Lanús had the push of Brazil: he reacted in time against Cruzeiro and will define his place in the Copa Sudamericano final in Fortaleza

Lanús has something special with the Copa Sudamericanoof which he was champion in 2013 and second in the 2020 edition. There is obviously a mysticism to this competition, which gives the team a huge advantage. Otherwise it is impossible to explain how it has suddenly become a serious team that settles in the legendary Mineirao and plays as if it were at home.

Ricardo Zielinski’s team played a good match in Belo Horizonte He got a draw from Brazil that tasted like victory. And even if it accumulates 10 games without winning, this one 1-1 It gives him an important emotional boost to face next Wednesday’s rematch in his La Fortaleza stadium.

With many victims, including injuries and suspensions and accompanied by 2,500 fans – beaten in the previous one by the death of one of their own -, Lanús did not let itself be shaken by the size of the stadium, where there were almost 60 thousand people. , nor from the pressure of Cruzeiro, to whom he proposed a meeting on equal terms. He even silenced the Azzurri fans at the end of the match.

Lanús has put together a fortress, built simply, with a classic 4-4-2, lots of order and great discipline to coordinate movements and cover the entire width of the pitch. With that formula Garnet hadn’t suffered throughout the first half. And this was demonstrated by the reaction of the Cruzeiro fans at half-time, who filled the Mineirao with pure singing, noise and a lot of smoke, coming from a large number of lit flares, which delayed the start of the match and forced an interruption during the second half, fundamental for the Granate’s comeback.

When the Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte The end of the first half blows, the “torcedores” dressed in blue whistle to their players. That seems to be the wake-up call for the local players, who have just disturbed Losada with a powerful shot from outside the area that ends up just wide.

In the second half, however, Cruzeiro came out more determined and in the first risky action they had, they did it. After a second play of stopped ball, a shot by Mateus Vital and a long rebound by Losada, scorer Kaio Jorge sends the ball into the net.

Far from being intimidated, Lanús remained involved in the match. He had converted in the first half with Walter Bou but they took advantage of a millimeter advantage from Peña Biafore at the start of the action.

And to find the equalizer, Zielinski’s team begins to give up. He knew that if he attacked him he could hurt Cruzeiro, who didn’t give many guarantees in defense. In fact the expert Cassius saved him a couple of times. Until Marcelino Moreno masterfully executed a corner kick and Ramiro Carrera sealed the deserved equalizer with a powerful header..

What followed was Lanús stopping in the rival’s field looking for the second goal and going back when Cruzeiro had the ball but without going back. It was compact between its lines. Supporting him was the good work of the double five, formed between Peña Biafore and Boggio. Even those who left. And a lot of generosity from all the players in giving their all with every ball.

The silence in the Cruzeiro stands was a symptom of what their players showed on the pitch. Instead of feeling encouraged by the goal that opened the scoring, the opposite happened. His game has regressed. Fernando Dinizchampion of the Libertadores last year with Fluminense, he has not yet managed to leave his mark. He has only been a coach for a month. And his players ended up throwing crosses – knocked down by Losada – in desperate search of a victory that never came and which forces them to face revenge. In the end, once again, they were booed by the audience.

Lanús, for his part, left with the feeling of having taken an important step towards seeking his third South American final, the Cup for which he feels something special.