Forty-two times they sent a cross into the box. Forty-two times nothing happened.
Na noite do dia 9 de fevereiro de 2022, o São Paulo encontrou no último suspiro aquilo que não conseguira construir em noventa e seis minutos: um gol. A vitória magra sobre o Santo André no Morumbi não foi obra de domínio ou inspiração, mas de persistência e de um jovem que entrou do banco para resolver o que a titularidade não conseguiu. Em futebol, como na vida, há momentos em que o alívio chega tarde, mas ainda chega a tempo.
- O São Paulo chegou ao jogo ameaçado pelo rebaixamento no Paulistão, com a pressão sobre Rogério Ceni crescendo a cada rodada sem vitória.
- Durante quase toda a partida, o time dominou a posse sem criar perigo real, acumulando 42 cruzamentos — um recorde da competição — sem converter nenhum em gol.
- O Santo André, mesmo com reservas, quase virou o jogo: Gustavo Nescau desperdiçou chance clara cara a cara com o goleiro, chutando por cima do travessão.
- Marquinhos, jovem atacante que entrou nos minutos finais, recebeu cruzamento de Éder e finalizou com precisão no acréscimo, arrancando o Morumbi do silêncio.
- A vitória tirou o São Paulo da zona de rebaixamento, deu fôlego a Ceni — que recebeu apoio público da torcida organizada Independente — e apontou o time para o duelo seguinte contra a Ponte Preta.
O Morumbi ficou em silêncio por quase toda a noite de 9 de fevereiro de 2022. O São Paulo cruzava, cruzava e cruzava — quarenta e duas vezes ao todo, um recorde do Paulistão —, mas a bola sempre voltava sem consequências. O Santo André, escalado com reservas, se fechava bem e resistia.
Rogério Ceni havia feito cinco alterações no time titular antes do apito inicial, misturando escolhas táticas e gestão de desgaste. No primeiro tempo, o domínio são-paulino pelo lado direito com Alisson gerou volume, mas não perigo real. A melhor chance foi anulada pelo impedimento de Calleri após jogada de Léo e Rigoni.
No segundo tempo, o Santo André quase surpreendeu. Dudu Vieira avançou pela direita, driblou dois marcadores e cruzou rasteiro para Gustavo Nescau, que, sozinho e com o goleiro batido, chutou por cima do travessão. Minutos depois, o mesmo Nescau desperdiçou um contra-ataque ao segurar a bola tempo demais. Rigoni ainda acertou a trave em cobrança de falta, mas o placar permanecia zerado.
Com oito minutos para o fim, Ceni lançou Éder e Marquinhos. O jovem atacante já havia mostrado sangue-frio em estreias difíceis — marcou e deu assistência contra o Racing na Libertadores. No minuto 97, recebeu o cruzamento de Éder pelo lado direito e bateu com precisão. A camisa voou, e o Morumbi explodiu.
A vitória tinha peso além dos três pontos. Ceni, alvo de pressão desde o retorno ao clube, havia recebido apoio público da Independente antes da partida e ouviu seu nome cantado pela torcida. Com o São Paulo fora da zona de rebaixamento e quatro pontos no Grupo B, o técnico ganhou tempo. Na semana seguinte, o time visitaria a Ponte Preta com um pouco mais de ar nos pulmões.
The Morumbi stadium fell silent in the ninety-seventh minute. São Paulo had spent the entire evening moving the ball sideways, launching it high into the box, watching it come back down. Forty-two times they sent a cross into Santo André's penalty area. Forty-two times nothing happened. Then Marquinhos, a young forward who had been sitting on the bench, received the ball from Eder on the right side and sent it past the goalkeeper. The stadium erupted.
It was February 9th, 2022, and São Paulo had finally won a game in the Paulistão state championship. They had been struggling since the season began, and this victory—narrow, hard-fought, almost accidental—pulled them out of the relegation zone. The win gave them four points in Group B, though they had played only four matches in five rounds. Santo André, fielding a team of reserves, remained vulnerable to dropping into last place depending on other results that week.
