By Louis Smith.
There was delight for fans of Fortaleza on Sunday evening as they watched their side record a victory over bitter rivals Ceará. The fans took centre stage for the right reasons before the game, but afterwards there were clashes with police and seats were ripped out of the stands.
Before the match, both sets of fans boasted stunning mosaics which added extra buzz for the game in the stands which no doubt flew on to the pitch.
The amazing pieces of art caught the attention of Fortaleza boss, Rogério Ceni, who said: “Before the game the crowd was wonderful on both sides, producing one mosaic after another.”
Pega essa batalha de mosaicos no clássico entre Fortaleza e Ceará https://t.co/0FKed6LCXY pic.twitter.com/VyVvKiVjAR
— globoesportecom (@globoesportecom) November 10, 2019
During the match, Vozão had the first decent chance of the game as a header from João Lucas saw Thiago Galhardo attempt an ambitious overhead kick which sailed over the bar.
Moments later it would be the Fortaleza fans celebrating as a lovely chipped ball from Romarinho was headed across goal by Osvaldo and was met by Wellington Paulista.
After the game, Ceni described the goal as a “Beautiful move”.
Ceara tried to forge a response through Samuel Xavier, whose volley hit his own teammate Galhardo. Xavier was not shy in showing his frustration towards Galhardo for getting in his way!
Just before half time, a long-range strike from Felipe Baxola beat goalkeeper Felipe Alvez, who was saved by the crossbar.
It was 1-0 at the break to the elected home side as both sides play their home matches at the Arena Castelão.
Fortaleza looked like they might double their lead following a fantastic solo run from Osvaldo. He beat two Ceara defenders, unleashing a shot, but it went straight down Diogo Silva’s throat.
The best chance for a Ceara equaliser came from a corner which was flicked on by Galhardo, teeing up centre-back Luiz Otavio. He scuffed what was a glorious chance with his knee from six yards out, but it still forced a save from Alvez.
Vozão dominated the possession for the remainder of the match but were unable to breakdown Fortaleza, meaning the chance from Otavio would prove costly as Fortaleza ran out 1-0 winners.
At the full-time whistle, you could see the jubilation on the Fortaleza fans faces as they got revenge following their defeat in August.
It is a win which sees them go above their rivals and into the Copa Sudamericana places — a competition in which Leão has never qualified for… Could this be their year?
In contrast for Ceara, it was a night to forget both on and off the pitch. After the game, some fans decided to tear out seats and hurl them towards the Fortaleza fans and police.
Muita confusão na Arena Castelão depois do Clássico. Imagens são completamente lamentáveis da parte que fica a torcida do Ceará. O vídeo é do Gustavo de Negreiros/SVM #geceara pic.twitter.com/RGoCDOgCeT
— Thaís Jorge (@thaisgeorges) November 11, 2019
Some supporters even managed to get on to the pitch. This led to police using smoke bombs to try to calm the situation down.
This is not the first time this has happened as in 2015 both sets of supporters clashed in the stands and even on the field following a State Championship final.
Essa imagem da criança sendo retirada da torcida do Ceará… Que tristeza. Foto: Thiago Gadelha / SVM #geceara pic.twitter.com/0LX5qOJdiK
— Thaís Jorge (@thaisgeorges) November 11, 2019
Worryingly, this was not the only incident of violence in Brazilian football this week, as Flamengo and Botafogo fans clashed on Thursday.
This is a stain on the Brazilian game and it could potentially lead to away travel being banned, which would ruin the type atmospheres Ceni spoke about before of the game.
The pair will meet again next season in February in the Northeast Cup – hopefully, it won’t be overshadowed by the fans.