Santos Cruise Past UCV and Take Command of Copa Sudamericana Playoff Series

Santos took a major step toward the Copa Sudamericana Round of 16 with a convincing road victory over Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). The Brazilian side will head home with a comfortable advantage and one foot in the next round.

Santos moved closer to the Round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana after earning a dominant 4-1 away victory over Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) in the first leg of the playoff round. The team coached by Alexi Stival "Cuca" capitalized on its scoring opportunities and built a commanding lead ahead of the return leg.

The match was originally scheduled to be played at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV in Caracas, but CONMEBOL decided to move it to Polideportivo Misael Delgado in Valencia following the powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24.

Santos Take Control After a Strong Start from UCV

UCV, led by Daniel Sasso, started the match aggressively and created early chances through Kendrys Silva and Edwin Mosquera, putting the Brazilian defense under pressure.

However, Santos gradually seized control of possession and found the breakthrough before halftime. In the 35th minute, Gabriel Bontempo reacted quickly to a loose ball inside the box and fired an unstoppable shot past Giancarlo Schiavone, giving the visitors the lead.

The Brazilian side continued to dominate after the break. In the 57th minute, Gabriel Menino doubled the advantage with a composed finish from inside the area. Just ten minutes later, Thaciano added a third goal, leaving the Venezuelan side with little chance of mounting a comeback.

The Peixe Are in Firm Control of the Series

With UCV struggling to recover, Ronielson da Silva scored the fourth goal in the 84th minute to cap an impressive performance by Santos. Although Maicol Ruiz pulled one back late in the match, it did little to change the outlook of the series.

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The Brazilian club will now take a three-goal advantage into the second leg, scheduled for July 28 at Estadio Urbano Caldeira, better known as Vila Belmiro. The winner of the series will advance to the Round of 16, where Macará of Ecuador awaits.

With this commanding performance, Santos demonstrated its quality and placed itself in an excellent position to secure a place among the final 16 teams in the competition.