Fábio Deivson Lopes Maciel.
The tireless 45-year-old goalkeeper made ALL THE DIFFERENCE for Fluminense to reach the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals this Tuesday (18).
After a 1-1 draw in regular time — including a goal conceded in the 96th minute after VAR intervention — Tricolor came out on top in the penalty shootout.
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Lucho Acosta blasted his effort over, but the Tricolor idol saved two penalties to seal the 5-4 win.
Qualification came after going down to 10 men, suffering heartbreak in stoppage time, and then turning it around on penalties.
Check out the highlights soon.
Clear-cut chances were lacking…
Flu’s greater possession (68%) did not translate into pressure or big chances.
Without support, Soteldo failed to make a difference on the left, for example.
The idea of controlling the game worked well. But they lacked inspiration to break down a rival that was well organized without the ball.
Rivadavia, meanwhile, tried to make the most of the rare spaces to counterattack.
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But they did not even manage a shot on Fábio’s goal.
Tension for Flu 🟥
Tricolor’s game plan collapsed in the 13th minute of the second half after Canobbio, already on a yellow, picked up another and was sent off.
Marcão chose to take off Ganso and Hulk to add pace with Lucho and Serna.
‘Cristiano Sernaldo’ shines
Flu began to sit deeper and look for the counterattack.
And it paid off in the 76th minute.
Hércules’ long pass found Serna. And he finished it off.
VAR changes on-field decision
After the ball was played into the Tricolor box, Studer hit it first time.
And the ball struck Ignácio’s right arm, as he was right on top of the play.
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And he was already pulling his arm back.
The referee signaled offside, but was called by VAR. He came back and awarded the penalty.
Libertadores top scorer Arce took it and made it 1-1 in the 96th minute.
He’s f%&@ing amazing!
Flu started well, but fell behind after Lucho Acosta blasted his penalty over.
But the Tricolor goalkeeper denied Florentín and then Atencio.
And Tricolor booked their place in the quarterfinals with a 5-4 win.
What now❓
Fluminense now await the winner between Coquimbo Unido and Platense.
After a 1-1 draw in Argentina, the teams will meet again this Wednesday (19).
The possible semifinal opponent will be LDU, Mirassol, Cerro Porteño, or Palmeiras.
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Tricolor will next play in the Brasileirão on Saturday (22).
They are currently fourth and will face Remo (18th) at the Maracanã.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
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