Grêmio drew 1-1 in their away match against Chapecoense, in a game that concluded the 6th round of the Brasileirão. Despite earning their first point away from home, Luís Castro's team remains winless in away games, a result that left a bitter taste given the opportunities created in the second half and the fact that the opponent is a team likely to fight for relegation survival. Grêmio squandered the chance to earn three points in a match considered accessible, just as they did against Bragantino, accumulating only two of the six possible points in these two encounters. The team will now return to play at their Arena on Thursday against Vitória, hoping to get back to winning ways. Chapecoense opened the scoring with a penalty in the 28th minute, converted by Walter Clar; