Corinthians started their Copa Sudamericana campaign on an uninspiring note as they played out to a goalless stalemate with River Plate-PAR on Thursday night at the Defensores del Chaco stadium.
Corinthians dominated for a good part of the game but they repeated problems that they had during their recent undefeated streak.
Lack of creativity, failure in the final third and mistakes in defence that could have seen River Plate-PAR capitalize.
Corinthians went close to conceding a goal, with Sosa hitting the woodwork for the home side. However, their best chance came through Luan after a series of swift movement in attack.
In the second half, the biggest chance came from River Plate-PAR, with Sosa, after the forward hit Cássio’s crossbar via a long-range effort. With the additions of youngsters Vitinho and Cauê, Corinthians were much better towards the end of the game and came close to snatching a winner. Goalkeeper Azcona did well to keep Vitinho’s effort at bay.
In the end, both sides had to settle for a draw. With the result, River Plate-PAR and Corinthians have a point apiece in Group E. Peñarol are the leaders with three points after thrashing Peruvian side Sport Huancayo in another fixture on the same day. It is important to note that only the leader of the group will qualify for the next stage of the competition.
For their next outing, Corinthians will return to the pitch on Sunday for a big game against Santos in Vila Belmiro. The game is valid for the latest round of the Paulista Championship. The next game for the River Plate-PAR is next Thursday against leaders Peñarol in Group E.
