By Gustavo Castilho
Tricolor stumbles again in the knockout. Cruzmaltino, on the other hand, remains in the competition.
Vasco’s 0-0 draw against Caracas, in Venezuela, was enough to guarantee the classification for the round of 16 of the South American Cup. After winning the game in Rio, the team only needed a draw and did so. With a formation of three defenders, coach Ricardo Sá Pinto set up a team solid enough to hold the Venezuelan team, which played with one player less for a good part of the second half. In the next phase, Vasco will face Defensa y Justicia (ARG).
The victory by 4 x 3 over Lanús (ARG) was not enough for São Paulo, due to the goals away criterion, since in Argentina the tricolor scored twice in the defeat by 2 to 3. The team from São Paulo made a great second half and came close to the classification, after opening 4 to 2 on the scoreboard, but the Argentines’ third goal in the additional time was a cold shower. With an unfavorable result, São Paulo reached the third elimination of the season. Lanús faces Bolívar (BOL) in the next phase.
Today is Bahia’s step in the field for the competition. The Bahian tricolor receives Melgar (PER), in Salvador. In the first leg, Mano Menezes’s team lost 1-0 and now needs to chase the loss.
