He Botafogo Brazilian, current champion of the Copa Libertadoreswas imposed on Tuesday by 2-0 with goals scored in the last minutes by the substitutes Patrick de Paula and Matheus Martins, to a Carabobo Venezuelan who resisted bravely and is awarded little with a draw in Rio de Janeiro.
After wasting numerous goal opportunities during the game, Botafogo was saved by two substitutes: Patrick de Paula opened the score at minute 88 with a free kick and Martins completed it in the replacement time, in the final minute, after taking advantage of a ball left by the Venezuelan Jefferson Savarino.
The Agonica Victoria partially left the Botafogo in the second place of Group A of the Libertadores, with the same three points as the students of the Argentine silver, but less difference of goals, and the Carabobo, debutant in the group stage of the continental tournament, in the last place without points.
The Carioca team, which last week fell by 0-1 at the visit to the University of Chile in its debut in the Libertadores this year, dominated the entire game, but wasted numerous goal occasions, while the Venezuelan team, commanded by the Spanish Diego Merino, almost opens the scoreboard in counterattacks.
Gregore (Botafogo), during the game against the Venezuelan Carabobo
The result saved from a new shipwreck to Botafogo, which last year conquered the Libertadores and the Brazilian championship, and this year it still does not raise their heads and lost the titles of the South American Recopa and the Super Cup of Brazil. Botafogo tried to assume control from the beginning of the game with clear dominance of the ball and followed passes, but the Carabobo, although he played retired, generated several dangerous played play on counterattacks.
The first danger play was created by visitors at 4 minutes, when, after an error by Marlos Freitas, Berríos invaded the area in a backlash, but the shot failed after being at the head of goalkeeper John. Four minutes later Neira opens the marker on her own door when she intercepted her head a ball that Artur threw in the area the Uruguayan attacker Gonzalo Mastriani, just hired by the Carioca team, and that crashed into the crossbar.
The Uruguayan Santiago Rodríguez wasted a clear goal for the Botafogo by being only in front of the visiting goalkeeper after a ball of the Venezuelan Jefferson Savarino and when doubting how to finish a ball at medium height.
Control without effectiveness
Although Botafogo assumed control of the game for the rest of the first half, both Mastiani and Savarino failed in different attempts to open the score. Santiago Rodríguez also wasted several opportunities, including a header inside the area that Bruera stopped him in the background.
In the first fifteen minutes of the second half the film of the first was repeated, with Botafogo totally dominating but without capacity or aim to open the score. The match had to be suspended five minutes for a shock of heads between Mastriani and Neira, which left unconscious for less than a minute to the second and forced the Carabobo to replace his defender.
Neira, lying on the grass, unconscious
Although the Botafogo coach, the Portuguese Renato Paiva, introduced several changes to try to improve the effectiveness of the team, the Carabobo, which at that point was limited to attacking in counterattacks, maintained its resistance.
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It was up to Patrick de Paula, with a free kick to three minutes from the end of the regulation time, finally open the score for the premises and save the Botafogo. Already with the advantage on the scoreboard and in the last play of the game, Martins scored the second.
