Fluminense is in the final of the Carioca Championship. This Saturday (18), Tricolor thrashed Volta Redonda 7-0 at Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro, in the second leg of the State semifinal match. Striker Germán Cano scored four times and became the top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals. A National Radio broadcast the match live.
Current champion, the team commanded by Fernando Diniz faces, in the decision, the winner of Vasco and Flamengo, who play the second semifinal match this Sunday (19), at 6 pm (Brasília time), in Maracanã. Last Monday (13), Rubro-Negro won the first game by 3 to 2 and has the advantage of a tie. Cruzmaltino qualifies in case of a simple victory, as it had a better campaign than its rival in the first phase.
Voltaço could draw to qualify for the final, as they won the first leg, at Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, in Volta Redonda (RJ), by 2-1, a week ago. Fluminense, however, did not take long to reverse the advantage. At three minutes, striker Keno went to the bottom line, on the left, and crossed low. Full-back Samuel Xavier appeared in the small area and diverted to the net.
The 1 to 0 equaled the aggregate score of the confrontation and was enough for Tricolor, for having a better campaign, but the hosts did not let the pace drop. At seven, striker Jhon Arias took a free-kick in the area, defender Nino headed it in, goalkeeper Vinícius rebounded and Cano scored. At 23 minutes, midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso launched Alexsander, who invaded the area from the left and scored the third.
In the 39th minute, Arias received in the middle and got up in the area, at the head of midfielder Martinelli, who scored Fluminense’s fourth. In addition, after exchanging passes at the entrance to the area, Nino rolled for Cano, in front of the goal, to touch Vinícius’ exit, scoring Tricolor’s fifth goal and his second in the match.
In the second half, Fluminense stopped the post twice, at 13 and 14 minutes, until Arias was hit in the area by defender Alix Vinícius. With the help of the video referee (VAR), the penalty was scored and the defender of Volta Redonda expelled. At 19, Cano beat the penalty and scored one more. At that moment, the Argentine matched Voltaço’s own striker Lelê, with 13 goals.
The seventh seemed a matter of time. At 28, Keno hit the crossbar. At 40 minutes, the attacker launched Cano in the area. The Argentine spun on top of the marker and hit Vinícius’ corner, reaching his fourth goal in the match, taking over Carioca’s artillery in isolation and giving final numbers to the confrontation.
Mineiro: Atlético in the final
Atlético-MG secured themselves in the final of the Campeonato Mineiro for the sixth consecutive year. Galo beat Athletic 1-0 at Independência, in Belo Horizonte, benefiting from the regulation, in which the team with the best campaign has the advantage of a tie on the aggregate score. The team from São João del-Rei (MG) had won the previous duel by 1-0, at Estádio Joaquim Portugal, last week.
The ranking goal came from Hulk’s feet. At seven minutes of the second half, after a wrong departure from Athletic, the number 7 received from fellow striker Paulinho, dribbled past goalkeeper Júlio César and sent it to the nets. In the decision, Atlético will face América-MG or Cruzeiro, who play this Sunday, at 6 pm, at Independência. On the first leg, Coelho won 2-0 at Arena do Jacaré, in Sete Lagoas (MG), and could lose by up to two goals difference. Fox has to win by three goals or more.
Bahia: Bahia qualifies
In the Bahia Championship, Bahia qualified for the decision by beating Itabuna 4-1 at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. In the final, Esquadrão de Aço faces whoever passes in the duel between Juazeirense and Jacuipense, who face each other on Sunday, at 4 pm, in Valfredão, in Riachão do Jacuípe (BA) – Jacuipense has the advantage of a tie for having won the first leg 1-0 at Adauto Moraes Stadium, in Juazeiro (BA).
Tricolor needed to win by at least two goals apart this Saturday, as they had lost the first game by 1-0, a week ago, in Ribeirão, in Camacã (BA). At 13 minutes of the first half, taking a penalty, Everaldo put the hosts ahead. In the final stage, at six, midfielder Cauly expanded. Three minutes later, Everaldo scored the third. The visitors scored on 31 minutes, with striker Cesinha, from the penalty spot, but Cauly, on 40 minutes, scored the fourth goal for the hosts. The duel ended with three expelled: midfielder Daniel (Bahia), winger Jan Pieter and midfielder Hebert (Itabuna).
Cearense: Ceará in the decision
Ceará secured itself in the final of the Campeonato Cearense by receiving Iguatu at Arena Castelão and winning by 2-0. The first game – also played in the state capital – ended in a 1-1 tie. In the event of a new tie, there will be a penalty shootout.
A week ago, at Morenão, in Iguatu (CE), the two teams were 1 to 1. In this Saturday’s clash, Ceará took the lead nine minutes into the first half, with striker Vitor Gabriel. Alvinegro created the best opportunities of the match, but managed the second goal only at 45 minutes of the final stage, with midfielder Léo Rafael. Vozão has not taken the state title since 2018 and will have the chance to end the sequence of four achievements of rival Fortaleza, with whom it shares the position of greatest champion of Ceará (both with 45 trophies).
