Nova Iguaçu defeated Sampaio Corrêa 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Rio Cup on Wednesday. The hosts secured their place in the final with a comfortable victory. They kept a clean sheet, a feat they have managed in three of their last five outings.
The match lacked urgency until the second half. And here's the thing, the opening goal came from a moment of individual quality rather than sustained pressure. Fabricio Ferreira scored in the 65th minute to break the deadlock.
Sampaio Corrêa struggled to find their rhythm after going behind. By then, the visitors had failed to register a shot on target for over an hour. Leonardo Muchacho added a second goal in the 80th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Discipline became a concern for the away side as the game wore on. They received three yellow cards compared to the hosts' two bookings. The extra card in the 91st minute suggested the frustration was mounting.
The statistics reflected the one-sided nature of the contest. Nova Iguaçu enjoyed 57 per cent possession and hit the target four times. Sampaio Corrêa managed only three shots in total, none of which troubled the goalkeeper.
