The difference between a clear path and a harder road
No coração do futebol sul-americano, o Grêmio encontrou nesta terça-feira não a derrota, mas tampouco a vitória plena — um empate que, como tantos momentos da vida, carrega o peso daquilo que poderia ter sido. Diante do Torque uruguaio, na Arena do Grêmio, o clube gaúcho ficou no 2-2 e terminou em segundo lugar no Grupo F da Copa Sul-Americana, com 11 pontos. A diferença entre o primeiro e o segundo lugar é, aqui, a diferença entre um caminho direto e uma estrada mais longa — e o Grêmio agora terá de percorrê-la.
- O Torque chegou a Porto Alegre não para sobreviver, mas para vencer — e dominou o primeiro tempo com pressão organizada e dois gols que deixaram a torcida gaúcha em silêncio.
- Gabriel Mec e Carlos Vinícius (de pênalti) responderam pelo Grêmio, mas cada vez que o time empatava, o adversário encontrava uma forma de voltar à frente.
- Nos minutos finais, a tensão transbordou: Vinícius perdeu um cabeceio providencial que Torgnascioli defendeu de forma extraordinária, e depois foi expulso por reclamação.
- O apito final selou o 2-2 — resultado que empurra o Grêmio para a fase de playoffs contra terceiros colocados da Libertadores, enquanto o Torque avança direto às oitavas.
O Grêmio deixou o campo sob vaias na noite de terça-feira, incapaz de superar o Montevideo City Torque e garantir a classificação direta para as oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana. O empate por 2-2 na Arena do Grêmio não foi uma derrota, mas custou ao clube gaúcho algo valioso: a passagem sem obstáculos para a próxima fase.
O Torque controlou o primeiro tempo com pressão sistemática pelas laterais. Salomón Rodríguez abriu o placar aos 16 minutos, após jogada de Silvera pela esquerda, e o time uruguaio foi para o intervalo na frente. A torcida gremista expressou seu descontentamento.
O segundo tempo começou diferente. O técnico Luís Castro ajustou o time, e logo no primeiro minuto Gabriel Mec aproveitou passe de Arthur para empatar. A partida ficou equilibrada até Pizzichillo cobrar falta com precisão aos 38 minutos e recolocar o Torque na frente. Cinco minutos depois, Carlos Vinícius converteu pênalti — após falta de Tarán em Braithwaite — e restabeleceu a igualdade.
Os minutos finais foram caóticos. Vinícius ainda teve um cabeceio incrível defendido por Torgnascioli, antes de ser expulso por reclamação. O placar não se alterou mais.
Com 13 pontos, o Torque terminou em primeiro no Grupo F e avança direto. O Grêmio, com 11, vai à fase de playoffs contra terceiros colocados da Libertadores — dois jogos a mais antes de chegar onde o adversário já está. É a diferença entre o caminho livre e a estrada mais dura.
Grêmio left the field to boos on Tuesday night, unable to break through Montevideo City Torque and secure the direct path deeper into the Copa Sudamericana. The 2-2 draw at the Arena do Grêmio was a match that slipped away—not lost, but not won either—and it cost the Rio Grande do Sul club something precious: a spot in the round of 16 without the burden of extra games.
Torque came to Porto Alegre with clear intent. The Uruguayan side controlled the first half with methodical pressure down the flanks, creating danger from the opening minutes. In the twelfth minute, Salomón Rodríguez thought he had opened the scoring, but the referee spotted a handball in the buildup and waved it off. Rodríguez got another chance four minutes later, this time cleanly. After a dribble by Silvera on the left wing, he met the ball ahead of Weverton and finished to make it 1-0. Grêmio's supporters made their displeasure known as the teams walked off at halftime.
The second half brought a different Grêmio. Coach Luís Castro made adjustments, and they paid immediate dividends. In the opening minute, Arthur found Gabriel Mec in space, and the young forward struck from the edge of the area. Torgnascioli got a hand to it, but the ball found the net anyway—1-1. The match became a back-and-forth affair, both teams squandering chances, until Pizzichillo stepped up for a free kick in the thirty-eighth minute and bent it perfectly over the wall and past Weverton's outstretched arm. Torque led 2-1. But Carlos Vinícius answered five minutes later from the penalty spot after Tarán fouled Braithwaite in the box, restoring parity at 2-2.
The closing minutes turned chaotic. Torque's players appealed for a penalty that never came, protesting loudly to the referee. Vinícius had a header in the forty-ninth minute that Torgnascioli somehow clawed away from the far post—a save that felt like it belonged in a highlight reel. In the tumult, Vinícius was sent off for his complaints to the official. When the whistle finally came, the scoreline stood unchanged.
The result sends Grêmio to the playoff round, where they will face the third-place finishers from the Libertadores. Torque topped Group F with 13 points and earned direct passage to the round of 16. Grêmio finished second with 11 points, meaning two additional matches lie ahead before they reach the same stage their opponent has already secured. It is the difference between a clear path and a harder road—and on a night when the home crowd wanted more, it is a difference that stings.
Citas Notables
Grêmio left the field to boos, unable to secure the direct path deeper into the Copa Sudamericana— Match report
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does finishing second instead of first matter so much in a tournament like this?
Because it changes the entire shape of your campaign. Torque goes straight to the round of 16. Grêmio has to play two more matches just to get there. In a long season, that's fatigue, injury risk, and mental wear.
Torque dominated the first half, though. What changed when Grêmio came out after halftime?
Castro made substitutions that worked. Grêmio became more direct, more aggressive. But it wasn't just tactics—it was also that Torque stopped being as sharp. The match became open, and both teams had chances. Grêmio just couldn't finish the job.
That save by Torgnascioli in the forty-ninth minute—was that the turning point?
It was the moment that decided it, yes. If Vinícius heads that in, Grêmio wins 3-2 and probably finishes first. Instead, it stays 2-2. That one play, one goalkeeper's instinct, changes everything about what comes next.
And then Vinícius got sent off?
Yes, for protesting. He was frustrated, the whole team was. They felt they deserved more. But frustration doesn't change the scoreline.
What does this mean for Grêmio's chances in the tournament now?
They're still alive, still capable. But they're tired before they even start the playoffs. They have to beat a Libertadores third-place team twice. It's doable, but it's harder than the path Torque just took.