Palmeiras beat Flamengo, this Saturday (28), by 4 to 3 and won the Brazilian Super Cup for the first time in a tough, nervous and highly disputed game at the Mané Garrincha stadium, in Brasília.
Gabigol’s goals (two, one of them a penalty) and Pedro’s great goal for the Red-Black team were not enough to prevent Raphael Veiga’s goals (two, one of them a penalty) and Gabriel Menino’s (two, the first of them a great goal) to define the match in favor of the alviverde team.
This Saturday’s match, the first national decision after Pelé’s death on December 29 of last year, had tributes to the King of football before its start.
Kely and Flavia, his daughters, entered the field with the president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, the three holding replicas of the Jules Rimet cup related to the World Cup conquests for the eternal number 10, alongside the profiled athletes of the two teams on the lawn. In addition, banners in honor of the King were extended by the crowd and a video was broadcast.
The rubro-negro team lifted the Brazilian Super Cup twice (2020 and 2021), which opposes the champion of the Copa do Brasil and the winner of the Brazilian Championship last season, and was runner-up twice (1991 and 2022) in addition to this year .
The confrontation also put the two Portuguese coaches, Abel Ferreira and Vítor Pereira, face to face, used to face each other in the territory of São Paulo in classics between Palmeiras and Corinthians. Flamengo coach, Pereira left the Alvinegro team for the Rio de Janeiro team at the end of last year.
The change has even been the target of criticism from Corinthians fans and the club’s board. The president, Duilio Monteiro Alves, even called the Portuguese team’s change of team a betrayal.
In any case, Pereira arrived at Flamengo willing to win the titles he did not win with Corinthians and, in his first decision, he had to face compatriot Abel Ferreira, who had beaten him in the three previous meetings: once for the Campeonato Paulista and other times two for the Brazilian.
Abel prevented Pereira’s title and kept the writing, in a gala presentation of the two teams, in a very disputed match, which had the score opened in a penalty converted by Gabigol, suffered by Arrascaeta after a blunder in the alviverde defense.
Just over ten minutes later, Palmeiras tied the game with a free ball for Raphael Veiga, who kicked low into the right corner of goalkeeper Santos.
In addition to the first half, the first goal of the game was the work of Gabriel Menino. In exchange for passes in the Flamengo defensive midfielder, the player hit the angle, a practically indefensible ball for the red-negro goalkeeper.
With the turnaround, Palmeiras went to the break with enthusiasm, even in the face of many complaints from Abel Ferreira and the technical commission with the arbitration. A Portuguese assistant ended up expelled in the second half.
The advantage, however, was short-lived. A precise pass in the middle of the Palmeiras defense left Gabigol face-to-face with Weverton, and the striker lightly touched the goalkeeper to equalize.
There wasn’t much time for either team to think about taking the decision to penalties. Just over five minutes later, handball in the Red-Black area, in a bid by the boy Endrick. Raphael Veiga converted the penalty.
The other great goal of the match came soon after, in a throw by the right of Flamengo’s attack that found Pedro in the middle of the area. The striker deflected the ball into the corner of the goal with the outside of his foot and a lot of skill.
Game tied, caught, with many goals, yellow cards, fouls and two fans supporting the teams. Until Gabriel Menino, about 15 minutes later, picked up the ball in the area and kicked it, but enough to swing Santos’ nets.
In the end, even with a lot of pressure, discussions and the ball to complain, Flamengo was unable to draw or reverse the score.
This year’s edition had a new feature in the VAR (video referee) in the use of lines to define offsides. If there was even a slight overlap between the line of the last attacker and the penultimate defender, the move would be considered legal.
In theory, this benefits the attackers and tends to reduce the number of moves disallowed for offside. The analysis of bids, from now on, would also be displayed on the stadium’s big screens.
Referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio, however, even with a lot of work on the field and two penalties scored, did not need the VAR to be triggered during the match.
Brazilian Super Cup champions
- 1990 – Grêmio (Vasco vice)
- 1991 – Corinthians (vice Flamengo)
- 2020 – Flamengo (vice Atletico Paranaense, current Athletico)
- 2021 – Flamengo (vice Palmeiras)
- 2022 – Atlético-MG (vice Flamengo)
- 2023 – Palmeiras (vice Flamengo)
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