In a gripping encounter at Morumbi Stadium, São Paulo notched its first win in the Libertadores, defeating Cobresal 2-0 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 49,000.
This victory in the Group B second round brought much-needed relief, thanks to late goals from André Silva and Jonathan Calleri.
This triumph earned São Paulo three crucial points, easing the pressure from recent setbacks.
These included a premature Campeonato Paulista exit and a defeat in their Libertadores debut against Talleres.
The future of São Paulo’s coach, Thiago Carpini, hangs in the balance despite the win.
Vocal dissatisfaction from the stands regarding the team’s performance has cast doubt on his tenure.
The team is slated to face Barcelona de Guayaquil in their next Libertadores fixture on April 25 in Ecuador.
Their schedule also includes upcoming Brazilian Championship matches against Fortaleza at home, followed by away games against Flamengo and Atlético-GO.
São Paulo dominated the opening half, creating numerous opportunities but failing to convert.
A notable attempt by James Rodríguez was thwarted by Cobresal’s goalkeeper, Requena, though the effort was ruled offside.
Another close chance saw Calleri hitting the post, but the teams went into the break tied at 0-0.
Persistence paid off in the second half despite an early disallowed goal for offside.
Michel Araújo missed two prime chances to score before Cobresal launched a couple of threatening counterattacks.
São Paulo’s goalkeeper, Rafael, made crucial saves to keep the score level.
The match’s tension peaked when Michel Araújo struck the crossbar with little over ten minutes remaining.
Finally, in the 37th minute, André Silva broke the deadlock, followed by Calleri’s clinching goal in the 44th minute, ensuring a victorious end for São Paulo.
Match Summary
- Venue: Morumbi Stadium, São Paulo, Brazil
- Date: April 10, 2024, at 9:30 PM Brasília time
- Officials: Referee Carlos Ortega and assistants from Colombia
- Attendance: 49,502
- Earnings: R$3,643,692.50
- Scorers: São Paulo’s André Silva and Calleri
- Discipline: Yellow cards were issued to players from both teams
Lineups
- São Paulo: Featured Rafael; Arboleda, Diego Costa, Ferraresi; Igor Vinícius, Pablo Maia, Alisson, James Rodríguez, Michel Araújo; Luciano, Calleri, under coach Thiago Carpini.
- Cobresal: Lineup included Requena; Pacheco, Bechtholdt, Alarcón, Sandoval Muñoz; Mesías Sepúlveda, Navarro; García, Munder, Valencia; Castro, coached by Gustavo Huerta.