São Paulo suffered a brutal 1-0 defeat to Boca Juniors at a packed La Bombonera this Tuesday, severely damaging their 2026 Conmebol Sudamericana semifinal ambitions. This first leg of the quarterfinals leaves Tricolor Paulista with a massive mountain to climb in the return fixture.
Second Half Collapse and Merentiel’s Strike
The match started with promise for São Paulo. They had a solid first half and even created a good chance, with Luciano’s header forcing a big save from the Boca Juniors goalkeeper. But man, things absolutely fell apart after the break.
São Paulo’s game absolutely collapsed under the relentless Argentine pressure. It wasn’t even ten minutes into the second half when Merentiel pounced on a rebound right in front of Rafael, opening the scoring for Boca Juniors. Boca then had two huge chances to extend their lead, but Rafael made another big save from a header, and Velasco’s long-range rocket somehow shaved the post. Talk about a narrow escape there!
The VAR Controversy That Left São Paulo Fuming
And if the goal wasn’t enough, the end of the match brought some serious refereeing drama. The ref initially showed a red card to São Paulo’s Domingos Duarte after a heavy challenge with Paredes. But then, after a VAR review, the referee *rescinded* the red card for the São Paulo center-back. Here’s the kicker: no card was shown to the Argentine player! You can bet São Paulo’s players were absolutely outraged by that call. It’s wild to see that kind of inconsistency.
So, where does that leave São Paulo? They need to win by two goals at MorumBIS next Tuesday (15) to advance straight to the Sudamericana semifinals. If they can only manage a one-goal win, it’s going to penalties. Boca Juniors, on the other hand, only needs a draw. Before that massive showdown, São Paulo returns to action this Saturday (12), visiting Palmeiras at Nubank Parque for Round 27 of the Brasileirão. They seriously need to find their rhythm and some defensive grit, or their Sudamericana dream is going to evaporate!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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