MANAUS (Interstat) — Manaus opened the Copa Verde with a 3-2 victory over Tocantinopolis EC on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Arena da Amazônia.

The home side received contributions from three different scorers, including a substitute who netted the game-winner. Thiago de Oliveira Silva entered the match in the 46th minute and scored in the 63rd minute to put Manaus ahead for good. Gutierrez Felipe do Nascimento, a defender from Olímpia, Brazil, equalized in first-half stoppage time, and Rafael Justino Ibiapino added a goal in the 58th minute.

Tocantinopolis struck first. Everson da Silva Santana scored in the 43rd minute, but Manaus answered quickly when Gutierrez headed home just before halftime. Ibiapino, an attacker listed at 6-foot-1 and 149 pounds, gave Manaus the lead in the 58th minute. Thiago’s goal three minutes later extended the advantage.

Wanderson De Macedo Costa, a 6-foot-0, 176-pound attacker, pulled one back for Tocantinopolis in the 83rd minute, but Manaus held on.

Defensive discipline proved costly for the visitors. Tocantinopolis received three yellow cards: Sanderson Cardoso Francisco in the 20th minute, Lucas Campos Silva in the 56th minute and Everson da Silva Santana in the 90th minute. Manaus finished the match without a caution.

Manaus improved to 1-0 in the Copa Verde and 5-4 overall across all competitions. The loss dropped Tocantinopolis to 0-1 in the tournament and 0-1 overall.

Manaus entered the contest with a mixed recent history. The club had won four of its previous five matches, including a 1-0 victory at Manauara on April 24, 2026, and a 1-0 win over Nacional AM on Feb. 8. Manaus also played to a 1-1 draw at Aparecidense on Feb. 1 and beat América RN 1-0 on Jan. 31. A 2-0 win at Nacional AM on Jan. 29 was followed by a 2-0 loss to Nacional AM at home on Sept. 14, 2025, and a 1-0 defeat at Nacional AM on Sept. 12, 2025. A second match on April 24 saw Manauara beat Manaus 5-2.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, while the ELO system gave Manaus a 64.80 percent probability to win.