Água Santa advances to the final for the first time and will face Palmeiras – 03/20/2023 – Sport

For the first time in its short history, Água Santa will play in the final of the Paulista Championship. This Monday (20), the club from Diadema beat Red Bull Bragantino on penalties and will be Palmeiras’ opponent in the competition’s decision.

Unlike the quarterfinals and semifinals, the final will be the only phase with home and away matches, scheduled for April 2nd and 9th — the second and decisive match being held at the home of the alviverde team, owner of the best campaign in the league. competition.

In the duel played tonight at Vila Belmiro, the team from the interior of São Paulo took the lead, with a goal by Alerrandro, still in the first half. But, after a mistake by goalkeeper Cleiton, Água Santa tied right at the beginning of the final stage, with Lucas Tocantins.

With the score 1-1, the team from Diadema dragged the match to penalties, won by the club founded in 1981 by 4-2.

It was Água Santa’s second victory on penalties in this edition. In the quarterfinals, the team eliminated São Paulo, at Allianz Parque, also on penalties.

Bragantino, on the other hand, saw its chance to return to the Paulista final after more than 30 years frustrated.

The last time Bragantino reached the decision was in 1990, when they defeated Novorizontino in what became known as the “capira final”.

At that time, the Bragança team still did not have the high investment recently made by the energy drink company, which joined the club in April 2019.

Massa Bruta, as it is known in its hometown, is still looking for its first title since the partnership was signed. In 2021, the team reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana, but lost to Athletico Paranaense.

This season, however, has accumulated frustrations. Before the semifinal of the State, he had already fallen in the second phase of the Copa do Brasil, when he was eliminated by Ypiranga-RS.

This time, the vacancy began to escape Bragantino’s hands after a mistake by goalkeeper Cleiton, already in the final stage.

Still in the first half, Alerrandro opened the scoring after seven minutes and left Bragantino in a comfortable situation, as he dominated the actions of the game.

On the return of the break, however, after just five minutes, Juninho Capixaba dropped the ball to Cleiton and, after cutting striker Bruno Mezenga, the goalkeeper ended up losing the ball to Lucas Tocantins. After dribbling shirt 1, the striker equalized.

Then, within a span of nine minutes, both teams were one man short. First, it was Água Santa that lost a player, with the expulsion of Rodrigo Sam. He got a straight red for attacking striker Artur after a ball dispute, in the 20th minute.

At 29, it was Matheus Fernandes’s turn to go to the locker room early after receiving a second yellow card.

After the expulsions, Bragantino still pressed on, but the match dragged on until the penalty shootout, when Água Santa did better.