Cardoso Moreira picked up three points away from home on Saturday, beating SE Belforde-Richu 2:1 in the fourth round of the Carioca B2 group stage. The visitors had already shown they were the strongest side in the division with four wins from four matches before this fixture. Belforde-Richu, sitting in sixth place with five points, had hoped to close the gap but found the top side too strong.
The match followed a pattern that suited the visitors: they controlled the tempo and took their chances when they appeared. Belforde-Richu pulled one back but could not find an equaliser. Cardoso Moreira never looked in danger of dropping points after taking the lead, and the result extended their unbeaten run to five games — a streak that includes four consecutive wins in all competitions.
Before kick-off, the form guide pointed in the opposite direction. We had backed the home side at 86 per cent confidence, expecting them to capitalise on their recent defensive solidity. The 2:2 draw against Campus and the 0:0 stalemate with Rio de Janeiro suggested a team that had stopped leaking goals. That analysis was wrong — the attack that had scored four against Parati in August failed to break down a compact away side.
The standings tell a simple story at this stage. Cardoso Moreira sit top with 12 points, having won every game they have played. Belforde-Richu remain in sixth with five points from four matches, sitting two points above the bottom of the table but still with room to improve. The gap between them and the leaders is already significant, though this competition is long enough for momentum to shift.
What this result means is that Cardoso Moreira have now played the second half a man up in terms of expectations. They have not dropped points all season, and the clean-sheet run came to an end here, but they still have the best record in the division. Belforde-Richu will need to find ways to score against organized sides if they want to climb the table — something they have struggled with since the Resende defeats in June.