Vila Nova kicked off.
Rafael passed it back to Bernardo in midfield. Bernardo turned and sent the ball out to Gustavo on the left. Gustavo controlled it and quickly tried to push forward.
Leandro leaned forward on the bench, watching closely.
Atlético's right-back moved up to challenge Gustavo. They faced each other briefly. Gustavo tried to fake inside and then outside, but the defender stayed calm and forced him toward the sideline.
Gustavo had to pass it back.
"Move the ball!" Coach Domingos shouted from the touchline. "Don't hold it!"
The game found its pace. Vila Nova kept more of the ball, but Atlético stayed organized and disciplined. They defended in two lines of four, keeping the spaces tight.
In the 3rd minute, Atlético launched their first real attack from a long ball down the right channel. Their winger chased it, got there first, and whipped in a cross.
Miguel, Vila Nova's keeper, came off his line confidently. He punched it clear with strong hands.
"Nice one, Miguel!" Thiago, the left-back, shouted.
An Atlético midfielder got the ball and shot low and hard from outside the box. Miguel dived to his right and pushed it away for a corner. It was a good save.
Leandro took note. Miguel was steady and dependable in goal. That could get him noticed by the scouts.
The corner came in. Bodies crashed together in the box. The ball bounced around dangerously before Cauã, one of the center-backs, headed it clear.
Vila Nova tried to build from the back. João, the right-back, passed it to Heitor. Heitor played it to Davi, the defensive midfielder.
Davi looked for a free teammate. Enzo was closely marked. Bernardo was too far forward with the attackers. No one dropped back to help, and all the passing options were closed.
Davi thought safe as he played it back to Heitor.
Heitor passed it back to Miguel.
"Come on!" Coach Domingos clapped his hands. "Play forward!"
But the team struggled to find its rhythm. Davi and Enzo weren't linking up well. Their timing was off. When Davi looked to pass, Enzo wasn't available. When Enzo dropped back, Davi was already there.
The midfield flow was broken.
In the 8th minute, Bernardo finally got on the ball in a decent position. He turned and played a nice pass into Rafael's feet. Rafael held it up with his back to the goal, and laid it off to Luiz on the right wing.
Luiz cut inside onto his left foot and took a shot from far out. The keeper saved it easily. It was an okay effort, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Atlético kept sitting deep and waiting patiently.
In the 12th minute, they came close to scoring again. A quick throw-in caught Vila Nova sleeping. Atlético's striker got in behind Cauã and fired a shot from a tight angle.
Miguel reacted fast. He got down low and palmed it behind for a corner. Another good save.
"Wake up!" Coach Domingos roared at the defense. "Stay focused!"
Cauã and Heitor looked at each other, both realizing they'd switched off for a second. The corner came in, but Miguel claimed it easily this time.
Vila Nova tried to respond. Gustavo got the ball wide left again in the 15th minute. He had space this time, so he took advantage and drove at the defender with pace.
The defender moved back. Gustavo knocked the ball past him on the outside and reached the end line. It was a strong run. He crossed the ball, but it went too high.
It sailed over everyone and went out for a throw-in on the far side.
Gustavo put his hands on his head. Frustrated with himself.
The scouts in the stands took notes.
Leandro watched closely. Gustavo was trying too hard to impress and ended up forcing plays. He had talent, but his decisions weren't right.
The game continued, back and forth, with neither team creating much. Atlético looked happy to defend and hit on the counter. Vila Nova had the ball but didn't know what to do with it.
Davi and Enzo kept getting in each other's way. Their positioning was all wrong. When one drops deep, the other should push forward. But they weren't reading each other.
The link between midfield and attack was broken.
Bernardo tried to help by dropping back to get the ball himself. Sometimes it worked, but it left Rafael alone up front. The striker was left battling two center-backs on his own.
In the 18th minute, Vila Nova finally created a dangerous chance.
João overlapped on the right. Enzo spotted the run and played a ball over the top. João controlled it well and drove into the box. He cut it back across the goal.
Rafael was there, sliding into the six-yard box. But he missed it by inches.
"Ahhhh!" Rafael slammed the ground with his fist. "So close."
Coach Domingos gestured frantically. "That's the kind of movement I want! Do it again!"
But they didn't get another chance.
Instead, Atlético struck first.
It happened in the 20th minute. Vila Nova pushed forward again. Gustavo got the ball on the left, just outside the box. He had options: Rafael running into the box, Bernardo open in the middle, and Luiz free at the far post.
But Gustavo decided to go alone.
He cut inside, beat one defender with a nice move, then tried to beat another. The second defender stuck with him. Gustavo forced the shot anyway.
But there wasn't enough power behind the shot, and it was blocked.
The ball bounced out to an Atlético midfielder, who quickly pushed forward to start a dangerous counter-attack.
Three Atlético players sprinted forward to support him. Vila Nova had pushed too many men up. Only three defenders were back.
The midfielder sent a quick pass down the right side. Their winger sprinted after it and controlled the ball smoothly. Thiago tried to keep up but couldn't match his speed.
The winger drove into the box. Miguel came out to close the angle. The winger stayed calm and squared it across the goal.
Their striker tapped it in from three yards.
1-0. Atlético.
The away section erupted. Their small group of fans celebrated like they'd won the league against their fierce rivals.
Vila Nova's players stood there, hands on their hips. Visibly frustrated.
Gustavo looked down at the ground, his shoulders slumped. That miss had led directly to the goal.
Coach Domingos was livid on the touchline. "I told you to move the ball! Stop trying to be a hero!"
Gustavo jogged back to position without looking at the coach. His face was tight, angry at himself.
Leandro watched from the bench. He felt no satisfaction or smugness from Gustavo's misfortune. He just analyzed the game.
Gustavo had real talent. But he was playing as if he needed to prove himself, looking nervous and desperate.
Leandro knew that feeling too well.
The game restarted. Vila Nova tried to respond immediately as they pushed forward with greater urgency. Taking more risks.
In the 23rd minute, Davi won the ball in midfield and played it quickly to Enzo. Enzo turned and spotted Bernardo making a run between the lines. Enzo sent a first-time pass into his path.
Bernardo took a touch and threaded it through the two center-backs to Rafael, who was making a diagonal run from the left side into the box. Rafael was through on goal. One-on-one with the keeper.
The keeper rushed out. Rafael had to decide in a split second: shoot, chip, or try to go around the goalkeeper?
He chose to play it safe and fire a low, hard shot to the keeper's left. But the keeper got down and saved it with a strong left hand. The ball bounced back into the box.
Fortunately, Luiz was there in the right place at the right time. He didn't think twice, just an instantaneous reaction as he smashed it for the first time into the back of the net.
1-1.
Goal!
The Vila Nova section exploded with noise. The players mobbed Luiz. Rafael clapped his hands, annoyed he hadn't scored himself but happy for the goal.
"Yes! That's it!" Coach Domingos punched the air. "Now keep it going!"
The momentum had shifted slightly. Vila Nova had their tails up now, and Atlético looked rattled.
Leandro glanced at the clock on the scoreboard.
25th minute.
Still a long way to go in this half.