Santos coach Cuca praised his team’s performance despite a 2-1 loss to Bragantino on Monday in the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship. He also questioned the decision not to award a second-half penalty after Rony went down in the area following a challenge by Ryan Augusto. Referee Edina Alves Batista did not give a penalty, and VAR did not recommend a review.
Cuca said the result did not reflect Santos’ display, pointing to the team’s possession and 17 attempts on goal. He said an early own goal by Rodinei and Bragantino’s second goal, scored three minutes after Santos had equalized, disrupted the visitors’ plans. Rodinei told the coach that he had been distracted by the stadium lighting and had not seen the ball.
The coach said he had watched the penalty incident on television and believed Rony was tripped. “It amazes me that VAR did not question the play,” Cuca said, adding that the officials in the video room had a better angle. He said the team was hurt by the decision but did not place the blame directly on the referee.
Cuca said the defeat would not end Santos’ pursuit of a place in the next Copa Libertadores. The club has four league matches remaining, against Coritiba, Grêmio, Vitória and Botafogo. He also said he hoped several injured players, including Willian Arão, Escobar, Lucas Veríssimo, Thaciano and Moisés, would return for the final stretch.
The coach rejected the suggestion that Santos had suffered a broader drop in form. He cited seven wins and four draws in the team’s previous 12 matches before the Bragantino loss, and said Santos had made progress after fighting to move away from the relegation zone.
Sources: Globo Esporte.