Thiago Mendes leads Vasco ratings after Sudamericana rout of Olimpia | OneFootball

Thiago Mendes led Vasco’s player ratings as they thrashed Olimpia in Paraguay to seal a Sudamericana quarter-final place.

According to Globo.com, the captain scored a superb top-corner strike, supplied an assist and controlled midfield with sharp passing and tight dribbles. He was booked for dissent and will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Andrés Gómez missed a clear one-on-one early on. Léo Jardim made two strong first-half saves, including from Benítez after a Carlos Cuesta mistake. Referee Esteban Ostojich ruled out a Sandoval goal for a foul, then Matus scored with a brilliant finish.

Puma Rodríguez impressed, delivering two pinpoint crosses for David and Spinelli to score. Adson struck cleanly from range. David added an assist and a chest finish, while Spinelli ended a long barren run with a classic centre-forward header.

Tchê Tchê’s ball recovery after an aerial duel launched the move for the fourth. Barros squandered a close-range chance from a Cuiabano set-piece but worked well without the ball. Robert Renan settled after a shaky start, while Cuesta struggled and was booked.

Ramon Rique justified a surprise start, sliding Gómez through for the first big chance and later helping break Olimpia’s press before the opener, taking a tactical yellow. Jardim’s handling was assured, and Cuiabano improved after the break to lock down his flank. Lucas Freitas and Paulo Henrique arrived late and were unrated, while Nuno Moreira used open spaces to feed runners.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”