With a goal from Fabrício, Garotos do Ninho draw with Cabofriense 1-1 at the opponent's home

The result keeps the red-black under-20 team in second place in Group A of the Guanabara Cup

By - in 04/04/2017 às 17:54

A tightly balanced match at their opponent's home ground kept Mais Querido in second place in the U-20 Guanabara Cup. After their opponent took the lead, the Garotos do Ninho showed determination and equalized with a goal from Fabrício, coming close to turning the game around on several occasions.

The first moments of the first half saw intense competition for possession in the midfield. After the break, the match intensified, and chances began to emerge. Initially, Cabofriense tried to create a threat, but were met by a well-positioned defense from the red-and-black side. Bernardo and Dantas managed to fend off attacks through the center and crosses from the wings with the support of full-backs Moraes and Juninho.

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Vinicius Souza and Théo also had a strong performance, particularly when it came to counterattacking. The defensive midfield duo also consistently provided defensive assistance, sometimes playing one-twos with wingers João Pedro and Fabrício, and at other times seeking creativity from number 10 Brayan. Center forward Loran also struggled to capitalize on the chances he created, holding off the opposing central defense and opening up space for the supporting players.

Despite the strong performance, the first half of the match ended 0-0. In the second half, coach Gilmar Popoca replaced Brayan with Lucas Abreu.

Cabofriense took the lead after just two minutes. From then on, the Ninho Boys went all out in search of an equalizer. From the edge of the box, Loran forced a great save from the opposing goalkeeper after a curling shot. Twice more, the assistant referee flagged for offside, stopping great chances created by the center of the field.

Before the technical break, the U-20 coach made his second change, bringing on Alisson for João Pedro. The pressure was already building from then on, with the Ninho Boys creating good chances. Then, in the 28th minute, Loran made a good run down the left flank and sent a low cross to Fabrício. The number 11 finished, with the help of the opposing goalkeeper to level the score.

The coach's final change to the team came in the 30th minute, with Rafael Carvalheira coming on for Vinicius Souza. Chances continued to flow, particularly down the left flank with good combinations between Loran and Fabrício. In one of these, the number 11 was fouled in stoppage time.

With the free kick, Théo almost turned the game around. The ball was headed in the right direction, but the opposing goalkeeper's slight deflection caused it to hit the crossbar. Immediately after the kick, the referee pointed to the center of the field and ended the match.

The result took the red-black team to 29 points, two ahead of third-placed Madureira, keeping Mais Querido in second place in group A, just one point behind Botafogo.

This Friday (07), however, the team's focus turns to the Copa do Brasil. The group will travel to Maceió, in Alagoas, where they will face the CRB team at the Rei Pelé Stadium, with the ball rolling from 21:30 pm. The match will be broadcast by SporTV and ESPN Brasil.