BEST PROS ARGENTINES
With the result, the Avellaneda club ended a drought of international cups that had lasted since 1988
Published on November 23, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Racing won game Credit: Disclosure
Cruzeiro paid dearly for a passive and unproductive first half and, despite the improvement in the final stage, they were defeated in a 3-1 decision by Racing, who won their first Copa Sudamericana title, this Saturday, at the La Nueva stadium. Olla, in Asunción, Paraguay.
With the result, the Avellaneda club ended a drought of international cups that had lasted since 1988, when the Argentines won the Libertadores Super Cup over Cruzeiro itself. The Belo Horizonte team will complete its 25th year without an international victory – the last was the 1998 Recopa Sul-Americana, lifted in 1999.
Under the scorching sun in the Paraguayan capital, Cruzeiro looked tired and unfocused in the first minutes of the decision. At a blistering pace, Racing adopted an offensive stance from the start, increasing the marking, putting pressure on the ball and forcing the Brazilian team to make mistakes.
In the second minute, taking advantage of a lack of attention from the Minas Gerais defense, Martirena found Cássio’s net, but the VAR review found the play offside. In the 14th minute, however, after a sequence of incorrect ball passes from Cruzeiro, who wasted possession in their own midfield, Martirena tried to cross from the right, but the ball went wide, towards the goal and covered Cássio: 1 to 0 .
Even at a disadvantage, Cruzeiro showed difficulty in releasing the ball and was slow to advance. The Argentine attacks on the flanks, especially on the left, the sector from which the goal had been disallowed at the beginning, had an effect again in the 19th minute. Martínez received Salas’ low cross and, counting on mistakes from João Marcelo and Villalba in marking, he just pushed the ball in, free, to make it 2-0.
After the second goal, Cruzeiro advanced the lines and tried to corner Racing in their defense field. In the final stretch of the first half, Fernando Diniz’s team even managed to attack and create scoring opportunities with shots from Kaio Jorge and Villalba, but produced very little, insisting on going up the middle, with a slightly inspired Matheus Pereira. On the other side, Racing managed the advantage and continued to bet on long balls on the sides of the field, counting on the poor performance of the opposing defenders.
In the second half, Cruzeiro looked like a different team. The Minas Gerais team involved Racing with a quick exchange of passes and opening the game on the edges. With the new posture, it only took seven minutes for Kaio Jorge to take advantage of Matheus Henrique’s cross and finish twice to beat goalkeeper Arias.
RACING – Arias; Martirena, Di Cesare, García Basso and Gabriel Rojas; Santiago Sosa, Nardoni, Almendra (Zuculini) and Quintero (Solari); Salas and Adrián Martínez (Roger Martínez). Coach: Gustavo Costas.
CRUZEIRO – Cássio; William, João Marcelo, Villalba and Marlon (Kaique Kenji); Lucas Romero (Lautaro Díaz), Walace (Lucas Silva), Matheus Henrique and Matheus Pereira; Gabriel Verón (Barreal) and Kaio Jorge. Coach: Fernando Diniz.
GOALS – Martirena, at 14, and Adrian Martínez, at 19 minutes of the first half. Kaio Jorge, at 7, and Roger Martínez, at 49 minutes of the second half.
YELLOW CARDS – García Basso, Nardoni and Di Cesare (Racing); Lucas Romero, Lucas Silva and Matheus Pereira (Cruzeiro).
REFEREE – Esteban Ostojich (URU).
LOCATION – La Nueva Olla Stadium, in Asunción, Paraguay.
