Juventude defeats Vasco with Nenê’s Law of the Ex

In a game marked by defensive blunders of Vasco’s system and Nenê’s Law of the Ex, Juventude won 3-1, coming from behind at São Januário, and stayed alive in the fight against relegation. Meanwhile, Vasco suffered their third consecutive defeat and drifted further away from the dream of securing a Libertadores spot. The goals came from Nenê, who scored the turnaround goal for Juventude, as well as Marcelo Hermes and Ewerthon. Rayan opened the scoring for Vasco.

The Vasco fans gave Nenê a standing ovation, recognizing his past contributions to the team, chanting his name before the match. The experienced midfielder acknowledged the gesture by making the symbol of Vasco’s main organized supporter group. Three Vasco players have been called up for the upcoming FIFA international break in November: right-back Paulo Henrique for the Brazilian national team; center-back Carlos Cuesta and striker Andrés Gomez for the Colombian national team. There is also speculation that right-back Puma Rodríguez could be called up for the Uruguayan national team.

The Juventude team featured defender Luan Freitas in their starting lineup, who is the twin brother of Vasco’s injured defender Lucas Freitas. The match began with Vasco trying to assert themselves, but with many fouls, the game became fragmented. The Cruzmaltino gradually started to exploit long balls and the flanks, which led to the opening goal after a cross from Piton found Rayan. However, after the 1-0 lead, Vasco relaxed, especially their defense, which made two costly mistakes allowing Juventude to capitalize and take the lead.

In the second half, coach Fernando Diniz gradually opted to remove defenders and bring on attacking players, but this did not result in a more creative Vasco. The team remained uninspired, making wrong decisions and struggling with passing and marking. Juventude had the chance to extend their lead with a shot hitting the crossbar and ultimately sealed the victory in a swift counterattack, ending the match 3-1 in their favor.

The goals included Rayan’s opener, Marcelo Hermes equalizing, Nenê completing the comeback, and Ewerthon securing the win. The match took place at São Januário in Rio de Janeiro during the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship on November 8, 2025. The referee was Fernando Antônio Mendes de Salles Nascimento Filho, and the match ended with Vasco 1-3 Juventude.