Palmeiras won the Recopa Sudamericana for the first time by beating Athletico Paranaense 2-0 on Wednesday in Sao Paulo, in the Brazilian final of the tournament that pits the champions of the two main club competitions in the region.
Midfielders Zé Rafael, in the 49th minute, and Danilo, in the 88th minute (with assistance from Colombian Eduard Atuesta), gave victory to the team led by the Portuguese Abel Ferreira, winner of the last two editions of the Copa Libertadores.
“I am a man who works a lot in silence and today (Wednesday) life rewarded me (…) It was a title that Palmeiras did not have, we are recorded in history once again,” said Zé Rafael at the end of the match.
Accustomed to waiting for his opponents, Alberto Valentim’s ‘Furacão’, winner of the Sudamericana-2021, struggled to match the series, which in the first leg, in Curitiba (south), was 2-2.
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With the victory, the São Paulo team avenged the defeat last year in the same competition, against the Argentine Defense and Justice.
Emotions were low in the duel between the champions of South America. Although Palmeiras dominated the ball, neither of them had a single shot on goal in the first half.
When two teams that build their strength on giving the initiative to the opponent face each other, the risk of the absence of offensive football is real. And that happened at the Allianz Parque, two casts with creation problems that constantly collided with the opposing defense.
Although the locals were more willing, especially with the speedy Rony and Dudu, the solid rearguard built by Valentim managed to prevail.
The goal that opened the way to victory for Palmeiras
The second leg of the Cup Winners’ Cup was a duel between two studious coaches obsessed with tactics, whose destiny, as the unwritten laws of football usually dictate, was going to be determined in a still ball.
Zé Rafael was collapsed on the border of the area. He himself accommodated the ball and caressed it, with his right leg, to defeat Santos’ stretch, who managed to touch the ball.
With the advantage in their pocket, the paulistas did not lock themselves up but sought a little more to give them peace of mind to win their fourth title in eight finals played since Ferreira, sent off in the final minutes, landed in Sao Paulo, in November 2020 .
Although it was not overwhelming, the magic that was missing in the first half visited Allianz Parque at times, especially in a Chilean by Rony (54) that Santos cleared.
Given the lack of reaction from Paranaense, from whom the Argentine River Plate snatched the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2019, in the only time he had played for the trophy until then, the “Verdão” stepped back several meters and waited in his field. Those from Curitiba, who recognize that their strength is in their unity, had a hard time articulating dangerous plays.
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“We lacked the aggressiveness we had in Curitiba,” confessed defender Pedro Henrique.
See Eduard Atuesta’s assistance for the 2-0
When the red and black were on the attack, although without intimidating Weverton’s goal, Danilo buried any chance of equalizing by scoring after an assist from Colombian Eduard Atuesta. Thus he assured an unprecedented cup to the emerald giant.
SPORTS
with AFP
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