Today, in the exciting clash between São Paulo and LDU, the teams provided a football spectacle full of twists and turns and tension, culminating in an exciting victory for LDU on penalties by 5 to 4, after São Paulo won by 1 to 0 in regular time.
São Paulo entered the field with great support from its fans at the Morumbi Stadium, with more than 52 thousand supporters. The team showed intensity from the beginning, trying to control the game and create goal opportunities. LDU, in turn, presented a solid defense and tried to take advantage of counterattacks to surprise the opponent.
The first half was marked by a lot of action, but neither team managed to open the scoring. Both goalkeepers made important saves, keeping the game balanced. São Paulo's fans remained excited, hoping that their team would find a way to score.
In the second half, Tricolor managed to open the scoring with a header from Arboleda after a precise corner kick. Despite the pressure, São Paulo was unable to score a second goal, but they tried hard and possession during the second half reflected the clear dominance of the Brazilian team, which held an impressive 81% of possession compared to LDU's 19%. With the score tied on aggregate, the match went to penalties.
During the penalty shootout, the tension was palpable in the stadium. Both teams converted their first penalties with precision, keeping the contest even. However, the big signing for the season, James Rodriguez, missed the second penalty by shooting over the goal. This opened the opportunity for LDU to seal the victory, from then on no one else made a mistake and the Liga Desportiva Universitária won 5-4 and qualified for the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana.
The LDU players celebrated with euphoria, recognizing the importance of the victory and the collective effort that led them to achieve the result in the penalty shootout. On the other hand, the São Paulo players showed disappointment, but also pride in the performance demonstrated throughout the game.
The Ecuadorian team will face Defensa y Justicia from Argentina in the next round. São Paulo will focus on the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil final against Flamengo. The Copa do Brasil games will be on September 17 and 24, with the second game being at Morumbi.
