Alvinegra 2 - 4 Norte (393240626)

Due to an all-day shower, 40484 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at Engenhão. Yonathan Schram was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Ilie Dragomir and Jan Nepomuk Bělohlávek. Alvinegra decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. They fielded: Nocerino - Pankratz, Pons, Šerekauskas - Leijonbom, De Marco, Brizard, Wohner, Simov - Dzhumkov, Guilmot.

Norte had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Starters: Izidio Neto - Fruett, Halsema, Polo - Guaporé, Kerem, Artigas, Barriga Verde, Dimoudis - Índio, Nysten.

Today, Alvinegra's strategy involved concentrating on the flanks for their attacks. It was an obvious ambition of Norte to use their ability at attacking on the flanks. E. Brizard spent most of the time in a heap on the ground today, his normally rapid movement hindered by the slippery pitch. Alvinegra took the lead 21 minutes in, as K. Simov broke through on the left and put the 1 - 0 shot just beyond the reach of the outstretched keeper. Players in Alvinegra heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their central attacks to the wings instead. Alvinegra's H. Guilmot swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors' defence were able to clear the ball. D. Kerem finished off a quick charge from the left of the field by chipping the ball just past the home side's keeper, making the score 1 - 1 29 minutes into the match. 37 minutes had elapsed when a great chance for Alvinegra to take the lead after a good cross from the right found H. Guilmot alone with the keeper, but he chipped it to the wrong side of the post. 38 minutes into the game, M. Wohner had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. In came E. Turra. Alvinegra had a good opportunity to take the lead as G. Šerekauskas came up the left side, but he struck the ball weakly and it went straight into the arms of R. Izidio Neto. Attacking on the wings was the choice for Norte, and they were successfully passing the ball from the middle to the wings to attack. The terraces were silenced after 44 minutes when Norte's A. Guaporé put the guests ahead 1 - 2, following an attack on the right. 1 - 2 was the score after the first half. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Norte, with 53 percent of the ball.

After 54 minutes of play, E. Brizard evened things up for Alvinegra with an impressive goal coming up the middle. 2 - 2. After 60 minutes, Norte's L. Halsema made his way through the middle and nonchalantly placed the ball out of the keeper's reach, putting the visitors up 2 - 3. With 65 minutes played, Alvinegra's H. Guilmot found an opening in the visitors' left side defence, but his shot was handled easily by the keeper. Norte's E. Nysten was shown a yellow card after 66 minutes for slicing down an opponent. V. Fruett had a hard time on the waterlogged pitch - his trademark technique was nowhere in sight today. After 74 minutes a combination in the middle resulted in a through ball for J. Índio who increased Norte's lead to 2 - 4. The players of Norte now seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. With 77 minutes played, H. Guilmot was very close to reducing the score for Alvinegra with a low drive from the left, but a defender stuck his foot out just in the nick of time, blocking the shot to a corner. Norte claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 54 percent.

The most dominating Alvinegra player was without a doubt I. Dzhumkov. P. Nocerino turned in a dismal performance, however. Norte's best player was J. Índio. However, V. Fruett made a disastrous appearance. The match ends 2 - 4.