Club World Cup, Palmeiras Porto 0-0

They gave a university party in New Jersey, like “the Great Gatsby”. They invited Estevao, Rodrigo Mora, Gabri Veiga, Vitor Roque, all the guys who make Palmeiras and Porto two beautiful teams to see. They forgot to tell the goal, which remained at home as in the other group of group A between Inter Miami and Ahly: Palmeiras-Porto also ended 0-0. Yes, but it was a nice show: many occasions, goalkeepers parades, two or three play here and there worthy of a replay on YouTube. The draw is right but Palmeiras – a few doubts – played better. He had four occasions at the end of the first half and in the tail of the game he risked scoring with Lopez and with Murilo, in the mother scene of the evening: his head detour ended up on the pole. The port, a little experience and a little luck, got away with it.

External and Rodrigo Mora, two occasions

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Quick budget, starting from the teams. Palmeiras is very interesting, keeps the pace high and has a couple of worship players. The good old Gustavo Gomez, also seen at Milan, at 32 years old commands the defense with a bad face. Or Richard Rios, who in the middle of the field for a while he beat, then showed the world the best play of the evening: a diagonal opening to send to the external door. The port, on the other hand, immediately sent the new purchase Gabri Veiga into the field, in a team with many technical players, from Fabio Vieira to Rodrigo Mora. It didn’t work much but it’s soon, there is time. Said immediately: Palmeiras and Porto are the favorites for the passage of the round. Then the singles. Estevao, 2007 of Palmeiras already taken by Chelsea, called “Messinho” for the Mancini movements from the right, made it clear that he was special material but has never found the door, a bit like his twin of the Porto Rodrigo Mora, born just two weeks after him. We will see them again until 2040 and only to say it is an impression.

The game: Great Weverton

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A East Rutherford Funny Football, talented young people and stiffests on the stands: everything as on the poster of the game. Palmeiras pressed frantic on the first action, making it clear that he is not in New Jersey on study holiday. There have been opportunities for the whole first half. Four for the port: Joao Mario Parato’s shot from Weverton in 3 ‘, right outside Rodrigo Mora in 14’, then a parade of Weverton on punishment diverted by Felipe Anderson and a shot by Samu from the bottom line. What about Palmeiras? Estevao went to one shoulder from the goal to the 5th minute, then a long eclipse until a save by Martim Fernandes on Estevao (still him …) and a first half crazy ending. Claudio Ramos had to parry on Mauricio, Francisco Moura saved a shot by Rios and Piquerez on the line, he saw the intersection closely with a manifold punishment.

The highlight: Palo di Murilo

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The second half did not drop in rhythm and Weverton, other than getting bored, had to play the champion’s parade immediately in extension on Fabio Vieira: not even 4 minutes had passed. The port responded with a header by Zé Pedro but the game soon took a clear direction: Palmeiras with the ball and I carry to suffer. A cross by Piquerez, beautiful outside, generated a detour from Lopez, just entered, saved by Marcano with his face, almost without wanting him. Then Murilo took the pole and Gustavo Gomez, in the recovery, tried us on the fly of the right. He shot her in the curve, towards the Torcida del Verdão, and that’s okay: it is a tribute. The cheering of Palmeiras, on the Italian night, was the best on the field.