International signed this Tuesday a heroic comeback against a Colo Colo Chilean who completely disintegrated in Porto Alegre and saw how the Brazilian team endorsed him 4-1 to set course for the quarterfinals of the South American Cup.
Buoyed by a red crowd that never stopped roaring at Beira-Rio, Mano Menezes’ team lifted an almost impossible tie that went 3-0 against and now they will meet the Peruvian Melgar or the Colombian Deportivo Cali in the next round.
The caciques, who came with the tranquility of the 2-0 achieved in the first leg, saw the gates of heaven open in Porto Alegre when Gabriel Costa converted a penalty in the 15th minute, after a reckless exit by goalkeeper Daniel.
But Inter turned the score around in the 30th and 33rd minutes, with Alan Patrick, who later left injured, and Edenílson. Alemao and Pedro Henrique sentenced the Chilean Championship leader in the second half to Beira-Rio’s ecstasy.
Gustavo Quinteros’ team had no capacity to react and left humiliated. And that, almost unintentionally, he found himself with a penalty in his first dangerous arrival at Daniel’s area.
The maximum penalty was the result of the recklessness of the Brazilian goalkeeper and Lucero’s mischief. It all started with a snatch from Pablo Solari, who leaked a pass into the area deflected by Moisés. Lucero had faith, he ran for that ball and was run over by Daniel. The defense of Inter, not satisfied, insistently protested the decision of the Argentine Darío Humberto Herrera.
The fans of Internacional received the team in this way before the game
The penalty put the tie even more uphill for the Brazilians, who now needed three goals to force the penalty shootout and four to go direct. Despite this, they kept trying, especially on the right flank, from where a service came to Uruguayan Carlos de Pena who failed to convert against Brayan Cortés.
The party continued in the stands. That unconditional support was key for Inter to come back in the blink of an eye. In three minutes, the Porto Alegre team turned the score around. First with Alan Patrick, who picked up a divided ball that Pedro Henrique fought briskly; and later with Edenílson, who caught a rejection of the caciques in the area.
Inter was one goal away from leveling the tie. Colo Colo completely lost confidence. The pressure no longer worked as it did at the beginning and the hesitation in defense multiplied.
The second half followed the same trend. Taison, who had left shortly before the break, gave Mano Menezes’ team a more vertical air. On the Chilean side, Falcon bailed out water as best he could to avoid a shipwreck that would come closer with Alemao’s goal. The Brazilian striker was the smartest in the class when he finished off a meek cross from Edenílson at the near post from a corner.
It was the 61st minute and the penalty shootout was assured, to the misfortune of Quinteros’ team, who would definitively lower their arms with Inter’s fourth and final blow.
The lace was put by Pedro Henrique in the 75th minute at the end of a gallop down the right flank. A goal full of suspense that the VAR took a long time to confirm due to a possible offside that did not exist. Epic victory for Inter.
DATASHEET
4 – International: Daniel; Fabricio Bustos (d.77, Kaique Rocha), Vitao (d.45, Rodrigo Moledo), Gabriel Mercado, Moisés; Gabriel Franco, Edenílson, Carlos de Pena, Alan Patrick (d.38, Taison); Pedro Henrique (d.77, Mauritius) and Alexandre Alemao (d.68, David)
Coach: Luiz Antonio ‘Mano’ Menezes
1. Colo Colo: Brayan Cortes; Óscar Opazo, Maximiliano Falcón, Matías Zaldivia (m.79, Agustín Bouzat), Gabriel Suazo; Esteban Pavez, Vicente Pizarro (m.64, Bruno Gutiérrez), Leonardo Gil (m.90, Alexander Oroz); Gabriel Costa, Juan Martin Lucero and Pablo Solari (m.64, Marcos Bolados)
Coach: Gustavo Quinteros
Goals: 0-1, Gabriel Costa, from penalty (m. 15); 1-1, Alan Patrick (m. 30); 2-1, Edenilson (m. 33); 3-1, German (m. 61); 4-1, Pedro Henrique (d. 75)
Referee: Argentine Dario Humberto Herrera warned Pavez, Zaldivia, Gil, Vitao, Edenilson, Moses and Carlos de Pena
Incidences: second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, played at the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre, before 37,695 fans