League of Quitodown a man throughout the second half due to the ejection of Alexander Alvarado, dug in, fought back and won the penalty shootout, 4-5, against São Pauloto enter the semifinals of South American Cupwhere it will be measured Defense and Justice from Argentina.
The São Paulo team managed to equalize the tie in regulation time (1-0), but remained on the coast to repeat the 2022 final due to a mistake from eleven meters away. James Rodriguezheroes and villains tonight in Morumbí.
The Colombian midfielder assisted Ecuadorian Robert Arboleda from a corner, who scored the only goal of the match with a header in the 77th minute to take the lottery decision on penalties, after a 1-2 defeat in Quito.
Liga de Quito feared the counterattack, knew how to suffer from inferiority in the second period and made no mistakes in the penalty shootout. Five out of five, with Peruvian Paolo Guerrero as one of the scorers. The coach of Sao Paulo, Dorival Junior, did not start with the magical quartet, as expected. James sat on the bench and the trio of Calleri, Luciano and Lucas Moura entered the field, the best of the Paulistas.
The first chances for the Brazilians were certainly wasted by Luciano and Calleri, who were now thick in the area, something rare for the Argentine striker. LDU does not sit idle. The counterattack and the loss of time to scratch every second on the clock are the weapons of the Argentine led by Luis Zubeldía.
In this approach, Jhojan Julio stands out from the rest, a physical wonder who never ceases to create problems for the opposing defense. The stopper starred in a solo run from midfield that ended with a shot near the post that Rafael answered brilliantly.
But it was that before, in the first minute, the Brazilian goalkeeper got another good save from Alvarado’s dry shot. Guerrero also did a good job of holding possession from the back, one of his specialties.
Sao Paulo gave themselves body and soul to Lucas Moura. The former Tottenham player, at home, is a step above the rest of his teammates, even blocking some dangerous plays. However, his spark was not enough to beat Alexander Domínguez in the first half.
The second half started with a favorable wind for the Brazilians after Alvarado was sent off for a nasty tackle on Alisson’s ankle. Downstairs, the University students shut themselves up to endure the downpour. Alisson himself led the local attack with a kick from the top of the area that hit the post. Arboleda, alone in the area, sent rejection into the clouds.
The goal did not come and Dorival called on James Rodríguez, a short space specialist, with half an hour to go. But anxiety began to take over the Brazilians. Calleri surprisingly missed the pass from the dead inside the six yard box.
And when panic broke through the stands, James launched a perfect corner kick for Arboleda, with three opponents, to finish off a header. Adé’s deflection deceived Domínguez, who grazed the ball before sliding into his goal.
An Ecuadorian player condemned an Ecuadorian team. But Morumbí’s Tricolor could not complete the comeback and the tie went to penalties, with the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich player sending his shot into the clouds of the São Paulo capital. First big disappointment for Colombian and a big celebration for LDU.
DATA SHEET
1 – São Paulo: Raphael; Rafinha, Arboleda, Lucas Beraldo, Welington (m.65 James Rodríguez); Pablo Maia (m.56 Wellington Rato), Alisson, Rodrigo Nestor (m.65 Michel Araújo); Luciano, Lucas Moura and Jonathan Calleri
Instructor: Dorival Junior
0 – Quito League: Alexander Dominguez; Richard Mina (m.63 Valverde; m.95 Lisandro Alzugaray), Ricardo Adé, Facundo Rodríguez, Leonel Quiñónez; Lucas Ezequiel Piovi, Mauricio Martínez, Jhojan Julio, Renato Ibarra (m.83 Daykol Romero); Paolo Guerrero and Alexander Alvarado
Coach: Luis Zubeldia
Purpose: 1-0, Arboleda (m. 77)
Penalty shootout: 1-0: Calleri, goal. 1-1: Guerrero, goal. 1-1: James Rodríguez, out. 1-2: Alzugaray, goal. 2-2: Lucas Moura, goal. 2-3: Martínez, goal. 3-3: Beraldo, goal. 3-4: Quiñónez, goal. 4-4: Time, purpose. 4-5: July, goal
Referee: Venezuelan Alexis Herrera ejects Alvarado (m.49) and advises Quiñónez, Ibarra, Araújo, Adé and Guerrero
happenings: second leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana played at the Morumbí stadium, in the city of São Paulo, before 52,658 spectators
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
