Anderson made four crucial saves in the closing minutes
No futebol, como na vida, a virada é sempre possível para quem ainda acredita. Na noite de quinta-feira, em Chapecó, a Chapecoense — lanterna do campeonato e sem vitórias nacionais desde janeiro — reverteu uma desvantagem de um gol para eliminar o Botafogo da Copa do Brasil, vencendo por 2 a 0 na Arena Condá e avançando com um placar agregado de 2 a 1. Foi um desses resultados que lembram por que o esporte tem o poder de redefinir narrativas inteiras.
- A Chapecoense entrou em campo precisando vencer por dois gols de diferença — uma missão quase impossível para um time sem vitórias nacionais há mais de três meses.
- Marcinho, ex-jogador do próprio Botafogo, abriu o placar com precisão cirúrgica aos 19 minutos, e Everton Bolasie ampliou de cabeça nos acréscimos do primeiro tempo, virando o agregado.
- O Botafogo pressionou com tudo no segundo tempo, acertou a trave com Arthur Cabral e criou chances reais de empate que poderiam ter mudado o destino da partida.
- O goleiro Anderson foi o muro que o Botafogo não conseguiu romper, realizando quatro defesas decisivas nos minutos finais e transformando-se no protagonista da classificação.
- A Chapecoense avança para as oitavas da Copa do Brasil, que retornam após a Copa do Mundo; o Botafogo volta ao Brasileirão ainda tentando escapar da zona de rebaixamento.
A Chapecoense precisava de uma virada improvável na quinta-feira à noite. Derrotada por 1 a 0 no primeiro jogo, no Rio, e estacionada na lanterna do Brasileirão sem vencer em torneios nacionais desde 28 de janeiro, o clube catarinense tinha pouco a perder e tudo a ganhar na Arena Condá.
Foi Marcinho quem abriu o caminho — com ironia do destino, um ex-jogador do Botafogo que encontrou o ângulo certo aos 19 minutos. Everton Bolasie completou a virada com uma cabeçada nos acréscimos do primeiro tempo, transformando o que parecia missão impossível em vantagem real no agregado.
O Botafogo não se entregou. Na segunda etapa, pressionou, acertou a trave com Arthur Cabral e criou situações que poderiam ter reaberto a disputa. Mas o goleiro Anderson estava em uma noite à parte. Quatro defesas nos minutos finais — incluindo uma palmada providencial em cabeçada de Kadir e uma negativa a Barboza — impediram qualquer reação. Danilo, peça importante do meio-campo botafoguense, passou em branco numa partida em que precisava ser decisivo.
Para a Chapecoense, a vitória encerra um jejum que pesava sobre o elenco e abre uma janela de esperança. Nos próximos dias, ambos os times voltam ao Brasileirão — o Botafogo recebe o Corinthians, e a Chapecoense enfrenta o Remo em casa. A Copa do Brasil retorna após o Mundial, com o sorteio das oitavas ainda por vir. Por ora, a Chapecoense segue em frente.
Chapecoense walked into Thursday night's match at Arena Condá needing a miracle. They had lost the first leg in Rio by a goal, and their season had been a grind—they sat at the bottom of the league standings, winless in national tournaments since late January. But football is a game of reversals, and on this night in Chapecó, they found one.
The home side scored twice to eliminate Botafogo from the Copa do Brasil, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 aggregate victory. It was the kind of result that can shift a season's momentum, even for a team struggling as badly as Chapecoense had been. The goals came from Marcinho, a former Botafogo player who struck with precision in the 19th minute, and Everton Bolasie, who headed in a low cross in the final moments of the first half to seal the turnaround.
Botafogo pressed hard in the second half, sensing they could still find a way back into the tie. They hit the post through Arthur Cabral, a chance that could have changed everything. But goalkeeper Anderson, standing between the posts for Chapecoense, would not be beaten. In the closing minutes, with Botafogo throwing everything forward, Anderson made four crucial saves—palming away a header from Kadir in the 42nd minute, then denying Barboza moments later. These were not routine stops. They were the kind of interventions that decide tournaments.
Danilo, Botafogo's midfielder and a regular fixture in Copa competitions, had little impact on the match. He moved the ball without creating danger, a quiet performance in a game his team needed him to dominate. The contrast was stark: Marcinho, playing against his former club, was sharp and decisive. Anderson, the goalkeeper, became the story.
For Chapecoense, this victory broke a drought that had weighed on them since January 28th, when they last won a match in a national tournament. They had been stuck, unable to build momentum, unable to string together results. One win does not cure all ailments, but it matters. It proves something is possible.
Both teams return to league action on Sunday. Botafogo hosts Corinthians at home, still fighting to climb out of the lower reaches of the Brasileirão. Chapecoense welcomes Remo, another chance to build on what they accomplished here. The Copa do Brasil will resume after the World Cup, with the Round of 16 draw still to come. For now, Chapecoense advances. Botafogo goes home.
Citas Notables
Chapecoense had been winless in national tournaments since their victory over Santos on January 28— Match report
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a goalkeeper's performance matter so much in a match like this?
Because when a team is under siege—when the other side has nothing to lose and everything to prove—the goalkeeper becomes the last argument. Anderson made four saves in the final minutes. Without those, Botafogo scores, and the story flips entirely.
Marcinho scored against his old club. How much does that add to the narrative?
It adds texture. He knows Botafogo's shape, their weaknesses. He was sharp, clinical. But more than that, it's the kind of moment that sticks with players—proving yourself against the team that let you go.
Chapecoense had been winless since January. Does one win actually change their season?
Not entirely. But it breaks the spell. It proves they can compete, that they're not broken. It's the first step out of a hole.
What about Danilo's quiet performance? Does that tell us something?
It tells us Botafogo's midfield couldn't control the match. Danilo is supposed to be a leader there, but he had no chances, no dangerous moments. When your best players disappear, you lose.
The Copa do Brasil resumes after the World Cup. Does that change how teams approach these matches?
It means everything is compressed. There's no time to recover, to reset. You win or you're out, and then you're back to league play three days later. The fatigue is real.