On Saturday afternoon (3), the Fortaleza scored twice from set pieces and won América-RN won 2-1at Arena Castelão, for first round of Nordestão of 2024. Souza, taking a penalty, opened the scoring for Dragãowhile Lucero, also with a maximum penalty, and Pochettino, with a free kick, turned the game around for Leão.
As a result, the Tricolor adds its first three points in the fight for the third regional championship. The team from Rio Grande do Norte returns to Natal with zero on the leaderboard.
NEXT GAME
Now, Fortaleza turns its attention to the Cearense Championship. On Wednesday (7), Tricolor will face Ferroviário in the Classic of Colors, at 8:30 pm, at Estádio Presidente Vargas, in the fourth round. A victory could guarantee early classification for the semi-finals of the competition.
FORTALEZA HAD A HARD LIFE
Fortaleza began its fight for the third regional championship with a very complicated game. Anyone who thought that América-RN, being in the fourth national division, would be easy prey was wrong. The team from Rio Grande do Norte, led by the well-known tricolor Marquinhos Santos, imposed many difficulties on Leão do Pici by adopting a reactive style.
This explains the fact that, in the first stage, Fortaleza only had one chance to score goals. The move occurred in the 15th minute, when, after a good triangulation, Marinho received the ball from Thiago Galhardo and finished with his right leg, which is not the good one. The ball hit Renan Bragança’s right post, ran across the line and touched the goalkeeper’s other post before the American defense cleared the danger.
After that, América-RN still had two chances with Gustavo Henrique, the team’s highlight in the match. At 19, he took off from before the midfield dividing line, passed two Leonine defenders and finished with a cross to the right of João Ricardo’s goal. Five minutes later, the striker, who was isolated in the offensive field, received a pass from Juliano, used his strength and speed to beat Brítez, and sent a left-footed bomb wide.
The first half continued until the end with the same attitude from both teams. Fortaleza in possession of the ball, but unable to break through the opponent’s block, and América-RN waiting for a fatal counterattack to seek their goal.
SET BALLS DEFINE THE GAME
The teams returned from the break with the same attitude and it didn’t take long for Leão to have their first opportunity. After three minutes, Marinho served Zé Welison who finished first from the edge of the area for a good save by goalkeeper Renan Bragança.
The scare did not shake the América-RN team, which continued to fulfill its role very well and found the opportunity it was looking for. At 17, in a quick escape on the left, Juliano crossed low to Gustavo Henrique who anticipated Titi’s marking and was brought down by the defender inside the area. After three minutes of much complaining from the tricolor team, Souza took the penalty with great skill, displacing goalkeeper João Ricardo, to open the scoring at Arena Castelão.
The goal seemed to be a blow to the Leonine team and the increase in confidence that the Potiguares needed to start exchanging passes and valuing possession of the ball. However, due to an oversight by the visitors, Fortaleza took advantage.
At 26, Thiago Galhardo launched a quick counterattack and served Marinho inside the area. The attacker cleared defender Rafael Jansen and goalkeeper Renan Bragança and fell to the ground. Referee Ruthyanna Camila Medeiros da Silva was in the tricolor number 11 and awarded the maximum penalty. Lucero, who had nothing to do with it, took the penalty and hit with great force to equalize the score, in the 29th minute.
The goal conceded did not change América-RN’s attitude, which gave Fortaleza another big scare and almost regained the lead on the scoreboard. At 34, in another counterattack, Marcos Ytalo, who had recently entered, served Juliano who took the first touch to score the team’s second. However, the attacker was in front of the ball line and the goal was disallowed for offside.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Fortaleza continued trying and managed to secure victory in the final stretch of the match. At 42, Pochettino took a free kick and saw the ball deflect off the wall to take away any possibility of defense from Renan Bragança and go into the back of the net, defining the turnaround and the Leonine triumph.
SEE HOW IT WAS IN THE GREEN:
SEE WHAT THE REAL TIME WAS LIKE:
2024-02-03 20:58:00
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