For the second consecutive match in the Brazilian league, Palmeiras had what would have been their winning goal disallowed in the dying minutes. This time, against Remo, it was due to a mistaken application of the rule—one that referee Rafael Klein certainly knows well, as he made clear to Neymar during the Santos vs. Atlético-MG clash.
The error was so glaring that even Anderson Barros spoke up.
As the knowledgeable colleague Renata Ruel explained: “According to the rules of the game, since [López’s] touch was accidental and not made by the player who scored the goal, it should have been validated.” It’s simpler than some analysts try to make it seem.
What is more complex is analyzing the football Palmeiras has been playing—or the lack of it.
We are in May, and the team led by Abel Ferreira has yet to deliver a standout performance, whether or not the coach is on the sidelines. The squad has serious gaps, particularly on both flanks (whose fault is that?), but it’s hard to justify such poor football with players of the caliber of Gustavo Gómez, Andreas Pereira, Marlon Freitas, Jhon Arias, and Flaco López.
Yes, Vitor Roque is missed, but it becomes increasingly difficult not to look at the coaching staff and wonder if more could be done with these ingredients—a drinkable but somewhat bitter lemonade.
Perhaps you read all this and roll your eyes: the team leads the Brazilian league! Tops their group in the Libertadores! Won 3-0 in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil! They compete for everything year after year! The calendar! The pitch! The rain! Mother’s Day!
All true, indeed. But the pig—pardon the pun—hasn’t twisted its tail yet this year. The toughest battles of the season, including the match against Flamengo on the 23rd, are still ahead. If Abel cannot extract more from this expensive squad and focuses his energy on the referees’ mistakes, the green-and-white fate may not shine so brightly this season.
As I keep repeating, two things can be true at once. Palmeiras was indeed wronged by the refereeing in Belém. And Palmeiras has not played well enough to avoid relying on a last-minute play to salvage three points.
