Coincidence? Vasco stop conceding goals just as Carlos Cuesta returns | OneFootball

Vasco has started to breathe defensively again, and it's no coincidence. In the 2-0 victory over Fortaleza, away from home, the return of Carlos Cuesta to the starting lineup coincided with the recovery of balance in the defense. Without the Colombian, the team had conceded six goals in just two games.

Cuesta missed the matches against Palmeiras and Vitória due to a thigh injury and watched from afar as the defense was breached three times in each game. Before that, with him on the field, Vasco had already defeated Cruzeiro 2-0 without conceding, in the 25th round.

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Carlos Cuesta, Fortaleza vs. Vasco — Photo: Reproduction

The scenario at Arena Castelão seemed anything but favorable: a 22-year taboo without winning against Fortaleza as a visitor and the expulsion of Hugo Moura at 36 minutes of the first half, when the score was still 0-0. Even with one player down, the team opened the scoring shortly after, in a counterattack led by Rayan.

In the second half, came the acid test. Fortaleza went on the attack in search of an equalizer, but Cuesta was dominant in the duels with Lucero and later Bareiro. The strong defensive performance also featured the security of Léo Jardim, one of the highlights of the match.

The Colombian was one of the highest-rated players in a ge poll after the final whistle. The expectation now is that his presence will stabilize the defensive system once and for all and prevent precious points from slipping away. So far, Vasco has conceded 41 goals in 28 games and shares the fifth-worst defense in the Brasileirão with Fortaleza and Internacional.

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Fortaleza, Vasco — Photo: Kid Júnior/SVM

Signed in the last transfer window, Carlos Cuesta became an undisputed starter in record time. He has already played five matches, scored one goal, and is one of the pillars of the defensive overhaul — which also brought Robert Renan to the sector.

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