Derby: Vitória x Bahia (2)

'HALFTIME'

In the locker room, the Vitória players entered with heavy breaths and faces still focused from the intense first half. Some reached for water bottles to rehydrate and catch their breath, while others settled onto the benches, anxious to hear from Coach Cerqueira. He entered the locker room with a serious expression, but his posture conveyed calm and control. Despite the unfavorable score, he knew the team had shown determination.

Cerqueira crossed his arms, observing each player for a moment before he began to speak.

"Well… I'm not going to lie; I'm not happy with the score so far." He started, his voice firm but measured. "We came into this game knowing what we'd face. We knew Bahia is strong in ball possession, and we needed to be extra vigilant in our marking. We had some good defensive moments, but it hasn't been enough."

He paused briefly, watching the players' attentive faces. "Even so, I'm glad you didn't give up. That goal before halftime was crucial. It showed that we have the power to respond. More importantly, it showed them we're here to fight to the end."

A new spark of determination lit up the players' eyes as they absorbed Cerqueira's words. He then addressed specific points.

"Cleiton, you're holding strong at the back, but you need to watch Jorge Pereira more closely. He's playing as a false nine, which gives him the freedom to move around. I want you, Ricardo, and Kayque to communicate more to close those spaces."

He turned to the fullbacks. "Cássio and Dieguinho, great work on the flanks, but we need more intensity. Their left side has some weaknesses, and Cássio, you proved that by nutmegging Renato and crossing to Nathan. Take advantage of those weaknesses."

Then he looked at Nathan, Rodrigo, and Pedrinho, the forwards. "Boys, we need you to put on the pressure. Their defensive line can be broken by our speed and movement. Nathan, keep occupying the center-backs as you've been doing. Rodrigo and Pedrinho, I want you making diagonal runs, getting behind their fullbacks. We need movement to create options and open up spaces."

Cerqueira moved to the tactics board, making a few adjustments, pointing to areas where Bahia had shown more vulnerability.

"They'll come back with possession, so let's keep our line solid and avoid mistakes. The pressure's on them, but the next goal has to be ours. We'll be strategic, but we'll also go after it with everything we have."

After delivering his instructions, he gave one last look at the team. "Believe in yourselves, boys. This game is still open. Bahia isn't as comfortable as they seem. You've shown what you can do; now you just have to do it more."

The players nodded, absorbing every word, ready to fight in the second half. The halftime break was ending, and they began putting on their cleats and adjusting their uniforms, their energy renewed by the coach's talk.

Back on the field, Vitória took their positions, focused. This time, Bahia would start with the ball. Jaime Filho, in goal, nodded toward Cleiton and the others, ensuring everyone was alert. Cleiton felt the tension in the air but also a newfound determination in the team.

The referee glanced to both sides of the field, checking the players' positions. He raised his whistle, ready to signal the start of the second half.

'SECOND HALF'

The second half began with full intensity. Players from both teams seemed determined to secure a good result, and the crowd ignited with every pass and challenge. Bahia, with the initial possession, advanced quickly, looking to press Vitória and widen the lead.

In the opening minutes, Vitória earned a corner on the right side. Cássio prepared to take it, and with a precise move, he launched the ball toward the center of the box. Nathan, ever alert and well-positioned, rose above the defenders, heading the ball toward the goal. It flew swiftly, but a Bahia defender, positioned on the line, managed to deflect it, saving the team from conceding the equalizer. 

The Vitória fans let out a collective sigh, while the players lamented the missed opportunity.

At the 10-minute mark, Bahia responded with a dangerous play. Enaldo, the team's captain and maestro, took control in midfield and sent Victor Hugo deep. He entered the box, and just as he was about to shoot, Cleiton intercepted with a precise slide tackle, deflecting the ball out of play and drawing applause from the Vitória fans. It was a breathtaking play, and Cleiton seemed at his best, showing his firmness and leadership on defense.

