São Paulo dreadful again after the break, but draw with Bolívar in Sula | OneFootball

São Paulo’s chronic problem of falling short in the second halves of its matches continues. But, to be fair, this Tuesday (11) the complaints can take a break.

After taking the lead late in the first half, Tricolor once again turned in a questionable second-half performance and ended up with a 1-1 draw against Bolívar in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

The circumstances make the final result understandable. Besides the altitude of La Paz, a problem for any Brazilian team that goes to the Bolivian capital, there was also the issue of the lineup. Dorival Júnior finally changed things, immediately handed starts to three new signings, and opted for a more cautious setup, with a back line of five.

The result was a team that gave possession to the opponent and endured the expected pressure, but still managed to respond in transitions and when on the ball, usually with Marcos Antônio and the full-backs providing the driving runs and build-up. It’s not as if there were no scares. Rafael had to make a good save. But aside from Pablo Maia, in yet another rough night, the defensive system was managing to shut things down.

Up front, Luciano received two excellent assists that he wasted, but on the third he managed to win a corner. And in the 22nd minute, after Iago’s in-swinging delivery into the six-yard box, Arboleda rose above his marker to get a touch and score.

Having the lead on the scoreboard even while playing reactively could have meant calm and optimism. But São Paulo fans have been through too much. And amid the expected drop-off caused by the altitude and physical wear, what everyone expected came in the 17th minute of the second half. After sustained pressure, Domingos Duarte tried to clear with a header, but the ball stayed alive at the edge of the box and Melgar hit it first time to equalize with a beautiful goal.

The goal lifted the Bolivians, who threw themselves forward against São Paulo’s now traditional second-half apathy and piled up incredible missed chances, even hitting the post in stoppage time.

With the result, Dorival’s São Paulo still has not managed to win a match since May 26, when it beat Boston River at Morumbi in the Sudamericana.

With the draw, whoever wins the return leg will advance. The second match is set for next Tuesday (18) at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at Morumbi. Another draw will send the decision over who reaches the quarterfinals to penalties. Before that decider, however, Tricolor has a do-or-die match against Coritiba in the Brazilian Championship at 9 p.m. Brasília time on Saturday (15), also at home.

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