By Robbie Blakeley, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fluminense beat Goiás 1-0 last night in the final first leg of the final sixteen in the Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup) at the Maracanã. Samuel scored the game’s only goal just before half-time and Flu ‘keeper Diego Cavalieri saved a penalty to give the Tricolor a slim lead before next week’s second leg.
Fluminense coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo opted for a three-man central defense to deal with the threat posed by in-form Goiás striker Walter. The forward found his path to goal blocked as the hosts had the better of the first half.
Fred hit the bar from a Carlinhos cross before Samuel opened the scoring, converting Igor Julião’s right-sided ball. After a slow first half, the second began at a more frenetic pace.
Just six minutes after the restart, Gum handled in the area and the referee awarded Goiás a penalty. Walter, who has already scored 21 goals this season, stepped up but his effort was far too close to the middle of the goal and Cavalieri saved it easily.
However, Goiás remained on the front foot. Luxemburgo tried to freshen up his side, bringing on Deco for Felipe. Marcos Júnior also entered for Flu to give the side more velocity, but in the final moments, Goiás still looked the likely side to grab a goal. In injury-time, Cavalieri made one more stop to thwart Walter and maintain Flu’s lead.
In the other game involving a Carioca club last night, Flamengo lost to Cruzeiro 2-1 at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. William and Éverton Ribeiro had opened a two-goal advantage for the Minas side before a Dedé error allowed Carlos Eduardo to pull one back for the Rubro-Negro
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