Atlético lose Sul-Americana opener to Puerto Cabello, hoodoo ends | OneFootball

Atlético got off to a bad start in the Copa Sudamericana. In the early hours of Thursday (07), Galo were beaten 2-1 by Puerto Cabello in Valencia, Venezuela, in a match valid for the opening round of the group stage.

All three goals were scored in the first half. Castillo opened the scoring in the 16th minute for the home side. Atlético responded through Dudu, who equalized in the 27th minute, but Ramos struck in the 39th to seal the Venezuelan victory. The result marks the first defeat in the history of the Minas Gerais club against a team from Venezuela.

THE MATCH

With a heavily changed lineup packed with backup players, coach Eduardo Domínguez sent out Everson, Preciado, Lyanco, Vitor Hugo and Junior Alonso; Cisse, Igor Gomes, Bernard and Gustavo Scarpa; Dudu and Cassierra.

Despite their strong recent run in the Brasileirão, Atlético delivered a performance well below expectations. In the opening minutes, Puerto Cabello had already created two clear-cut chances, highlighting Atlético’s defensive frailty.

The opening goal, in the 16th minute, was a direct consequence of that pressure. Even after Dudu’s equalizer, Galo continued to leave spaces and were punished again before halftime.

For the second half, Domínguez made three changes, bringing on Reinier, Cauã Soares and Maycon. Igor Gomes, Bernard and Cassierra left the field after a subdued display.

The substitutions, however, did little to change the course of the match. Atlético did create a few chances to level the score, but remained vulnerable at the back and watched the opposition waste opportunities to extend the lead. By the end of the game, the Venezuelans had taken 15 shots compared to 12 from the Minas Gerais side.

WHAT’S NEXT

Atlético now switch their focus to the Brazilian Championship. The team return to action next Saturday (11), when they face Santos at Vila Belmiro in the 11th round.

In the Sudamericana, Galo will make their home debut next Thursday at Arena MRV against Juventud, looking to bounce back after the away setback.

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