Gustavo Coutinho (left) reached five goals in all five games in which he started for Sport in 2024 (Photo: RAFAEL VIEIRA/DP) The red and black fans will have even more reasons to celebrate Carnival by smiling freely. In turn, Sport beat Treze-PB 3×1, on Friday night (9), at Arena de Pernambuco. The match was valid for the 2nd round of the group stage of the Copa do Nordeste. All the goals in the match were scored in the second half. The people from Paraíba took the lead, with striker Xandy. Just two minutes later, at 19, Leão equalized the score, with the help of defender Rafael Castro, who tried to deflect a cross from Felipinho and ended up sending it against his own goal.
The turn that guaranteed the red and black revelry at Carnival was from the killer Gustavo Coutinho. The center forward scored his fifth goal of the year, isolating himself as the team’s top scorer this season. In stoppage time, the star of the base’s jewel shone again: Pedro Lima. The right-back scored his second goal in 2024, increasingly consolidating himself as a reality.
Sport now has seven wins and just two defeats in the 2024 season (Photo: RAFAEL VIEIRA/DP) With the result, the Pernambuco team will sleep in fourth place in Group A, with three points added. Coach Mariano Soso’s team, however, could lose positions, as all the other teams will still play this weekend.
Sport returns to the field next Wednesday (14), again for the Regional. This time the opponent will be Itabaiana-SE, at 7pm, at Batistão, in Aracaju. Treze-PB will host CRB at Amigão, in Campina Grande, one day later, at the same time.
THE GAME
Sport was superior in the first half and was closer to opening the scoring than Treze. The people from Paraíba started the match with a high marking and caused some danger to goalkeeper Caíque França. Galo’s boldness, however, enabled a series of counterattacks against Leão.
The red-blacks, however, abused passing errors in the final third of the field and were unable to convert the opportunities into scoring chances. The clearest attack came from midfielder Pedro Vilhena, who almost scored a beautiful cover goal, but the ball hit the post.
Pedro Lima scored his second goal as a professional for Sport (Photo: RAFAEL VIEIRA/DP) On the way back from the break, coach Mariano Soso tried to repeat the dose that worked against Central, in the last round of the Pernambucano Championship, and called on Argentine Alan Ruiz. Sport began to have more control in the midfield, organizing more plays in the midfield, something little seen in the initial stage.
Contrary to what the volume of the game indicated, it was Treze who opened the scoring. In a quick transition, the black and white team crossed into the penalty area and the red and black defense got the ball out badly, leaving it for Xandy to send into the back of the net.
But there wasn’t even time to celebrate. Just two minutes later, the people from Paraíba scored again, but this time it was against them. Rafael Castro tried to deflect a cross from Felipinho and sent it into his own goal. The immediate response made Sport ignite in the match, driven by the more than 10 thousand fans who attended the Arena, despite the carnival in Recife having already started.
And the pressure took effect. He was responsible for guaranteeing the turnaround, the season’s top scorer: Gustavo Coutinho. An opportunist, the number 9 appeared behind the defense to take advantage of Fabrício Dominguez’s touch and celebrate in São Lourenço da Mata. In stoppage time, there was still time for another Leonine highlight to give final numbers to the match, right-back Pedro Lima. The main promise of the youth teams, the 17-year-old player scored his second goal of the year and is already consolidating himself even more as a reality. End of game: Sport 3×1 Treze-PB.
GAME SHEET: SPORT 3×1 THIRTEEN
SPORT: Caíque France; Pedro Lima, Rafael Thyere, Luciano Castan and Felipinho. Felipe (Italian), Lucas André (Alan Ruiz) and Pedro Vilhena (Fábio Matheus). Fabrício Domínguez (Pablo Dyego), Romarinho and Gustavo Coutinho (Zé Roberto). Technician: Mariano Soso.
THIRTEEN: Igor Rayan; Guilherme Lucena (Bruno Ferreira), Luis Fernando, Rafael Castro and Higor; Juninho, Roberto (Matheus Chaves) and Edmundo (Léo Cereja). Will Viana, Xandy (Rickelme) and Lucas Mineiro (Jonatha). Technician: William of Matthias.
COMPETITION: Northeast Cup (2nd round)
LOCAL: Pernambuco Arena, in São Lourenço da Mata
GOALS:
- Xandy, at 17 min of the 2nd Q
- Rafael Castro (against), 19 minutes into the 2nd quarter
- Gustavo Coutinho, 26 minutes into the 2nd quarter
- Pedro Lima, 47 minutes into the 2nd Q
PUBLIC: 10,004 fans
INCOME: R$ 127.515,00
YELLOW CARDS: Fabrício Domingues, Gustavo Coutinho and Pedro Lima (Sport); Xandy, Guilherme Lucena, Luís Fernando and Igor Rayan (Thirteen)
ARBITRATION: Emerson Souza Silva (BA); Paulo de Tarso Bregalda de Souza and Marcus Vinicius Ferreira de Souza (both from BA)