Last-Gasp Drama at Ressacada as Criciúma Salvages a Point From Avaí, Keeping Promotion Hopes Alive
The clock at Ressacada Stadium had nearly expired when Diego Gonçalves, Criciúma’s ever-dangerous winger, stood over the spot. Ninety minutes had elapsed, and the home crowd, basking in the afterglow of JP’s late strike, sensed relief—three points nearly in hand, a rare victory over a promotion-chasing side, and perhaps the start of a late surge to close out a vexing Serie B campaign.
But as fate would have it on this cool October night, Gonçalves delivered a decisive blow. His penalty, dispatched with the composure of a player who’s carried Criciúma through more than one tense finish this season, nestled in the bottom corner past the outstretched hands of Igor Bohn. The whistle followed soon after. Avaí 1, Criciúma 1. Two sides with divergent ambitions, both leaving with a single point, and both left to ponder opportunities lost and seized as the promotion and survival races intensify.
For much of the evening, Ressacada was a stage set for frustration. Avaí, anchored unflinchingly in mid-table but with the restless energy of a team searching for an identity, controlled the opening passages. They probed along the flanks through João Vitor and Marquinhos Gabriel, orchestrating attacks that, time and again, buckled against Criciúma’s disciplined back line.
Criciúma, meanwhile, had little interest in spectacle early on. Manager Cláudio Tencati, mindful of his team’s place in the upper reaches of the table—but just outside the automatic promotion spots—sent out a lineup built more for pragmatism than flourish. The plan, seemingly, was to keep the game tight, weather Avaí’s early endeavors, and lean on the clinical counterattack that’s served the Tigre so well this fall.
It was a formula that nearly paid full dividend. Only the woodwork separated Avaí from a first-half lead, with Cléber’s glancing header ricocheting off the post in the 32nd minute. Criciúma’s best moments in the opening period fell to Gonçalves, who forced two smart stops from Bohn but failed to provide the ruthless edge he would ultimately showcase.
As the second half wore on, urgency built for Avaí. Recent results—a pair of 1-1 draws against Atlético Paranaense and Figueirense, a resounding 3-0 win over Volta Redonda sandwiched between frustrating losses—have left the Leão da Ilha adrift in 11th, neither threatened by relegation nor truly within reach of the top-four dream. Yet on this night, with the crowd roaring and playoff hopes flickering, Avaí pressed on.
Their breakthrough came on 74 minutes, a moment born from patience and persistence. After a sustained spell of pressure, the ball fell to JP at the edge of the area. The midfielder, often overshadowed by Marquinhos Gabriel’s creativity, made no mistake—his low drive cannoned through a scrum of bodies and nestled into the far corner, sending fans into celebration and giving Avaí their reward for an enterprising second half.
For Criciúma, trailing with a quarter-hour remaining, the mission shifted decisively. This is a side that’s grown accustomed to late drama: witness their recent 2-1 win over América Mineiro, and the frenetic 3-3 Copa Santa Catarina draw against Camboriú. Still, as minutes ticked away and Avaí’s defense tightened, the prospects dimmed.
Yet, with the promotion race so tight—Criciúma now sitting in fourth, still clinging to the final promotion spot after today’s draw—every point is precious. In the dying moments, a scramble in the Avaí area led to a VAR review. The referee pointed to the spot, ruling an Avaí handball amid desperate defending. Gonçalves stepped up, unfazed, and delivered for the visitors, his sixth goal in a campaign increasingly defined by his decisive contributions.
This draw leaves Criciúma with 53 points from 32 matches, just ahead in a playoff chase crowded with hopefuls. Their recent run—a pair of wins, a shootout draw, and only one defeat in five—speaks to resilience, but the pressure now mounts with six games remaining. For Avaí, the narrative is different: 44 points from 32, locked in 11th, seemingly destined for another season in Brazil’s second tier unless something extraordinary transpires.
No red cards marred tonight’s contest, but it will be remembered for its high stakes and last-gasp drama. The head-to-head history between these two southern rivals remains as tense as ever—stalemates now mark their last two encounters, both ending 1-1, symbolic of the parity and unpredictability of this year’s Serie B.
As the long Serie B campaign enters its final act, tonight’s result shapes both futures. Criciúma must now steel themselves for a gauntlet of fixtures where every point could be the difference between promotion and heartbreak. For Avaí, the focus must be on consistency and rediscovering the attacking vigor that delivered that sparkling October win over Volta Redonda.
Yet for the 12,000 who left Ressacada under the Floripa night, the memory is one of tension, hope, and ultimately, a reminder that in football—and especially in Série B—no script is ever truly final until the whistle blows.