Galo and Massa in sync
· Yahoo Sports
Galo needed a response. After going 2–0 down in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals, Atlético returned home facing a difficult but still reversible situation. And once again, the Massa answered the call.
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40,013 fans packed Arena MRV to push Galo on in a night that ended with qualification for the semifinal. On the pitch, Atlético won 4–2 in regular time, leveled the tie at 4–4 on aggregate, and secured their spot on penalties, 3–1.
The connection between the team and the stands, however, began even before the ball started rolling.
“They left us alive”
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
After the 3–1 win over Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship, coach Eduardo Domínguez was already looking ahead to the decisive clash against Santos. The manager acknowledged how difficult the task would be, but saw the first-leg result as an opportunity for Atlético.
“They left Atlético alive. They could have killed the tie, but they left us alive. So we’re going to take advantage of the opportunity they gave us and come in with great strength to try to turn the tie around.”
Domínguez also pointed to a factor that would prove decisive just a few days later: the strength of Arena MRV and the Massa.
“Now we play at the Arena, with our fans. We are strong here and we’ll do even the impossible to go through, because we feel we have the confidence needed to turn the game around. We believe, and we’ll do everything to advance.”
The response came from the stands.
A start that set the Arena on fire
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
The support grew even stronger from the very first play.
After just 17 seconds, Bernard scored the fastest goal in Arena MRV history. The roar of the Massa, already waiting for a comeback, only grew louder.
The goal gave Galo the momentum they needed to chase the turnaround. In the 19th minute, Reinier scored the second and brought the tie level again on aggregate.
Even after Lyanco’s own goal, Atlético never stopped pushing for the result. Reinier scored again in the 40th minute, and the first half ended with Galo leading 3–1.
Arena MRV was doing its part.
The Massa believes until the very end
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
In the second half, the situation became complicated again. Gabriel Barbosa scored for Santos and put the aggregate score back in the opponent’s favor, 4–3.
Atlético needed one more goal.
And the stands stayed with them.
The team kept pressing until it found the answer in the final minutes. In the 46th minute, Cuello appeared in the box to head home and score Atlético’s fourth.
The goal sent the tie to penalties and turned Arena MRV into a cauldron.
In the shootout, Gabriel Delfim saved three penalties and was decisive in Atlético’s 3–1 qualification.
“When we play here at home, it’s different”
After the match, Cuello made a point of highlighting the fans’ role on the night Atlético qualified.
“When we play here at home, it’s different. So I want to thank the fans for the support we had today. They were there for all 90 minutes.”
That statement sums up what happened at Arena MRV. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Massa backed every comeback attempt, kept the atmosphere alive even in the toughest moments, and celebrated every goal that brought Galo closer to qualification.
The fans also lived the penalty shootout as part of the match itself. With every save by Delfim, with every Atlético penalty converted, the Arena got louder and louder until it exploded when qualification was confirmed.
The strength of the Massa in knockout matches
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
Qualification against Santos is another recent chapter in the Massa’s strength in decisive matches.
Not long ago, Atlético also relied on fan support to advance against Cruzeiro in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. Arena MRV once again drew a big crowd and hosted another knockout night marked by Atlético’s fan mobilization.
Now, faced with another elimination challenge, the story repeated itself. The Massa filled the Arena, embraced the team from the first minute, and stayed by Galo’s side until the kick that sealed qualification.
In a short span of time, two decisive ties, two nights of packed stands, and the same connection between Galo and the Massa.
A connection that is part of history
The night against Santos once again showed the importance of the relationship between Atlético and its fans in decisive moments.
The team needed to turn a two-goal deficit into qualification. The Massa turned Arena MRV into a stage of support throughout the entire match.
Galo did its part on the pitch. The Massa did its part in the stands.
Once again, club and fans walked together until the very last moment.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.