Analysis: Santos undone by wastefulness, fail to respond without key men | OneFootball

Santos ran into inefficiency and failed to answer those who say the team is nothing without two of its main players: Neymar and Gabigol. Peixe disappointed again, wasted many chances, conceded a goal it simply could not allow, and lost 1-0 to Deportivo Cuenca last Wednesday away from home in the opening round of the Copa Sudamericana.

Neymar was rested for load management, while Gabigol is dealing with tendinitis in the adductor of his right thigh. Peixe were also without Miguelito (muscle exhaustion in the thighs), Escobar (fever), Gabriel Menino (right thigh injury), Vini Lira (ACL surgery on his left knee), and Tomás Rincón (visa issues).

First half under control, but no goal found

Coach Cuca lined up Santos with a few changes compared to the loss against Flamengo. The main new features were the debut of youngster Rafael Gonzaga, the inclusion of Arão and Moisés, and the return of Rony. In possession, Arão dropped back as a third center-back to improve the build-up, freeing Gustavinho and Rafael Gonzaga to play as wing-backs. Out of possession, Peixe settled into the traditional shape with two full-backs.

Santos started the match well, completely controlling possession and creating at least three scoring chances in the opening ten minutes through Bontempo and Moisés. The strategy of building with three at the back worked at first, with Arão finding good passes to teammates left unmarked, who were able to carry the ball forward and speed up play.

As expected, Peixe managed to impose themselves physically and technically against Deportivo Cuenca. The only thing missing from the black-and-white side in the first half was a bit more composure in front of goal. The final passes were coming off, the team created chances, but it lacked precision in the shots, needing to fine-tune its finishing in the first 20 minutes.

After that, however, Santos clearly let the tempo drop. Not only did they stop creating chances and even getting into the attacking third, but they also started to suffer more from Deportivo Cuenca’s forward moves. Despite looking technically inferior, the Ecuadorian side nearly scored from a cross to the far post that Vega narrowly failed to convert. In short, the first half belonged to Peixe, but with more scares than expected, as the team failed to manage its energy and suffered from the drop in pace caused by the altitude.

Second half

Cuca made a change at halftime: Rollheiser came on for Moisés, who had been struggling in the match. Just like in the first half, Peixe began the second period with the same intensity, taking the game to Deportivo Cuenca and creating dangerous chances. However, a set piece ruined everything. The marking fell apart, Brazão made a mistake, and the Ecuadorian team simply opened the scoring with an olimpico goal.

After conceding, Cuca reacted immediately. Robinho Jr. replaced Oliva, while Rony made way for Thaciano. Santos, however, looked completely lost after going behind. The team felt the blow, became dejected, and looked nothing like the side that had started the match. They also began to suffer more from the opponent’s quick counterattacks.

On top of that, Santos were unable to put together new attacking moves and made poor decisions, especially with the final pass. Neymar and Gabigol’s absences were clearly felt, but they are far from plausible excuses for the defeat. Santos should have done much more than they did in Ecuador against an opponent that was technically far inferior.

Aside from the opening minutes, Santos’ second half was a whole lot of nothing, completely different from what was expected. Beyond the sharp drop in performance, the result was extremely disappointing, as Peixe should have delivered three times more than they did on the pitch. The match leaves a terrible impression on the black-and-white fans, who are increasingly doubtful about a prosperous future.

Standings situation

With the result, Santos begin their Copa Sudamericana campaign at the bottom of Group D. Peixe start the competition with no points, behind San Lorenzo-ARG (second) and Deportivo Recoleta-PAR (third), who drew in the other group match on Wednesday.

Santos’ next matches

Santos vs. Atlético-MG (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/11 (Saturday), 8 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

Santos vs. Deportivo Recoleta-PAR (second round of the Copa Sudamericana) Date and time: 04/14 (Tuesday), 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

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