Vasco: Why Vegetti went off early against Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Vasco’s 2-0 victory over Cruzeiro last Saturday at São Januário brought an unusual scene for those who closely follow the club: Pablo Vegetti was substituted just 12 minutes into the second half. The move drew attention because, in three years wearing the Cruz-Maltina shirt, the number 99 rarely leaves the field before the end of matches.

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Vegetti in action for Vasco in the match against Cruzeiro — Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

Since arriving at Vasco, Vegetti has played 124 games and has only been substituted before the middle of the second half twice. The first time was in the 3-1 defeat to Corinthians in the 35th round of last year’s Brasileirão, when he was replaced at halftime by Jair. The second was precisely in the recent victory over Cruzeiro.

At 36 years old, the Argentine is usually a constant presence on the field. Just this season, he played the full 90 minutes in 37 matches. When he does leave the pitch, it’s usually only in the final minutes, after the 30th or 35th minute of the second half.

Against Cruzeiro, however, Fernando Diniz chose to take him off early to bring on David. In a press conference, the coach explained his decision:

– The game was becoming very transitional. I took off Vegetti and Nuno. The match was much more suited to Andrés and David today. To make the most of Vegetti, we need to have possession in attack so he can finish. That wasn’t happening. I preferred to make the change early so we wouldn’t risk conceding an equalizer and to increase our chances of scoring a second goal — he explained.

The change had an immediate effect: four minutes after the number 99 left the field, Vasco scored the second goal, securing the win.

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Pablo Vegetti, Vasco’s striker, celebrating a goal against Portuguesa (RJ). Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco da Gama

Pressure for the bench and goal drought

This episode comes amid calls from part of the fans for Vegetti to be rested on the bench. The top scorer in Brazilian football this season, with 24 goals, is going through a five-game goal drought and has been criticized for, at times, stalling the team’s offensive dynamics.

Even so, Diniz’s decision stands out for breaking a pattern. Vegetti is seen internally as a trusted player, and his early substitution may indicate a one-off adjustment — or the beginning of a deeper change in the coach’s offensive choices.

Vasco returns to the field next Wednesday to face Palmeiras at 7 p.m. (Brasília time), in São Paulo.

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