Vasco hold on for goalless draw in Copa do Brasil final first leg | OneFootball

Vasco and Corinthians drew 0-0 on Wednesday night (17th), at the Neo Química Arena, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final. In a match marked by many technical errors, goals disallowed for offside, and few clear chances, the Cruz-Maltino managed to leave São Paulo with an important result and takes the wide-open decision to the Maracanã.

Scrappy first half and disallowed goals

Even playing away from home, Vasco showed personality from the start. Despite a beginning marked by mistakes from both teams in their build-up play, Fernando Diniz’s team managed to adjust quickly and began to have more control of possession and better occupation of space.

The best chance of the first half was for Vasco. At 18 minutes, Rayan appeared free in the attacking half, finished as Hugo Souza came out, and even found the net, but the play was ruled out for offside. Corinthians also had a goal disallowed later, but in an isolated play.

Defensively, the Cruz-Maltino looked solid, with a good performance from the center-back duo and efficient protection from the midfield. Timão struggled to create, relying on individual errors that rarely happened.

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Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco.

Injury concern and Léo Jardim’s standout performance

Before halftime, Vasco had a reason to worry. Matheus Carvalho, who was on the bench, got injured during the warm-up, left the pitch in tears, and had to be carried by members of the coaching staff. According to initial information, the player suffered a knee problem.

In the second half, Corinthians tried to increase the pressure but continued to struggle creatively. The best play for the São Paulo team came at 33 minutes, with a good combination between Bidu and Memphis Depay. The full-back crossed to Yuri Alberto, who finished awkwardly, stopped by a great save from Léo Jardim. The play, however, was ruled out for offside, but the Vasco goalkeeper was one of the standouts of the match.

Even with changes, including Vegetti coming on for Nuno Moreira, Vasco maintained a secure defensive posture and managed to neutralize the opponent’s main actions until the final whistle.

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Yuri Alberto and Robert Renan in Corinthians vs Vasco (Photo: Marcos Ribolli)

Decision goes to the Maracanã

With the goalless draw, the Copa do Brasil title will be decided next Sunday, at 6pm, at the Maracanã. Whoever wins takes the trophy. In the event of another draw, the decision will go to penalties. Vasco is counting on the strength of their home crowd to seek their second championship, while Corinthians will try to correct the mistakes shown in the first match.

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