Analysis: Second half at Alfredo Jaconi is the best news for Vitória in months
The 1-1 draw with Juventude kept Vitória winless and at the bottom of the Serie A table. But the football displayed in the second half showed that the team is closer to ending the long winless streak, which has lasted for eleven games this season. Amidst so much bad news in the last two months, the final 45 minutes at Alfredo Jaconi were the best thing to happen to the Rubro-Negro since the state title in early April.
To recap, after the Bahia Championship, Vitória fired a coach, was eliminated from the Copa do Nordeste, and is currently at the bottom of the Brasileirão. The draw with Juventude did not signify the end of the turmoil, but the second half indicated that it is possible to recalibrate the course for a path with fewer storm clouds on the horizon for the Rubro-Negro.
The Game
Vitória repeated the formation with three midfielders (Luan, Caio Vinícius, and Willian Oliveira), but unlike the game against Cuiabá, Juventude was more dangerous and created the best chances in the first half until Rodrigo Sam opened the scoring after a corner taken by Nenê. This time, the field did not justify the excess caution on Thiago Carpini’s part.
The trio of midfielders could not handle the marking and had an even worse performance with the ball at their feet. Vitória struggled to create plays in the first half and had to wait until the end of the first half to finally put together a good move. It all started in the defensive field and went through Luan, Osvaldo, and Lucas Esteves until Willian Oliveira scored the goal.
After an unexciting first half, Carpini returned for the second half with Léo Naldi replacing Caio Vinícius and Zé Hugo in for Osvaldo. The result was a better start when the ball started rolling again. The team gained more energy to attack and press up front, as well as a bit more quality in midfield.
Vitória had volume and created chances to turn the game around. In the best of them, Matheusinho missed. Close to the 20-minute mark, when Juventude managed to balance the game’s actions, Carpini tried a new change, this time even more offensive. Midfielder Luan was replaced by winger Eryc Castillo, and Alerrandro made way for Luiz Adriano in attack.
Although they faced some scares in defense, Vitória remained present in the attacking field and even in the final minutes reaffirmed the progress within the match. Although the draw earned the same point as the one against Cuiabá, this time the Rubro-Negro’s performance brought more reasons to believe in a comeback in the Brasileirão.
The next opportunity to confirm the theory will be this Sunday. After two consecutive away games, Vitória returns to Barradão at 4 pm (Brasília time) to face Internacional.
