Mattos Warns Vasco Could Struggle After Boca Elimination

Vasco da Gama faces a potentially damaging setback if it fails to eliminate Boca Juniors from the Copa Sudamericana, sports columnist Rodrigo Mattos warned on UOL News Esporte. The Brazilian club hosts the Argentine side at Maracana after winning the first leg 1-0, with a place in the continental final at stake and the possibility of emotional fallout affecting its other competitions.

According to Mattos, an elimination could undermine Vasco's performances in the Copa do Brasil and the Brazilian league. The club is seeking its first continental final in 25 years, making the second leg particularly significant for the squad.

Mattos cited Cruzeiro as an example of a team whose form deteriorated after consecutive eliminations from the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Libertadores. He believes Vasco could experience a similar loss of motivation if its continental campaign ends prematurely.

"We can use Cruzeiro as an example. They were eliminated from the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Libertadores almost back-to-back. The team fell into a depression and cannot perform in the Brazilian league.

It is a completely demoralized team. Although it is still close to the Libertadores qualification places, it is clearly playing below its capabilities. I think Vasco faces the same risk.

It is still competing in the Copa do Brasil, and especially in the Copa Sudamericana, given everything Rômulo said about the dispute over hosting the match at Maracana, as well as the first-leg result," said Mattos.

Mattos also highlighted Boca Juniors' determination to advance, describing the tournament as a major priority for the Argentine club. He pointed to the return of Paredes and Boca's ability to remain competitive away from home despite losing the first leg at La Bombonera.

The first match featured a controversial dismissal involving Andrés Gomez, according to Mattos. He argued that Vasco had performed better while both teams had 11 players on the field, but Boca created several scoring opportunities after the sending-off.

"Vasco is motivated, but Boca is viewed in Argentina as playing the most important match of its season. They attach enormous importance to the Copa Sudamericana. They also have the fact that they lost at La Bombonera, and the way they lost.

Vasco played better while it was 11 against 11, but after Andrés Gomez was incorrectly sent off, Boca applied tremendous pressure and created a lot of scoring chances. Given how the match ended, Vasco can be thankful it did not concede a goal," said Mattos.

Commentator Rômulo Mendonça emphasized the importance of the second leg, citing the uncertainty surrounding the venue and the efforts to stage the match at a packed Maracana. He said elimination would represent a major disappointment after Vasco secured its first-leg victory at La Bombonera in a result he described as unprecedented for the club in decades.

Mendonça also warned that the consequences could extend beyond the continental competition, potentially affecting Vasco's efforts to avoid relegation in the Brazilian league.

"After everything that has happened behind the scenes, and after winning the first match at La Bombonera, something Vasco da Gama had not achieved in decades, failing to qualify today would be a brutal defeat. It would be extremely painful and could even affect the team's performance against Corinthians," said Mendonça.