CUIABÁ (Interstat) — Sao Bernardo withstood a second-half push and beat Cuiaba 2-1 on Sunday at Arena Pantanal. The visitors scored first and then regained the lead after Cuiaba had equalized just before halftime, handing Cuiaba another loss in the competition. Sao Bernardo improved its record in the competition to 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, and its record across all competitions to 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. Cuiaba fell to 0 wins and 4 losses in the competition and 5 wins and 4 losses across all competitions. Sao Bernardo entered after a 3-2 home win over Vila Nova FC, a 1-0 home loss to Criciuma and a 2-2 draw at Juventude. Cuiaba had beaten Uniao Rondonopolis 3-0 on the road in its previous match but had also lost recent matches to America MG and Londrina.

Fabricio Daniel gave Sao Bernardo the lead in the 14th minute. The early goal came after Sao Bernardo pressed into the attacking third, and it forced Cuiaba to chase the match from behind. Marcao Silva was booked for Sao Bernardo in the 17th minute, a yellow card that added tension to a first half that grew more physical as Cuiaba sought a response. Fabricio Daniel’s goal stood as the difference until first-half stoppage time, when Cuiaba finally broke through.

Calebe Costa scored for Cuiaba in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, leveling the match at 1-1. David Miguel assisted on the equalizer, giving Cuiaba momentum before the break and briefly changing the shape of the contest. Calebe Costa was on the field for all 90 minutes and scored Cuiaba’s only goal, while David Miguel also played the full match and recorded the assist. The goal rewarded Cuiaba for its late pressure in the first half, but the hosts could not carry that momentum into the second half.

Sao Bernardo reclaimed the lead in the 58th minute when Daniel Davi scored. The goal came in a 34-minute appearance for Daniel Davi and restored Sao Bernardo’s advantage at 2-1. Lucas Fernandes was central to the visitors’ attack and finished with two assists in 65 minutes before being substituted. Fabricio Daniel played 56 minutes and scored once before his substitution. Those contributions helped Sao Bernardo answer Cuiaba’s equalizer and protect the lead over the final half-hour, and it was the decisive moment of the second half.

The match included a series of substitutions as both sides adjusted. Sao Bernardo made changes at halftime and again in the 56th, 65th, 81st and 87th minutes. Cuiaba made substitutions in the 70th, 78th and 86th minutes, seeking fresh legs while chasing an equalizer. Despite those changes and Cuiaba’s late attempts to pull level, Sao Bernardo held on for the 2-1 result. The visitors managed the closing stages without conceding again, while Cuiaba was left to rue the goals conceded in the 14th and 58th minutes. Cuiaba pushed numbers forward in the final minutes but could not find a second goal.

The result continued a difficult competition run for Cuiaba, which remained without a win in the event. Sao Bernardo, meanwhile, added a road victory to its competition record and improved its overall record. Cuiaba’s overall record is now 5 wins and 4 losses across all competitions after the defeat, while Sao Bernardo’s overall mark matched its competition record. Cuiaba next hosts Uniao Rondonopolis in Copa FMF play.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cuiaba 1, Sao Bernardo 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Cuiaba with a 67.1 percent probability to win. Cuiaba had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over-under line of 2.5.