League

Rio Pretão
Spectators: 7267 (Terracing: 5452, Seating: 1671, VIP seats: 144) The Tigers's Samuca Tróia started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Felippe Silveira during the 10th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Angelo Azevedo charged in rather forcefully in the 12th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Angelo Azevedo the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. In the 16th minute, Fernandinho Freire hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Luiz Fábio Araújo took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Samuca Tróia, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. In the 26th minute Geraldo Azevedo shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Luiz Fábio Araújo saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 32 minutes, Marcus Leão mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the The Tigers and the Rio Preto F.C. players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to The Tigers getting a freekick after 32 minutes play. Marcus Leão hit a great ball. An unexpectedly hard shot by Samuca Tróia in the 36th minute of play forced Rio Preto F.C.'s goalkeeper Luiz Fábio Araújo to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Geraldo Azevedo might have been able to make a better finish in the 39th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Luiz Fábio Araújo. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Geraldo Azevedo ran back to his position shaking his head. If Samuca Tróia had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 41st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After some fancy dribbling in the 46th minute, Samuca Tróia managed to get in a good position for a shot. The Tigers's supporters rose to their feet, but Samuca Tróia was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Luiz Fábio Araújo breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Geraldo Azevedo received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 48th minute. Luiz Fábio Araújo tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Cristóvão Bastos to strike the kick off in the second half. In the 54th minute the ball was on its way in behind Rio Preto F.C.'s goalkeeper Luiz Fábio Araújo, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Geraldo Azevedo's shot straight on target was not completely harmless. The ball had pretty good speed, but Luiz Fábio Araújo firmly grabbed it by the left post. The Tigers's Samuca Tróia got a good chance for a goal in the 66th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. After having played for 90 minutes, Geraldo Azevedo managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. The Tigers's supporters crossed their fingers, but Geraldo Azevedo was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal.