The ball curled into the far corner with such precision that Rafael barely moved.
No Morumbis encharcado de um sábado de maio, São Paulo e Botafogo dividiram um ponto que satisfez poucos e resolveu menos ainda. Dorival Júnior, reencontrado com o clube que já dirigiu, segue sem vencer em seu retorno — uma sequência que começa a pesar mais do que os números isolados sugerem. O futebol, como sempre, cobra suas dívidas não apenas em gols, mas em corpos que cedem e esquemas que se desfazem antes do intervalo.
- São Paulo abriu o placar em três minutos, mas perdeu Luciano — seu autor — ainda no primeiro tempo por lesão muscular, seguido pelo zagueiro Sabino, deixando Dorival com a defesa em frangalhos.
- O Botafogo pressionou durante quase todo o segundo tempo, vendo dois gols anulados por impedimento antes de finalmente encontrar o empate nos acréscimos.
- Barrera encobriu Rafael com um chute de primeira no canto, um gol de qualidade inegável que transformou a frustração visitante em ponto conquistado.
- Um acordo prévio entre os clubes evitou multas de R$ 2 milhões ao permitir que os cedidos Artur e Ferraresi enfrentassem seus ex-empregadores, revelando as engrenagens contratuais que movem o futebol moderno.
- Com Arboleda, Dória, Luciano e Sabino fora, São Paulo enfrenta a sequência de Copa Sul-Americana e Brasileirão com um elenco cada vez mais raso — e Dorival ainda sem vencer.
O Morumbis estava frio e úmido quando Luciano abriu o placar logo aos três minutos. Artur conduziu pelo meio e serviu a ala; o chute de longe quicou no gramado encharcado, enganou o goleiro Neto, e Luciano completou para as redes. Era o início prometedor que Dorival Júnior precisava.
Mas a tarde desmoronou cedo. O próprio Luciano saiu mancando da comemoração e deixou o campo aos 26 minutos com queixa muscular. Minutos depois, Sabino também foi substituído por lesão. Dorival, já sem Arboleda e Dória, via suas opções defensivas evaporarem em tempo real.
O Botafogo, nono colocado com 22 pontos, atacou sem hesitar. Arthur Cabral e Barrera tiveram gols anulados por impedimento no segundo tempo — uma sequência frustrante para os visitantes, que pareciam condenados ao placar adverso. Mas aos 45 do segundo tempo, um escanteio gerou sobra na área e Barrera bateu de primeira, no ângulo, com precisão cirúrgica. Rafael mal se mexeu. Empate em 1 a 1.
Dorival segue sem vencer desde que retornou ao São Paulo. O Tricolor acumula lesões e perguntas enquanto a temporada avança. Ambos os times voltam suas atenções para a Copa Sul-Americana durante a semana — São Paulo recebe o Boston River na terça, Botafogo viaja a Caracas na quarta — antes que o Brasileirão volte a cobrar respostas.
The Morumbis stadium was cold and damp on Saturday afternoon when São Paulo's Luciano struck early, giving Dorival Júnior's team what looked like a path to victory. Three minutes in, Artur collected the ball in midfield and threaded a pass to the wing. Luciano's shot from distance bounced awkwardly off the waterlogged pitch, deceiving goalkeeper Neto, who could only parry it. Luciano was there to finish, and São Paulo had its lead.
But the afternoon unraveled quickly. Luciano limped away from his own celebration, and by the 26th minute he was off the field, replaced by Pedro Ferreira with what the club described as a muscular complaint. Minutes later, defender Sabino followed the same path, also citing injury. Dorival Júnior, already without Arboleda and Dória, was watching his defensive options evaporate. By the end of the match, he would have only academy product Alan Franco and the recently arrived Franco to anchor his back line.
Botafogo, sitting ninth in the table with 22 points, pressed forward with nothing to lose. The visitors had come to Morumbis with an unusual arrangement already in place: both teams had agreed to let loaned players Artur and Ferraresi take the field despite the R$2 million penalty clauses in their contracts for facing former employers. It was a practical understanding between clubs, and it allowed the match to proceed without the usual complications of such situations.
The Cariocas created chances throughout the second half. Arthur Cabral rose unmarked at the far post in the 53rd minute and appeared to have equalized, but the flag went up for offside. Eight minutes later, Barrera headed home from a Santi Rodríguez cross, only to be flagged again. The pattern repeated—Botafogo attacking, São Paulo defending, the VAR confirming what the linesman saw. It was a frustrating sequence for the visitors, a reprieve for the home side that could not hold.
Then came the 45th minute of the second half. A corner kick found Marçal at the near post; his header forced Rafael to punch clear. In the scramble, Barrera collected the loose ball at the edge of the area and struck it first time. The ball curled into the far corner with such precision that Rafael barely moved. It was a finish of genuine quality, the kind that makes a goalkeeper's helplessness complete. The match ended 1-1.
Dorival Júnior's return to São Paulo, now stretching across multiple matches, remains without a victory. The draw leaves the Tricolor searching for answers as injuries mount and the season deepens. Botafogo, meanwhile, stays in the upper half of the table but faces its own precarious position, vulnerable to dropping further with each match that doesn't bring three points. Both teams turn their attention to Copa Sudamericana duties this week—São Paulo hosting Boston River on Tuesday evening, Botafogo traveling to Caracas on Wednesday—before the league demands their focus again.
Citações Notáveis
Luciano appeared to injure himself during his own goal celebration and requested substitution minutes later— Match report
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did both clubs agree to let those loaned players on the field when there were such steep penalties involved?
It was practical. Both teams had players they wanted to use, and the penalties were identical—two million reais each. Rather than both sides losing money, they simply agreed the players could play. It's the kind of arrangement that happens when the math makes sense for everyone.
Luciano scored in the third minute and then had to come off. That's a brutal sequence.
It was. He looked sharp in that moment—found space, took his chance cleanly. But something went wrong almost immediately. By the time he was celebrating, you could see him favoring one leg. Twenty minutes later he was gone. For a team already thin at the back, losing your attacking focal point early is a real problem.
Botafogo had two goals disallowed for offside. That's a lot of bad luck.
It wasn't luck, exactly. They were genuinely offside both times. But it speaks to how they were playing—aggressive, pushing forward, creating real danger. They just couldn't get the positioning right. Until Barrera did, in that final moment.
What does this draw mean for Dorival Júnior's position?
He's still searching for a win since coming back. That's the story. You can draw with anyone, but at some point a manager needs to show he can finish matches. The injuries make it harder, but they also make excuses easier to reach for.
Is this a crisis for São Paulo?
Not yet. But the injury list is growing—Luciano, Sabino, and they're already without Arboleda and Dória. If that trend continues, it becomes one. Right now it's a warning.