São Paulo stifled, lose to Palmeiras, disappoint packed Morumbi | OneFootball

The clock was nearing 70 minutes when I began writing these lines, and São Paulo had only taken two shots on goal. Yes, that's right, two attempts, while having exactly double the ball possession of Palmeiras. And incredibly, it ended just like that, with those two meager attempts, both in the first half, which posed no threat to the rival. Frustration for the fans, choked by the arch-enemy, the current long winless streak against them, and who expected a more incisive team after the elimination in the Paulistão semifinals. They rightly booed the protagonists of the dreadful spectacle presented.

I think the two statistics alone explain what the classic match on this Saturday night (21st) at Morumbi was like. While the fans did their part, with an incredible show before and during the duel, Roger Machado's team was the symbol of inefficacy. Lots of possession, lots of passing, and lots of unproductivity, becoming easy prey for Palmeiras, who maintained their current streak and defeated us again, this time 1-0.

Loss of the leadership in the Brazilian Championship to them and the maintenance of the uncomfortable taboos in the Choque-Rei: it's now 12 games without being able to beat the rival.

And note that the green team didn't need much (including a possible helping hand from the referees, as has become routine lately) to achieve the result. The goal came just five minutes into the game when Arias received a through pass in midfield, carried it to the edge of the area, evaded Lucas Ramon's marking, and shot into Rafael's corner to score.

A beautiful goal that crowned the green team's game plan for the duel, executed, in parts, with mastery. After all, by scoring early, Palmeiras could savor it. They set the trap, and Roger fell for it: he gave the ball possession to the tricolors, who passed, passed, passed, and couldn't enter the final third, break the last line, articulate more effectively, and, of course, shoot, finish...

Against a reactive rival, who had the score as an ally and still managed in the initial stage to attack dangerously using their fast and elusive wingers, potentially widening the score.

Roger even tried in the final stage, swapping pieces in the flanks, midfield, and attack. But it worsened the constructive system, and the setup became even more disorganized. Better for the green team, who closed up completely and, seeing the tricolor's ineffectiveness, gave up playing altogether.

A scenario of frustration for the fans, who didn't give Roger the warmest reception and, now with two consecutive defeats, stalled at 16 points, three behind the rival and the leadership, sound the horn and interrupt the short truce given to the board.

To keep the dream of a title alive (or at least a decent Brasileirão, with a high position and a spot in the Libertadores), Roger will have to work hard during the calendar break for the FIFA Date. He will have time for that: the Tricolor only returns to the field on April 1st (Wednesday), at 7:30 PM (Brasília time), against Internacional, away from home.

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