Noroeste and Primavera SP met in the quarter-finals of the Copa Paulista on Friday evening, 19 September 2026, and the match finished 0-0 after extra time before Noroeste won 2-1 on penalties. The result sends the hosts into the last four while Primavera SP's campaign comes to an end.
The ninety minutes were a tight affair with neither side able to break the deadlock. To be fair, both teams were cautious from the start, trading possession without creating clear openings. By then, the yellow cards were already appearing — a booking at twenty-two minutes, another just before the break, and two more in the second half as tensions rose.
Extra time offered little relief. The game remained scrappy, with Ninety-plus-five seeing the fifth yellow card of the contest. And here's the thing about these knockout ties — when the clock runs out, the drama shifts entirely to the spot.
The penalty shootout was a study in nerves. Twelve-plus-one saw two misses, followed by another miss and a goal at twelve-plus-two. Then came the crucial moments at twelve-plus-three, where Noroeste scored twice while Primavera SP also found the net. Twelve-plus-four produced two misses in a row, and the decisive miss at twelve-plus-five confirmed the result.
Looking at the recent form, both sides had met earlier in September, drawing 2-2 at Primavera SP's ground. The home side had been involved in open games since — four goals against Comercial, a draw with União São João, and a narrow win over Piracicaba. Primavera SP showed more variety in their results, including a heavy 7-0 victory and a 5-0 defeat against São Caetano.
We had backed the visitors with forty-two per cent confidence, but the match went another way. The shootout exposed a lack of composure from the away players, while Noroeste held their nerve when it mattered most. The goal difference remains level, but the tie is decided.
