Two-nil at home. The tie was effectively over. Or so it seemed.
Na noite de quarta-feira, o Vasco da Gama garantiu sua vaga nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil não pela beleza do jogo, mas pela resistência acumulada ao longo de dois confrontos. O empate em 2-2 diante do Paysandu em São Januário revelou uma equipe capaz de desperdiçar vantagens construídas com cuidado — e ainda assim sobreviver. É o tipo de classificação que lembra que o futebol, como tantas jornadas humanas, raramente segue o roteiro que imaginamos no intervalo.
- O Vasco abriu 2-0 no primeiro tempo com gol de pênalti de Rojas e um tento do capitão Thiago Mendes, colocando a classificação praticamente no bolso.
- Em questão de minutos, o Paysandu virou o jogo emocional do confronto: Thayllon descontou antes do intervalo e um gol contra de Saldivia deixou tudo igual no segundo tempo.
- A torcida em São Januário sentiu o chão tremer — o Paysandu precisava de mais dois gols para forçar os pênaltis, e por um momento isso não parecia impossível.
- O Vasco segurou o resultado sem brilho, avançando pelo agregado de 4-2, mas pagou um preço alto: Thiago Mendes foi expulso e desfalcará o time na próxima fase.
- Paulo Henrique saiu lesionado e preocupa duplamente — o lateral estava na pré-lista de 55 jogadores de Carlo Ancelotti para a Copa do Mundo.
O Vasco da Gama está nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, mas a classificação chegou com mais susto do que alívio. Em São Januário, diante do Paysandu, o time carioca empatou em 2-2 e avançou pelo placar agregado de 4-2, construído sobre a vitória por 2-0 no jogo de ida, em Belém.
O primeiro tempo começou como o Vasco teria desenhado. Rojas converteu um pênalti aos 24 minutos — seu primeiro gol com a camisa cruz-maltina — após falta em Hinestroza. Logo depois, o capitão Thiago Mendes ampliou, confirmando a fase artilheira que vinha vivendo. Dois a zero em casa. A vaga parecia encaminhada.
Mas o Paysandu recusou o roteiro. Thayllon diminuiu nos acréscimos do primeiro tempo e, logo no início da etapa final, um gol contra de Saldivia deixou tudo igual. A atmosfera mudou. O time visitante tinha momentum e precisava de mais dois para forçar os pênaltis — e por alguns minutos, a torcida vascaína sentiu que isso era possível.
O Paysandu, porém, não teve fôlego suficiente. O Vasco, mesmo sem dominar, manteve o controle necessário para não ceder mais. Spinelli, Rojas e Adson criaram oportunidades sem aproveitá-las, mas a vantagem do agregado resistiu. A classificação veio não pela superioridade do segundo tempo, mas pela incapacidade do adversário de sustentar a pressão.
A vitória teve custos concretos. Thiago Mendes foi expulso após uma cotovelada em Caio Mello e desfalcará o Vasco na primeira partida das quartas de final — uma perda sensível para um time que depende de sua liderança e criatividade. Paulo Henrique, lateral-esquerdo, saiu lesionado ainda no início do segundo tempo e preocupa em dobro: ele havia sido incluído na lista preliminar de 55 jogadores convocados por Carlo Ancelotti para a Copa do Mundo. Qualquer afastamento prolongado pode custar-lhe a vaga na seleção.
O Vasco avança como quarto colocado na Copa do Brasil, mas chega às quartas diminuído — sem o capitão para o próximo jogo, com dúvida sobre um jogador à beira do reconhecimento internacional, e com a lição de que vantagens construídas com esforço podem desaparecer em minutos.
Vasco da Gama made it through to the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil on Wednesday night, but the path was far messier than the scoreline suggested it should have been. Playing at home in São Januário against Paysandu, the Rio club drew 2-2—a result that felt like a near-disaster until you remembered the first leg. Two weeks earlier in Belém, Vasco had won 2-0. That cushion, that aggregate advantage of 4-2, was enough to send them through. But it required surviving a second-half collapse that had their supporters gripping their seats.
The match began exactly as Vasco would have drawn it up. In the opening period, they built a commanding two-goal lead through straightforward execution. Colombian midfielder Rojas converted a penalty in the 24th minute—his first goal in a Vasco shirt—after teammate Marino Hinestroza was fouled. Minutes later, captain and midfielder Thiago Mendes added a second, continuing a run of form that had made him one of the team's most dangerous players in recent weeks. Two-nil at home. The tie was effectively over. Or so it seemed.
Paysandu, the visiting club from the north, refused to accept that script. In the final moments of the first half, striker Thayllon scored a well-taken goal that cut the deficit in half and injected genuine life into their effort. Then, early in the second period, a defensive lapse—an own goal by Vasco's Saldivia—brought the score level at 2-2. Suddenly the atmosphere shifted. Paysandu had momentum. They needed two more goals to force a penalty shootout, and for a stretch, it felt possible.
Yet Paysandu could not sustain the pressure. Vasco, despite conceding the equalizer, remained the more controlled side. Players like Spinelli, Rojas again, and Adson created chances but could not finish them. The home team's midfield and defense held firm enough to prevent the catastrophe, even as the match slipped away from their control. Paysandu pressed without the cutting edge required to truly threaten. The aggregate lead proved decisive in the end—not because Vasco dominated the second half, but because they simply did not lose it.
The victory came at a cost. Thiago Mendes, the captain who had scored and been central to Vasco's control, was sent off in the 45th minute of the second half after catching Paysandu's Caio Mello with an elbow. He will miss the first leg of the quarterfinal, a significant loss given his recent form and leadership. The draw for that next round will determine Vasco's opponent, but the team will face it without their most influential midfielder.
Another concern emerged from the medical room. Paulo Henrique, the left back, suffered an injury in the fifth minute of the second half while attempting to block an opponent. He fell hard, pain shooting through his leg between the shin and knee, and had to be replaced by Puma Rodríguez. The injury is particularly worrying because Henrique had been included in Brazil's preliminary 55-man squad for the World Cup, selected by coach Carlo Ancelotti. Any significant time on the sidelines could jeopardize his chances of making the final roster.
Vasco advances as the fourth-ranked team in the Copa do Brasil standings, but they do so diminished—missing their captain for the next match, uncertain about the availability of a player on the verge of international recognition, and having learned that a two-goal lead at home is not always the comfortable thing it appears to be.
Notable Quotes
Thiago Mendes was included in Brazil's preliminary 55-man World Cup squad under Carlo Ancelotti— reporting context
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Vasco's supporters have reason to worry when they were up 2-0 at home?
Because Paysandu equalized before halftime and then again early in the second half. Suddenly it was 2-2, and Paysandu only needed two more goals to force penalties. The first-leg advantage was still there, but it felt thin.
Did Paysandu actually have a realistic chance to score those two goals?
Not really. They had the momentum and the will, but Vasco controlled the game well enough to prevent it. Paysandu lacked the offensive precision to truly threaten. Vasco created better chances but couldn't convert them either.
What's the bigger problem for Vasco going forward—the red card or the injury?
Both matter, but differently. Thiago Mendes missing one match is manageable. Paulo Henrique's injury is the real concern because he's in Brazil's World Cup pre-selection. If it's serious, it could affect his chances of making the final squad.
Did Vasco's performance suggest they're ready for the quarterfinals?
They're ready in the sense that they have the quality to advance. But they showed they can be vulnerable when they stop executing. They'll need to be sharper against better opposition.
Why include the World Cup context in a Copa do Brasil story?
Because it changes what the injury means. It's not just about missing a football match—it's about a player's international career being potentially derailed by a moment in a domestic cup competition.