Rogério Ceni, the São Paulo manager, had made five changes to his lineup before kickoff, swapping out the goalkeeper, both fullbacks, one center back, and a midfielder. Some changes came from fatigue, others from tactical choice. None of it seemed to matter much. São Paulo controlled possession throughout the first half, particularly down the right flank through Alisson, but their dominance produced almost nothing. Twenty-two crosses in the first forty-five minutes yielded no real danger to Santo André's goalkeeper, Fabrício Santana. The clearest chance came early: Léo flicked the ball to Rigoni, who found Calleri in space, but the striker's shot was ruled offside.
Santo André, despite their defensive posture, nearly took the lead in the second half. In the seventh minute, Dudu Vieira received a long ball on the right, beat two defenders inside the box, and crossed low to Gustavo Nescau. The Santo André forward stood unmarked, with São Paulo's goalkeeper already beaten, and sent the ball over the bar. It was the kind of miss that haunts a player. Moments later, Nescau killed a counterattack by holding the ball too long and losing it.
São Paulo continued to struggle with rhythm and creativity. Unable to find passing combinations or risk individual plays, the team fell back on crossing. By the end of the match, they had sent forty-two balls into the box—a new record for the competition. The previous high came in a scoreless draw with Ituano, when they managed thirty-two. Rigoni came close on a free kick in the twenty-sixth minute of the second half, striking the crossbar with Fabrício helpless to stop it, but the ball bounced away.
With eight minutes remaining, Ceni made two substitutions. Eder came on for Rigoni, and Marquinhos replaced Alisson. The young forward had already shown he could deliver in pressure moments. He had debuted as a starter the previous year in the Copa Libertadores against Racing, scoring and assisting in a knockout tie. Now, in the ninety-seventh minute, he received Eder's cross on the right side of the box and finished cleanly. He tore off his shirt in celebration, and the Morumbi, which had been divided between whistles and frustration all evening, finally had something to cheer.
The victory carried weight beyond the scoreline. Ceni had been under pressure since his return, targeted by the Independente, São Paulo's main supporter group. But before the match, when his name appeared on the stadium screen, the crowd chanted it. The Independente had released a statement backing him against potential dismissal. After the final whistle, with three points secured and the team no longer in the drop zone, the manager had earned a reprieve. São Paulo would visit Ponte Preta the following Sunday. For now, they could breathe.
Notable Quotes
Marquinhos showed he has the star quality to deliver in pressure moments, having already proven himself in the Copa Libertadores the previous year— Match analysis
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did it take until the ninety-seventh minute for this to happen? Was São Paulo really that bad, or was Santo André just that organized?
Both things were true. São Paulo had the ball and space, but they couldn't find a way through. They kept crossing because they had no other answer. Santo André came with a reserve team and a plan: sit deep, don't give up space in the middle, and hope for a mistake. It worked for ninety-six minutes.
Forty-two crosses is extraordinary. Did anyone actually think that was going to work?
By the end, probably not. But when you can't break a team down any other way, you keep trying the same thing. It's a sign of tactical desperation. The manager was trying everything—five lineup changes, different formations in his head—but nothing clicked until he brought on fresh legs.
Marquinhos had barely played. Why did he make the difference?
He was hungry. He'd already shown in the Libertadores that he could deliver in big moments. Sometimes a young player with something to prove is exactly what you need when the game is stuck. He came in with energy and made one good run.
The manager was under real pressure before this match, wasn't he?
Yes. The supporters had turned on him. But the organization released a statement backing him, and the crowd actually cheered his name. One win doesn't erase the problems, but it buys time. It lets him keep working.
What does this tell us about where São Paulo is right now?
They're fragile. They're capable, but they're not flowing. They need results to build confidence, and they got one—barely. The next weeks will show if this was a turning point or just a reprieve.