Vasco drew 0-0 with Santa Fé in Bogotá on Tuesday in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals. The cross-maltino side brought a mixed squad to Colombia and faced the match at more than 2.4 kilometers above sea level. The team did create chances, but the main focus was not to give any openings to the opponent, and the mission was successfully accomplished.
With the result, Vasco now relies on the home factor to secure qualification in the second leg, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro next Tuesday. The team needs a positive result to advance to the semifinal of the South American competition.
Due to the sequence of important matches, the draw is already considered a closed chapter by the club. Vasco's next challenge will be on Saturday when they face Grêmio in Porto Alegre, in a crucial match to leave the relegation zone of the Brazilian Championship. The Gaucho tricolor has only three points more than the cross-maltino, 28 against 25.
Coach Pedro Emanuel fielded a heavily changed lineup, with a clear strategy to exploit counter-attacks from the home side. The initial plan seemed compromised early on, but the team managed to reorganize and kept a clean sheet throughout the match in the Colombian capital.
