exit, forcing errors mainly on the right side of the defense.

The equalizer came at 31 minutes, in an aerial play. After a cross into the area, Renato Marques headed the ball, which deflected off Carlos Cuesta and went in, leveling the score.

High pressure decides the game

In the second half, the scenario repeated itself. Mirassol maintained high pressure and continued to exploit one of the main points of Vasco's game model: the short play out from defense.

During the technical break, Fernando Diniz strongly demanded greater participation from Nuno Moreira in the defensive build-up. Still, the mistakes persisted.

The turnaround happened after another mistake. Lucas Piton lost the ball at the edge of the area, Alesson gained possession and found Eduardo, who finished. The ball deflected off Thiago Mendes and deceived Léo Jardim, sealing the 2 to 1 for the home team.

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Diniz scolds the Vasco team against Mirassol — Photo: Reproduction

Defeat raises alert for the sequence

Even with changes in the second half, Vasco struggled to react and produced little offensively after conceding the turnaround. The defeat in the debut highlights the need for adjustments, especially against teams that adopt high marking and constant pressure.

The Cruz-Maltino now shifts focus to the continuation of the season, which will have a tight schedule and will require quick responses from the coaching staff and the squad.

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