Red Bull Bragantino had a game to forget on Wednesday night as they fell flat to a 3-0 defeat in the Copa Sudamericana at the hands of Ecuadorian outfit Emelec. The game was valid for the second round of the competition.
The first 45 minutes was a rather dull one, though with Bragantino boasting slightly better possession than the hosts. However, they failed to make their three chances count.
In the second half, it was a different story completely. Massa Bruta conceded an own goal via Aderlan in the 49th minute. Zapata then doubled the lead for the hosts in the 64th minute before Cabeza made it three four minutes from time after a couple of shots in the area. It got worse for Bragantino as Ricardo Ryller had already received his marching orders in the 73rd minute.
With the defeat, Bragantino now find themselves in second position in Group G, with only three points coming from their debut win against Tolima in the first round. Emelec lead the table with six points, after two wins from two. Once again, only one side (the leader) will advance to the knockout stages and it emphasizes the need for Bragantino to aim for as much wins as they can if they are to stand a chance of advancing further.
For their next outing, Bragantino will turn their focus to the Paulista Championship when they host Santos in a crunch clash on Saturday. Following that game, they return to the continental scene where they once again host Argentine side Tallares for the third round of the Copa Sudamericana group stage.
