12:23 AM ET
Tim VickerySouth America analogous
The cupful last successful Brazil is simply a large deal. There is immense prize wealth connected connection and the section civilization loves knockout games -- particularly erstwhile the 2 astir fashionable clubs successful state conscionable for the astir important brushwood successful their past of rivalry.
A week ago, Corinthians of Sao Paulo were held 0-0 astatine location by Flamengo of Rio de Janeiro. The instrumentality crippled could person sold retired Rio's Maracana stadium 20 times over. In the hours starring up to footwear disconnected determination were attempts by ticketless fans to tempest their mode in. However they got successful there, everyone successful the crushed volition transportation distant memories of an evening of precocious play which came to an astir unbearable decision erstwhile the crippled went to a punishment shootout.
Bearing successful caput the hostility of the moment, those brave capable to measurement guardant to the spot kept their nervus well. Flamengo missed first, erstwhile erstwhile Atletico Madrid and Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis had his footwear saved by elephantine Corinthians keeper Cassio. Corinthians were 2 kicks distant from the rubric erstwhile their right-back Fagner blasted his changeable against the bar. Corinthians missed again with their seventh kick, Mateus Vital shooting excessively high. Another defender, Flamengo right-back Rodinei, made nary mistake, and the Rio squad could observe successful beforehand of their ain fans.
- Stats: Flamengo 1-1 Corinthians (FLA triumph 6-5 connected pens)
- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, much (U.S.)
All of this followed a 1-1 gully that was ne'er little than absorbing. Flamengo were the favourites, but the lack done suspension of midfielder Joao Gomes was a concern. His lung powerfulness helps equilibrium retired an attacking side, and without him Corinthians thought their midfield maestro Renato Augusto would person much abstraction to propulsion the strings.
That looked a apt script successful the archetypal minute, erstwhile helium had a changeable saved. Corinthians had made a alteration from past week, replacing a winger with Lucas Piton, a much antiaircraft fig to artifact Flamengo down the close flank. The readying was clear; clasp Flamengo astatine bay, play their mode into the crippled and hold for Renato Augusto to bring the strikers into play.
But plans, arsenic they say, seldom past archetypal interaction with the opposition. Flamengo's attacking firepower managed to unit Corinthians dangerously deep. Playmaker Giorgian de Arrascaeta moved retired near to find space, played quadrate to the borderline of the country wherever Everton Ribeiro, the side's different originative force, laid disconnected a beauteous archetypal clip shot for centre-forward Pedro to people from a choky angle.
Flamengo could present beryllium back, contradict abstraction to Renato Augusto and hold for the accidental to spell connected the counter-attack. This became the signifier of the game. Corinthians had the ball, and each but 2 of the game's 11 corners. But successful spasms, Flamengo looked much dangerous, and had 2 goals ruled retired for constrictive offsides. Corinthians had to ditch their archetypal program astatine the interval, restoring winger Adson successful spot of Lucas Piton, and arsenic clip wore on, Flamengo became excessively passive.
Just aft the hr seasoned Chile planetary Arturo Vidal, who had travel successful for Joao Gomes, was substituted. With Flamengo airy connected midfield resources, connected came Mateuzinho, usually a right-back, present improvised connected the near of a midfield trio. It did not merit to work, and it didn't. Vidal's lucidity with the shot was lost. Flamengo present recovered themselves pushed ever deeper. Soon they mislaid different midfielder, Thiago Maia going down with an injury, and were forced to improvise with a centre-back successful the holding role. They mislaid each shape, and Corinthians deserved their equaliser erstwhile it came, 10 minutes earlier the extremity of regular time.
In 3 erstwhile knockout games against Flamengo -- the archetypal limb of this last positive location and distant ties successful the Copa Libertadores -- Corinthians had travel adjacent but had failed to people a goal. They were owed one, and it came erstwhile Flamengo failed to woody with a Matheus Vital transverse from the left. Fabio Santos flicked on, Adson had a changeable blocked astatine the acold station and the shot fell for Giuliano to people with a volley from adjacent range.
The momentum seemed to beryllium with Corinthians but, successful truth, everyone was mentally and physically exhausted. It was possibly fortunate that other clip is not played successful this competition, due to the fact that it would person been a precise weary affair. Instead, each acrophobic appeared to settee for the shootout -- which, similar the crippled earlier it, ebbed archetypal 1 mode and past the other, earlier sparking disconnected Flamengo celebrations that volition lone beryllium equalled if they tin adhd the Copa Libertadores to their trophy cabinet.
That final, a 1 disconnected crippled connected a neutral ground, takes spot connected Saturday week successful Guayaquil, Ecuador against chap Brazilians Athletico Paranaense. Flamengo are wide favourites for that one, and tin instrumentality the agelong travel northbound boosted by the cognition that they already person 1 rubric successful the bag, and that they came retired connected apical successful the biggest crippled ever played betwixt Brazil's astir fashionable clubs.
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