Vitória didn't back down, and in the 15th minute, they managed a quick counterattack. Gabriel Costa stole the ball in midfield and passed to Pedrinho, who raced down the left side. Pedrinho faked, dribbled past his marker, and shot powerfully at goal. The ball was fast and low, but Bahia's goalkeeper stretched out and palmed it away for a corner. Another frustrating opportunity missed, but Vitória showed they were still very much in the game.

In the 18th minute, it was Bahia's turn to threaten again. Enaldo, ever-creative, executed a one-two with Jorge Pereira, who came in from the left and crossed into the box. Evandro, facing the goal, took a shot, but Jaime Filho, with incredible reflexes, blocked the close-range attempt. 

Bahia's fans held their heads in their hands, feeling the frustration of another missed chance.

The game was electrifying, with opportunities for both sides. In the 22nd minute, Cleiton again shone in defense. Victor Hugo, in a quick move, received the ball on the right side of the box and tried to spin to shoot. Cleiton, however, used his defensive skills to block him, deflecting the ball to midfield and cutting off another Bahia attempt.

But in the 27th minute, Bahia found a decisive opportunity. Enaldo passed the ball to Victor Hugo, positioned near the edge of the box with his back to goal. Ricardo Rocha, marking him, moved closer to apply pressure. Victor Hugo, with a quick pivot, managed to get past Ricardo, who, desperate to stop his advance, stretched out his leg and ended up fouling the Bahia forward. The referee didn't hesitate and pointed to the penalty spot, as Bahia's players celebrated the chance to extend the lead.

Bahia's fans erupted in cheers, and Victor Hugo, with a slight smile, placed the ball on the spot as his teammates encouraged him. Ricardo Rocha, for his part, showed an expression of frustration and discontent, putting his hands to his face as he realized his mistake. The referee approached and showed Ricardo the yellow card, and he lowered his head, understanding the impact of that foul.

Victor Hugo prepared for the penalty. Bahia's fans were ecstatic, chanting and urging him on. Jaime Filho, in goal, tried to concentrate, studying Victor Hugo's movements. The whistle blew, and Victor Hugo ran toward the ball, striking it with force and accuracy. He shot low, into the right corner, as Jaime Filho leapt to the opposite side. The ball hit the back of the net, and Bahia took a 3-1 lead, extending their advantage in the classic.

'Vitória 1 x 3 Bahia'

The Bahia players celebrated energetically. They embraced, running toward the stands, which responded with applause and cheers. On the other side, Vitória's players wore expressions of disappointment, aware that the match had become even more challenging.

After the goal, Bahia kept up the pressure, riding the wave of excitement. In the 30th minute, they crafted another dangerous play. Jorge Pereira advanced down the right and crossed into the box. 

Evandro headed powerfully, but the ball grazed past Jaime Filho's right post. Bahia's fans gasped, nearly celebrating another goal.

Despite the setback, Vitória refused to give up. They knew there was still time to mount a comeback, though Bahia's defense was compact, making advances difficult.

Coach Cerqueira, aware of the difficult situation the team was facing, knew it was time to make changes to try to turn things around. He glanced over at the bench, quickly assessing his options, and decided to act.

First, he called over Ricardo Rocha. The defender had received a yellow card, and in such an intense match, keeping a yellow-carded defender on the field was too risky.

Cerqueira placed a reassuring hand on Ricardo's shoulder, giving him a calm smile.

"It was just an unlucky play, Ricardo. Don't worry about the penalty; you did your best. Now, I want you to rest and stay calm."

Cerqueira then called in Marlon Kaio, who replaced Ricardo to reinforce the defense. The second substitution was on the right wing: Rodrigo made way for William. Cerqueira wanted to take advantage of William's fresh energy to exploit the fatigue on Bahia's left side.

Finally, he brought on Robson in place of Kayque Silva. Though Kayque had been doing a solid defensive job, Cerqueira needed someone with greater technical ability to help organize the game and boost the offensive play.

With these changes, Vitória returned to the field, re-energized and determined to find an equalizer. Bahia, however, didn't ease off and continued to create dangerous plays. In the 32nd minute, Bahia advanced down the right with Enaldo, who, after a quick one-two with Jorge Pereira, attempted a dangerous cross to Victor Hugo. But Marlon Kaio, well-positioned, intercepted with a header, clearing the danger and drawing applause from the Vitória supporters.

