Cruzeiro and Corinthians draw in historic Brasileirão Feminino final | OneFootball

In front of a packed Independência on the morning of this Sunday (7), Cruzeiro and Corinthians drew 2-2 in the first leg of the Women’s Brazilian Championship final. The match, marked by balance, also recorded a historic feat: 19,175 fans were present, the largest crowd in the history of women’s football in Minas Gerais. This number surpassed the previous record, set by the Cabulosas themselves in the semifinal against Palmeiras, when more than 13,000 Cruzeiro fans attended the Horto stadium.

Cruzeiro was looking to gain an advantage on the way to their first-ever title, while Corinthians, with six championships under their belt, took the field aiming to extend their dominance on the national scene.

For this morning’s clash, coach Jonas Urias fielded the best lineup available from his squad. Thus, Cruzeiro was lined up as follows:

First Half

The start of the match was largely favorable to Corinthians. The São Paulo team, used to finals, entered the field more confidently and controlled the offensive actions in the opening minutes. Ball possession was mostly with the black-and-whites, and the pressure soon paid off. At 5 minutes, Gi Fernandes took advantage of a cross and struck first-time, forcing a tough save from goalkeeper Camila Rodrigues, who couldn’t keep the ball out: 1-0 to Corinthians.

The early goal rattled Cruzeiro, who showed nerves in their first Brasileirão final. The team took a while to find their footing on the pitch, while Camila continued to be a key player in preventing a bigger deficit, making important saves from free kicks and long-range shots. However, Cruzeiro’s reaction began to take shape from the 15th minute, when Byanca Brasil started to organize the attack and give more rhythm to the plays.

At 28 minutes, Byanca, with a cross, found Marília in a position to challenge the Corinthians goalkeeper. The Cruzeiro striker showed opportunism and, in the tussle, managed to push the ball into the back of the net, leveling the score. The goal fired up the Cabulosas and the crowd, who began to urge the team on even more in search of a comeback. From then on, the match became more balanced, with chances for both sides. Camila, for Cruzeiro, and Nicole, for Corinthians, were protagonists with good interventions to keep the score tied until halftime.

Second Half

After the break, coach Jonas Urias had to make a change: Marília, scorer of Cruzeiro’s first goal, felt pain in her thigh and was replaced by Letícia Ferreira. The change didn’t alter the pattern of the match, which remained balanced, with Cruzeiro trying to take more initiative and Corinthians exploiting counterattacks with speed.

The São Paulo team regained the lead at 14 minutes. In a quick move out from defense, Tamires found space behind Cruzeiro’s back line and crossed perfectly for Gabi Zanotti, who finished to score: 2-1 to Corinthians. The scenario, which could have shaken the Cabulosas, had the opposite effect. Just two minutes later, from a corner kick, the opposing defense cleared the ball, but it bounced back into the area and found Isabela, who headed backwards, surprising the Corinthians goalkeeper and leveling the score again.

The 2-2 draw made the match even more intense. Corinthians tried to regain control, but found a well-organized Cruzeiro defense ready to exploit counterattacks. In some moments, the Cabulosas even threatened dangerously, but couldn’t turn their chances into goals. On the other side, Corinthians also tried to press in the final minutes, but ran into the strong defensive performance of the Minas Gerais team, who managed to hold on to the result.

What’s next…

The draw left the contest for the national title wide open. Now, Cruzeiro and Corinthians will face each other again next Sunday (14), at 10:30 a.m., at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo. The team that wins will take the title, and in case of another draw, the decision will go to penalties.

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