Those from Vojvoda went ahead through Silvio Romero, and the Argentines equalized with a goal from Leandro Díaz
Those of Zielinski do not know what it is to lose at home in this Libertadores
Fortresscurrent bottom of the Brazilian Championship, and Students of the Silver tied 1-1 this Thursday at the Arena Castelao and the pass to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores will be played in a week in Argentina. The team led by the Argentine Juan Pablo Vojvoda forgot its bad season in the Brazilian League, where it only has 2 wins in 14 games, and stood up to one of the most traditional clubs in South American football, which only reacted when it was below in the marker.
The also Argentine Silvio Romero unbalanced the match in the 55th minute in an attack led by Juninho Capixaba and that included Fabián Noguera’s deflection to put Fortaleza ahead. Nevertheless, Leandro Diazwho had just come off the bench, cooled the spirits of the local fans in the 63rd minute, thanks to the measured service of Emmanuel Más, when the homeowners were playing the best.
Even so, the Argentine team started better in a hostile setting like the Arena Castelao. Ricardo Zielinski’s team imposed a high pressure that at times drowned out the Brazilians at the start. The Steel Tricolor took refuge in Romero to get out of the jam. The Argentine attacker managed to score in the first half, although offside. That action was the shock that the Brazilian team needed to go for the victory. He bet on the centers to the area. Pikachu and Moisés almost scored, but precision was lacking in the last meters, which ended up paying in the end. Manuel Castro and Godoy warned the visitors, who, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry to score either. 0-0 seemed to be enough for them.
In the second half, Fortaleza stepped on the accelerator again in search of surprise and found it at the boots of the omnipresent Romero, who scored to the delight of Castelao. Quickly, coach Ricardo Zielinski moved the bench and brought in Leandro Díaz and Benjamín Rollheiser. The changes fit perfectly and within a few minutes Fortaleza’s advantage was neutralized. Díaz was in charge of beating Marcelo Boeck, after receiving a low pass from Más inside the area.
It was the equalizer and a jug of cold water for Fortaleza, who, with more heart than head, looked for the second and, desperate, asked for a penalty in the last moments of the match that neither the referee nor the VAR appreciated. Estudiantes didn’t push too hard to take the victory either, except for a few races by Díaz, and now everything will be decided in La Plata, where Zielinski’s men don’t know what it’s like to lose in this edition of the Libertadores.