League Play-Off

Jayme Cintra
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Telmo Vergílio received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 4th minute. Giovani Furtado tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After 8th play minutes Ramón Senna shot 0-1, a short shot which went by José Pedro Mangueira and just under the crossbar into goal. The audience thought a goal was coming when Telmo Vergílio got free with Giovani Furtado in the 12th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Telmo Vergílio received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 14th minute. Giovani Furtado tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Rodolfo Pitta received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 22nd minute. José Pedro Mangueira tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 27th minute, Ronaldinho Marinho hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Ramón Senna recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 31st minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Rodolfo Pitta in the 34th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg José Pedro Mangueira saved Paulista FC from getting behind. After a rather tough play, Paulista FC's Horácio da Costa got a free kick in the 34th minute. When Rodolfo Pitta came up free with the goalie in the 35th minute, the Verneque fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Rodolfo Pitta couldn't finish the play. José Pedro Mangueira made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Rodolfo Pitta in the 36th minute of play. 38 minutes into the match, Jerônimo dos Santos dribbled the ball past the defender and swiftly kicked the ball to the left of Giovani Furtado, 1-1. Ronaldinho Marinho hit a great freekick 42 minutes into the match. Igor Severo's late challenge caught a Verneque's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Igor Severo helped the player get up and apologised. After having played for 47 minutes, Rodolfo Pitta managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Verneque's supporters crossed their fingers, but Rodolfo Pitta was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After the first half the score was level. The break gave the players a chance to catch their breath, whilst the managers went over the tactics with them again.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Jerônimo dos Santos stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Ramón Senna 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. 60 minutes into the match, Paulista FC's goalkeeper José Pedro Mangueira had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Rodolfo Pitta. In the 67th match minute, Paulista FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Geovânio Vianna to maneuver through the defense. The supporters of Paulista FC booed when Verneque was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 70 match minutes in a wonderful position. Vágner Nóbrega didn't get a good kick on the ball. Rodolfo Pitta fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 73rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without José Pedro Mangueira having to interfere. After having played for 74 minutes, Ramón Senna managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Verneque's supporters crossed their fingers, but Ramón Senna was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Paulista FC's José Pedro Mangueira proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 76th minute of the match, managed to save Paulista FC from getting a goal against them. Ramón Senna's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but José Pedro Mangueira read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 78th minute of play. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Ramón Senna in the 84th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg José Pedro Mangueira saved Paulista FC from getting behind. After some fancy dribbling in the 85th minute, Jerônimo dos Santos managed to get in a good position for a shot. Paulista FC's supporters rose to their feet, but Jerônimo dos Santos was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Giovani Furtado breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. In the 97th minute, Rodolfo Pitta made a precise shot to the right of José Pedro Mangueira. Paulista FC's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-2.