League Play-Off

Morumbi
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Afonsinho Cosme started the match with the kick off. After 12 minutes, Caco Prestes mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the SaoPauloFC and the CRAC FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. After a rather tough play, SaoPauloFC's Caco Prestes got a free kick in the 12th minute. In the 15th minute, Hélio Souza got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. 17 minutes into the match, Hélio Souza notched a goal, 1-1, to the right of SaoPauloFC's Wanderson Freire. Wanderson Freire was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. Júlio Maranhense fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 21st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Wanderson Freire having to interfere. If Júlio Maranhense had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 24th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpectedly hard shot by Adilson das Neves in the 26th minute of play forced CRAC FC's goalkeeper Nico Fontes to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. When Giuseppe Prata fell near the penalty area in the 30th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored SaoPauloFC's protests and gave Giuseppe Prata a yellow card for diving instead. A collision led to SaoPauloFC getting a freekick after 30 minutes play. Giuseppe Prata hit a great ball. After some fancy dribbling in the 31st minute, Hélio Souza managed to get in a good position for a shot. CRAC FC's supporters rose to their feet, but Hélio Souza was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Wanderson Freire breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Wanderson Freire took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Hélio Souza, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Nico Fontes showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Afonsinho Cosme in the 35th minute of the match. In the 38th minute the ball was on its way in behind SaoPauloFC's goalkeeper Wanderson Freire, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Wanderson Freire showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Júlio Maranhense in the 43rd minute of the match. After a very even first half the match was still tied. The players went to their respective dressing rooms to discuss the tactics for the second half.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Hélio Souza was the one to do the kick off. In the 55th minute, Bruno Baptista hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 58th minute Giuseppe Prata shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Nico Fontes saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 59 minutes into the match, SaoPauloFC's Afonsinho Cosme sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Nico Fontes narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Nico Fontes didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Wilson Lalu went, in the 63rd minute, to the upper right corner, 2-1 was the resulting score. In the 66th minute, Giuseppe Prata hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Afonsinho Cosme recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 72nd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Nico Fontes made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Afonsinho Cosme in the 72nd minute of play. 74 minutes into the match, CRAC FC's goal looked a bit too open when Afonsinho Cosme came free, but Nico Fontes reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After some careless play in the CRAC FC defense, Wilson Lalu kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Nico Fontes. The CRAC FC fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Nico Fontes should have stopped the shot. When Giuseppe Prata was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 77 minutes had been played. Giuseppe Prata hit a great freekick 78 minutes into the match. With a little luck, SaoPauloFC's Wanderson Freire got control of the ball when Júlio Maranhense tried to sneak it across the goal line. After a defensive mix-up in SaoPauloFC's zone, Júlio Maranhense stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Wanderson Freire came out of the goal and Júlio Maranhense tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. In the 83rd minute Hélio Souza shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Wanderson Freire saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered when the referee blew the final whistle. SaoPauloFC had won after a very even match.