Vasco drew 0-0 with Santa Fe in Bogotá, this Tuesday, in the first leg of the Copa Sul-Americana quarterfinals. The Brazilian side played at an altitude exceeding 2,400 meters and managed to create some goal-scoring opportunities, but the primary objective was to avoid giving the Colombian team any openings.
Coach Pedro Emanuel fielded a heavily rotated squad in Colombia, with a clear strategy to exploit counter-attacks from the home team. The mission of not conceding was accomplished, and now Vasco will have the opportunity to decide qualification at home, in Rio de Janeiro, next Tuesday.
Due to the sequence of important matches, the draw result is already being treated as a new chapter by the club. The next challenge will be on Saturday, when Vasco faces Grêmio in Porto Alegre, in a crucial match to escape the relegation zone of the Brazilian Championship.
The Gaucho tricolor has only three points more than the cruz-maltino in the table, with 28 against 25. The match against Grêmio is considered important to bring another direct competitor into the fight against relegation to the lower division.