With a 1-0 victory over Botafogo on Saturday, substitute Paulinho won the Club World Cup quarter-finals to end a Brazilian attrition-filled match.
The winger started the second half with Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira replacing teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that initially seemed strange but eventually turned out to be inspiring.
When Richard Rios intercepted a pass from Paulinho on the right flank and gave him the opportunity to enter the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner, the tie was at its 100th minute.
The Palmeiras’ fans, who made up the majority of the 33, 657 crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field, sparked wild celebrations, and Sao Paulo’s side held on to win the final-16 match despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on.
Palmeiras, who won the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, will now travel to Philadelphia for a final-eighteen tie against Chelsea or Benfica, who meet on Saturday in Charlotte.
In this encounter of the top two of the Brazilian league last year, they had been the more dangerous side, almost entirely due to the green men’s nearly every chance.
The Rio de Janeiro side Botafogo won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024, beating Palmeiras to take the domestic title.
After that, they lost their coach and a number of important players, but they still managed to defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup’s group stage to advance over Atletico Madrid.
In a game played in Philadelphia’s warm midday conditions, Palmeiras was the more lively of the two teams.
Estevao has been taken off, and what?
Estevao, an 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over and is regarded as Brazil’s next big thing, had everyone’s attention.
He struggled to make an impact in a game that had long been a subpar game that was ruined by moments of high quality.
In stoppage time, Colombian midfielder Rios fired a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that was deflected onto the top of the net.
After the restart, Estevao suddenly appeared, forcing Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor to make a good save before netting the ball, which was later denied by an offside flag.
When the starlet and Vitor Roque were both taken off shortly after the hour mark, with Luighi and Paulinho sent into the attack.
As normal time expired, Paulinho fired a high header past Mauricio from a Joaquin Piquerez cross before going over the bar.
The once-capped Brazil winger, who played for the Atletico Mineiro side that was defeated by Botafogo in the Libertadores final last year, pushed the score further into the extra-hundred minutes and a Rios piledriver was parried behind before the goal was finally scored.
The substitute was then promptly replaced, his job being completed.
After Paraguayan centre-back Gomez was booked for a second time in the 116th minute for grappling off the ball with Alexander Barboza, Botafogo pressed for an equalizer that would have caused a penalty shoot-out.
Source: Channels TV
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