League Play-Off

Caverna do Dragão
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Vasco da Gama FC's Ronaldo Fenomeno 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. In the 4th minute Matthijs Bergen suffered a knee injury and had to be helped off the field. Vasco da Gama FC made a substitution. Dadá da Silva replaced Matthijs Bergen. In a very dangerous position, a player in Itajai FC fell when an opponent tried to get the ball from him in the 3rd minute. Penalty! The referee gave Vasco da Gama FC a penalty, 7 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Wincent Grabski, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Itajai FC's Anselmo Veloso. 1-0. Anselmo Veloso made a fantastic save in the 13th minute, when Wincent Grabski sent off a good shot on target. The supporters of Vasco da Gama FC booed when Itajai FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 22 match minutes in a wonderful position. Nestor da Fonseca didn't get a good kick on the ball. The audience thought a goal was coming when Ronaldo Fenomeno got free with Anselmo Veloso in the 26th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Edson Mendes kicked well hit freekick during the 27th minute of the match. Anselmo Veloso showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Dadá da Silva, who was totally free with the ball in the 29th minute. After 33 minutes of play, Vasco da Gama FC's Ronaldo Fenomeno made it 3-0 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Anselmo Veloso was left in no man's land by his defense there! In the 38thth minute of the game Ronaldo Fenomeno who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but Itajai FC's Anselmo Veloso was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. If Wincent Grabski had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 40th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Wincent Grabski fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 43rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Anselmo Veloso having to interfere. In the 45th minute the ball was on its way in behind Itajai FC's goalkeeper Anselmo Veloso, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Jefferson Rossi showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Téo de Almeida in the 47th minute of the match.

The wind increased when Téo de Almeida made the kick off in the second half. Dadá da Silva sent away a hard shot on goal in the 54th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. After 56 minutes, Nestor da Fonseca mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Itajai FC and the Vasco da Gama FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. Anselmo Veloso took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Ronaldo Fenomeno, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Itajai FC's Anselmo Veloso played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Wincent Grabski in the 60th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Téo de Almeida in the 65th minute of play forced Vasco da Gama FC's goalkeeper Jefferson Rossi to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Téo de Almeida fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 67th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Jefferson Rossi having to interfere. Anselmo Veloso stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Ronaldo Fenomeno's shot from short distance in the 72nd minute. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Téo de Almeida during the 75th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 75th match minute, Itajai FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Téo de Almeida to maneuver through the defense. Osvaldo Branco charged in rather forcefully in the 77th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Osvaldo Branco the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. In the 77th match minute, Vasco da Gama FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Osvaldo Branco to maneuver through the defense. Téo de Almeida got his second yellow card in the match during the 81st minute which meant that he had to leave the ground. Téo de Almeida hit a great freekick 82 minutes into the match. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Ronaldo Fenomeno in the 83rd minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Anselmo Veloso prevented the ball from getting in the gole. In the 85th minute Rafael Caire shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Anselmo Veloso saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 88th match minute, Itajai FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Fausto Almeida to maneuver through the defense. Jefferson Rossi showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Nestor da Fonseca in the 92nd minute of the match. In the 94th minute, Jorge Bezerra reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Jefferson Rossi. The goal made the score 3-1. There were very few away supporters still in the ground by the end of the match. Most of them had left early, disgusted by the way their team had been torn apart. Vasco da Gama FC fully deserved thier win.