Sporting Cristal and Emelec drew 0-0 in the second leg of the playoffs of the Copa Sudamericana 2023. The Rimenses and the 'Bombillo' played a match full of emotions and goal-scoring opportunities from start to finish. However, the team led by Tiago Nunes had two clear chances at the end of the match, but Pedro Ortiz was attentive and shone with a great performance to prevent the visitors from scoring at the George Capwell Stadium.
The first action came in the 90+3'. Ignacio Da Silva headed the ball into the rival's area where Washington Corozo was. The Ecuadorian winger fought for the ball but couldn't control it. However, the ball ended up at the feet of Brenner Marlos, who quickly connected with a scissor kick to try to open the scoring. Despite this, the goalkeeper of the home team was attentive and reacted in time, avoiding the 1-0 for the celestials.
But that was not the only chance for the visitors. Two minutes later, Joao Grimaldo showed off with an individual play and passed the ball to Irven Ávila, who took a first-time shot. However, the ball hit the feet of an Emelec defender and went towards Corozo, who was unmarked. In the face of this, the Rímac striker shot, but the rival goalkeeper made another save, receiving applause from the fans who were present at the George Capwell.
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Sporting Cristal vs Emelec: What's next for them?
After the match in Guayaquil, Sporting Cristal will return to Lima to prepare for their next match, which will be played at high altitude, as their next opponent will be Melgar. Tiago Nunes' team's mission is to remain undefeated for the rest of the championship in order to compete for the national title. However, after playing such a tough match in the Copa Sudamericana, they will have to quickly turn the page.
The match against the Arequipeños is scheduled for this Sunday, July 23, starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Monumental Stadium of the UNSA. The broadcast of this match will be handled by Liga 1 MAX and can also be watched on the DirecTV GO streaming platform.
On the other hand, Emelec will have to wait until the first weekend of August to compete again, as the second half of the Ecuadorian tournament will start from that date. Their opponent will be Libertad FC, although the match time has not yet been determined. The challenge for the 'bombillo' was to play qualifying matches in the Sudamericana without having the competitive rhythm of other leagues, but this has also been an advantage for the players to rest.
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