Zubeldía questions Vasco goal, says Fluminense still alive | OneFootball

With a goal conceded at the end, Fluminense was defeated by Vasco 2-1 this Thursday, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinal. In the play that led to Vasco's second goal, the young Rayan suffered a foul and quickly took the free kick, an act allowed by referee Raphael Claus. Coach Luis Zubeldía did not agree with the referee's decision and complained about the play in the post-match press conference.

“I believe the referee should not have restarted the game as it happened. There needs to be at least three meters of distance from where the foul was committed. The possibility of taking a quick free kick and still from a different spot than where the foul occurred was an advantage for them. If you're going to take it quickly, it has to be from where the foul was, not three meters away. But, it doesn't matter,” said Zubeldía.

Fluminense is still alive

With the defeat suffered this Thursday, Fluminense is obliged to beat Vasco next Sunday to stay alive in the fight for a spot in the Copa do Brasil final. Zubeldía lamented the result at Maracanã but stated that the Tricolor Carioca is still in the race.

“Cups are like this, they are played over 180 minutes. Anyone who thinks the Cup is 90 minutes seems to be mistaken. You have to evaluate the 180 minutes. Of course, we want to win, but we didn't get the result. We have to correct some specific actions, like transitions, one-on-one. This allows you to be back on the field. It's about adjusting for the next 90 minutes and, despite respecting all teams, I believe we have everything to turn this knockout around,” evaluated Zubeldía.

PHOTO: LUCAS MERÇON / FLUMINENSE F.C.

Decision on Sunday

Now, Vasco and Fluminense will face each other again in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinal. The match is this Sunday, at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), once again at Maracanã.

The Cruzmaltino has the advantage of a draw playing as visitors. In case of a victory by the Tricolor by one goal difference, the decision of the Copa do Brasil finalist will be made through penalty kicks.

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