Romero hails win, plays down Matheus-Kaio penalty row: “Sorted” | OneFootball

Cruzeiro beat Athletico-PR 3-1 this Sunday (6) at Mineirão and got back to winning in the Brazilian Championship after their elimination from the Copa do Brasil. Besides the response on the pitch, one situation drew attention during the match: the standoff between Matheus Pereira and Kaio Jorge over who would take the penalty awarded to Cruzeiro in the second half.

As he left the field, defensive midfielder Lucas Romero, the team’s captain, was asked by Premiere about the episode. The Argentine downplayed what happened and said the situation was resolved internally by the squad.

Romero had to step in during the penalty dispute

The situation happened in the 34th minute of the second half, when Kaio Jorge was fouled inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty to Cruzeiro. The call was confirmed after a VAR review.

The spot kick, however, led to an argument between Matheus Pereira and Kaio Jorge. The No. 10 had taken a penalty in the first half, when Cruzeiro were still leading 1-0, but was denied by goalkeeper Mycael, who saved the shot.

In the second half, after winning the foul that led to the new penalty, Kaio Jorge wanted to take responsibility. Matheus Pereira, meanwhile, again asked for the ball to take the kick.

With the two players arguing, Lucas Romero stepped in to help decide who would take it. From the stands, Cruzeiro’s fans began calling for Kaio Jorge to take the penalty.

In the end, Matheus Pereira handed the ball to the striker, who stepped up to take it. In the 37th minute, Kaio struck it with his right foot and converted, restoring Cruzeiro’s 3-1 lead.

The win also featured a direct contribution from Romero. In the 26th minute of the second half, the midfielder appeared inside the box and scored Cruzeiro’s second goal, putting the team back in front after conceding the equalizer in the first half.

With the three points, Cruzeiro reached 42 points in the Brasileirão and moved closer again to the battle for the top spots. After being eliminated from the Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil, the domestic league became the team’s only route to pursue an important goal this season: finishing among the teams qualified for the 2027 Libertadores.

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