Venus moved to within a point of the summit with a 2:1 victory over Pedreira in the fifth round of the Série B2 of the State of Pará. The away side had lost 0:1 to their hosts just eight days earlier, but came back with a result that puts them level on points with the table topper. Pedreira remain fifth with six points after three matches.
And here's the thing about a comeback like this — it comes from a team that had not won away in a while. Venus took a heavy 0:3 defeat at Central Coast in August and followed it with a 3:4 loss to Oakland City before drawing 1:1 with ECMAK. They then lost to Pedreira on September 11, only to respond with a 5:2 win over ECMAK on September 16 before this result.
Pedreira had looked solid at home, winning two of three matches including that narrow victory over Venus. They had beaten ECMAK 3:1 in their most recent outing, but this time could not hold on when it mattered. To be fair, they have only played three games and still have plenty of time to build momentum.
By then, both sides knew what was at stake. Venus sit one point behind the leader after four matches, while Pedreira have three points to play with in terms of positioning. The away side's away form had been inconsistent — they lost 0:3 to Central Coast and drew 1:1 with ECMAK — but this result suggests a shift.
The standings tell a simple story: Venus move into second place on seven points, one behind whoever leads after four games. Pedreira stay fifth with six points from three matches. Both teams have games in hand, and that keeps the race open for anyone watching from the stands.