CRB Rallies Past Goias in Goiânia: Dadá Belmonte’s Second-Half Strike Ignites Climb Amid Playoff Jostle

On a drizzly Wednesday night at Estádio de Hailé Pinheiro, CRB overturned an early deficit to stun Goias, 2-1, and inject new energy into their push for relevance in a congested Serie B table. A match that began at breakneck speed was ultimately decided by CRB’s resilience and the clinical touch of Dadá Belmonte, whose 62nd-minute finish handed the visitors three precious points and dealt Goias a rare home defeat.

Goias entered the evening entrenched in a defensive rhythm—a team hard to break, but all too familiar with draws. Their last three outings featured shutouts or stalemates, and optimism among the Esmeraldino faithful was justified when Juninho surged forward to meet a low cross and flicked past the outstretched CRB keeper in the first minute. The rapid-fire goal—just 48 seconds from kickoff—sent the home crowd into raptures and momentarily seemed to promise a night where Goias would finally break free of their deadlock habit.

But if the early strike was supposed to settle Goias, it only roused the visitors. CRB, coming off a cagey 1-0 win over Avai, demonstrated the same tactical discipline that has kept them hovering near the playoff fringe. Midway through the first half, it was Mikael who tilted momentum. Latching onto a sharp through ball on 28 minutes, the CRB striker coolly slotted past the goalkeeper, his finish silencing the home end and reaffirming CRB’s reputation for punishing errors with ruthless efficiency.

The equalizer changed the complexions—and the temperature—of the match. Goias, so rarely trailing at home, grew increasingly urgent but struggled to shift from containment to creativity. Their recent record—four draws and a solitary win from the last five—betrayed a side that has often lacked a decisive final touch.

It was in this nervous atmosphere that Dadá Belmonte authored the game’s key moment. With the match finely balanced, CRB’s patient build-up paid off in the 62nd minute. Belmonte, floating on the edge of the area, pounced on a loose second ball, driving his low shot through a thicket of legs and into the far corner. The away bench erupted; the scoreline now favored the visitors, and the sense of narrative reversal was unmistakable.

Goias pressed for a response, committing numbers forward. A handful of half-chances fell their way—most notably a fizzing header that flashed just wide in the 78th minute—but composure deserted them in the box, mirroring their broader struggles in recent weeks. CRB, meanwhile, managed the closing stages with professionalism, breaking up play and denying the hosts a clear path to goal.

There were no red cards, but tempers occasionally flared—particularly in the final 10 minutes, as Goias grew desperate and CRB’s back line absorbed mounting pressure with gritty determination.

With this victory, CRB climb to 43 points after 30 games, consolidating tenth place and keeping their chances alive in the battle for a top-eight playoff berth. It marks their fourth win in six matches—a run that has pulled them back into contention and, crucially, has shown their capacity to take points on the road against tricky opposition.

For Goias, the defeat is both a statistical anomaly and a potential inflection point. Tonight marks their first loss in five, yet the series of narrow outcomes—draws that felt like missed opportunities—now cast a longer shadow. They remain mired in mid-table safety, but ambition for a playoff push appears increasingly threatened by a stubborn inability to convert draws into victories.

There is little recent head-to-head history to suggest a clear pattern between these two sides, but this encounter will linger in the memory as a night when Goias blinked and CRB seized their moment.

Looking ahead, CRB’s surge brings renewed hope—and a sense of urgency—as the playoff race tightens. Their next fixtures are pivotal: a string of direct clashes with top-half rivals could define their season. For Goias, reflective questions beckon. Can they rediscover their early-season verve, or will the season slip away in a low-scoring fog?

On this October night, the answer belonged to CRB—resilient and opportunistic, with Dadá Belmonte’s name on the scoresheet, and the playoff race still within reach.