Vitória immediately responded with a quick counterattack. Robson recovered the ball in midfield and, without hesitation, made a precise pass to Claudio Sousa. Spotting Dieguinho moving down the left, Claudio sent a through ball to him.

Dieguinho surged forward, but instead of taking on the play alone, he quickly switched the ball over to William on the right wing. William held the ball, waiting for the perfect moment to release it to Cássio. As Cássio made his overlapping run, William passed the ball.

This time, Cássio chose to cut inside toward Bahia's box instead of heading for the end line. When the opposing defender closed in to tackle, Cássio sent a low pass to Nathan, who had managed to shake off his marker in the box. Nathan spun quickly and fired a powerful cross shot. Bahia's goalkeeper made an incredible save, barely tipping the ball with his fingertips, and it bounced off the post before landing at Pedrinho's feet.

Pedrinho feigned a shot to throw off the defense, but instead of shooting, he passed to Claudio Sousa, who was positioned at the top of the box. Claudio struck a precise side-footed shot, sending the ball straight into the back of the net, narrowing the score to 3-2.

'Vitória 2 X 3 Bahia'

Without wasting a second, Claudio ran to the goal to retrieve the ball, but Bahia's goalkeeper tried to stop him. At that moment, Nathan joined Claudio, and together they managed to grab the ball to speed up the game's restart.

Vitória got the game restarted quickly, throwing everything they had into recovering possession and pressing forward.

William, effectively exploiting Bahia's left side, began using his speed to destabilize Renato, the opposing full-back. In one of these plays, William managed to dribble past Renato and sent a low cross into the box, but Bahia's defense cleared it before Nathan could finish.

The game remained tense, with Vitória pushing hard on every attack. In the 44th minute, another chance appeared: Robson sent a deep ball to William, who, upon reaching the end line, crossed it to Pedrinho. The Vitória striker headed the ball firmly, but it went just wide, drawing sighs from the crowd.

Despite their determination and numerous attempts, the final whistle blew, and the score held at 3-2 for Bahia. The Vitória players dropped to the ground, exhausted and frustrated. Some knelt down, others covered their faces with their hands, fighting back tears. Cleiton lay on the grass, looking up at the sky, feeling the sting of the loss.

It had been an intense and hard-fought match, but Vitória couldn't achieve the much-desired comeback. The loss in the derby weighed heavily, but the team knew there was still a long championship ahead.

—

While Bahia's players celebrated their victory, Coach Cerqueira, the coaching staff, and Vitória's bench players entered the field to console their teammates. They approached the fallen athletes, offering words of encouragement:

"It's only the second round of the championship," Cerqueira said firmly.

"There's still a long way to go," added one of the assistant coaches.

"We'll get our revenge in the next phase," promised Ricardo, placing a hand on Cleiton's shoulder.

Little by little, the words of support began to have an effect. The Vitória players started to rise, still frustrated but now with renewed determination. Slowly, they left the field and headed to the locker room.

In the locker room, the players took a quick shower to cool off and ease the exhaustion from the match. Once everyone was ready to move forward, Coach Cerqueira gathered them and announced the results of the matches that had taken place simultaneously:

Zebrão vs Itabuna: 0-0 

Jacuipense vs Vitória da Conquista: 1-3 

Fluminense de Feira vs Bahia de Feira: 1-0 

After that, Cerqueira organized everyone for lunch in the stadium's dining hall, where the mood was reflective but also filled with camaraderie. After the meal, the players had a rest period until the start of the afternoon games, when they took the opportunity to watch their next opponent, Juazeirense, in action.

When the afternoon games concluded, the final results were as follows:

Galícia vs Juazeirense 0-0 

Probahia vs Barcelona de Ilhéus 2-2 

Serra Preta vs Jequié 1-0 

Atlético de Alagoinhas vs Jacobina 1-1