Most of the approximately eight thousand fans who went to Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP), on Sunday night (27), left disappointed. At home, Santos only tied with Novorizontino, lantern of the Campeonato Paulista, by 2 to 2, for the ninth round of the competition. The interior team had scored only once in the previous eight games.
End of game: Santos 2×2 Grêmio Novorizontino pic.twitter.com/XrrgsoFtCx
— #SantosDoMundo (@SantosFC) February 27, 2022
Equality was not good for anyone. Peixe went to ten points and occupies the third position of Group D. It is the same score of the vice-leader Santo André, who is ahead for having better goal difference. Tigre remains in the bottom of Group B, with three points. They are four less than Água Santa, last placed in Group A and owner of the second worst overall campaign. If Paulista ended now, Água Santa and Novorizontino would be relegated to Serie A2.
Santos did not take long to come out ahead. At 11 minutes of the first half, the improvised side Vinícius Balieiro crossed on the right and midfielder Ricardo Goulart, with a header, sent it to the nets. Alvinegro followed with more offensive presence and Novorizontino looking for counterattacks. At 47′, Chrigor (who had just joined) had the chance to equalize, when he received a free-kick from fellow striker Léo Tocantins, in the area, but he hit too high.
In the final stage, Peixe almost widened after two minutes, kicking forward Marcos Guilherme’s crossbar. Three minutes later, Tigre got the tie, with striker Douglas Baggio charging the penalty on midfielder Léo Baiano. The home team avoided suffering a comeback in the 16th minute. Goalkeeper João Paulo, face to face with Rômulo, saved the attacker’s strike with his feet.
In the 25th minute, the interim coach of Santos, Marcelo Fernandes, replaced Ângelo with fellow striker Lucas Barbosa. The crowd did not approve of the change. Two minutes later, however, forward Lucas Braga crossed on the left and Lucas Barbosa himself appeared to put Santos back in front. The advantage was short-lived. At 39, midfielder Marcinho took advantage of the leftover ball deflected by the white midfielder Camacho and sent it straight to the nets, giving final numbers to the match.
Santos returns to the field this Saturday (5), at 18:30 (Brasília time), in front of Ferroviária, at Arena da Fonte Luminosa, in Araraquara (SP). The match should mark the debut of coach Fabian Bustos. Novorizontino plays on Sunday (6), at the same time, against Inter de Limeira, at the Jorge Ismael de Biasi stadium, in Novo Horizonte (SP).
