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On the return of the Libertadores, Santos was not thrilled. On a night of low brightness and rare good offensive actions today (15), the team led by Cuca was in a 0-0 draw with Olimpia (PAR), in Vila Belmiro, for the third day of the group stage.
After six months of waiting, Santos’ return to continental competition left much to be desired. The team, which arrived with 100% success, did it wrong and failed to take advantage of the numerical superiority when Olimpia had a man sent off in the middle of the second half. It was Peixe’s first stumble in the tournament.
Despite the draw, Santos remains in the isolated leadership of Group D, with seven points. Olimpia, with five, is second. Defense and Justice (0 points) and Delfín (1) meet on Thursday.
Santos’ next meeting with Libertadores will be against Delfín, on September 24, in the city of Manta, Ecuador. Before that, the team faces Botafogo, on Sunday (20), for the eleventh round of the Brazilian Championship.
The best: Soteldo creates great occasions
If Santos ever got close to goal, it was at Soteldo’s insistence. The Venezuelan sought the game and was the most dangerous player on the team. Soteldo worked up the left side, racking up dribbling and creating dangerous moves, even hitting the post on one of them. He was voted the best of the game.
The worst: Raniel returns after covid-19 and spoils
Raniel spent ten days in isolation after testing positive for covid-19 and returned to CT Rei Pelé last Sunday. The lack of rhythm was visible on the field. The striker made a great play by puncturing a bike late in the first half and just after the break he wasted a good chance by being late for the play, falling to his knees in the sequence. He ended up being substituted in the 17th minute of the second half by the entrance of Marcos Leonardo.
It is worth remembering that Raniel depended on a test to be able to be on the court today and he did not even train with the group, doing a specific job for the time stopped. Even so, coach Cuca wanted to have him and Peixe got the release with Conmebol, since the player was already asymptomatic.
Santos controls the game, but creates little
Coach Cuca’s team was in control of the game for almost 90 minutes, with Olimpia back on defense. However, Santos created little for the volume of play they had. At best opportunities, Raniel failed to complete. At another time, there was no luck and Soteldo stopped at the post. Even with one more during part of the second stage, El Pez had a hard time breaking through the Paraguayan defense. Team night.
Olimpia scores strong and holds with one less
Olimpia entered the field with a well-defined strategy: strong marking and little space for Santos players, especially Marinho, who was closely pursued (and hunted) throughout the match.
When Rodrigo Rojas was sent off, in the 22nd minute of the second half for missing precisely in Marinho, the strategy intensified and the Paraguayan team withdrew the lines even further. It worked and the team kept the tie.
With Pelé’s blessing, Marinho goes blank
Not every day someone receives Pelé’s blessing, Marinho had the privilege this Tuesday. The King of Soccer sent a message to the Santos striker on Instagram and asked him: “Keep making me smile today.”
However, the king’s prayers were not enough. Marinho suffered with the goal – and the many fouls – and has not played much tonight. Nervous at the end, he still committed a foul and ended up being booked with a yellow card.
Remember it? Roque Santa Cruz leaves at the beginning
Olimpia captain and technical reference, forward Roque Santa Cruz, 39, left the field early. The veteran was substituted in the 16th minute of the first half, apparently without injury.
With participation in three World Cups for the Paraguayan team, in addition to wearing Bayern Munich and Manchester City shirts, Santa Cruz is Olimpia’s top scorer this season, with 10 goals. In the Libertadores he has not yet scored.
DATA SHEET:
SANTOS 0 x 0 OLIMPIA (PAIR)
Copa Libertadores – Group stage
Data: 09/15/2020 (Tuesday)
Calendar: 9:30 pm (from Brasilia)
Local: Vila Belmiro, in Santos-SP
Referee: Leodan González (URU)
Assistants: Nicolas Taran (URU) and Richard Trinidad (URU)
Yellow: Marine; Candia, De la Cruz and Rojas (2)
Red: Red
SAINTS: Juan Pablo; Pará (Madson), Luan Peres, Lucas Veríssimo and Felipe Jonatan (Jean Mota); Alison (Lucas Lourenço), Diego Pituca and Carlos Sánchez; Marinho, Soteldo and Raniel (Marcos Leonardo). Coach: Cuca.
OLYMPIAD: Azcona; Otalvaro, Leguizamón, Alcaraz and Torres (Arias); Silva (Derlis González), Candia (De la Cruz), Ortiz and Rodrigo Rojas; Camacho (Caballero) and Roque Santa Cruz (Pitta). Technician: Daniel Garnero.
