Soccer-Champions Cruzeiro eliminated in dire match
By Brian Homewood
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 2 (Reuters) - Defending champions
Cruzeiro were knocked out of the South American Libertadores Cup
on Saturday after being held to a goaless draw at home by fellow
Brazilians Vasco da Gama in a dire match full of petulance,
fouls and time-wasting.
The result in Saturday's second round, second leg means that
Vasco went through 2-1 on aggregate and will face Gremio, the
third Brazilian team in the tournament, in the quarter-finals.
Vasco, who qualified by winning last year's Brazilian
championship, packed their entire team into the last third of
the field for the whole match and made no effort whatsoever to
do any attacking.
Cruzeiro, who had qualified automatically for the second
round as holders, dominated the game, winning ten corners to
Vasco's none, but lacked the guile and creativity to break down
their opponents' massed defense.
Consequently, the 68,000 crowd in Belo Horizonte's Mineirao
stadium were forced to sit through 90 minutes of desperate
tedium in which neither goalkeeper was severely tested.
Cruzeiro created a few dangerous situations in the first
half, mainly from high crosses, but after the break never looked
like scoring.
There were 57 fouls, eight yellow cards and numerous
instances of players faking injuries, pretending to have been
fouled and arguing with the referee.
The only high point was a majestic performance by
36-year-old former Brazil international Mauro Galvao at the
heart of the Vasco defence.
Vasco have made a knack of getting goaless draws when it
suits them, having drawn both legs of last year's Brazilian
championship final 0-0 to beat Palmeiras on having the better
overall record. They also won the second stage of this year's
Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) championship after a goaless draw with
Flamengo.
Vasco joined Gremio, Colon of Argentina, Bolivar (Bolivia),
Cerro Porteno (Paraguay), Barcelona (Ecuador) and Penarol
(Uruguay) in the quarter-finals.
The last place will be taken by either River Plate of
Argentina or America of Mexico.
Their second leg in Buenos Aires last Thursday was called
off shortly before kickoff because Brazilian referee Marcio
Resende de Freitas and his assistants failed to turn up. It will
now be played on May 7, with America having to make the 10-hour
flight all over again.
Resende told Brazilian newspapers that he had not received
any message from the South American Confederation (CSF) telling
him about the game and that he only found out when an Argentine
journalist rang his home on Thursday night to find out where he
was.
REUTERS
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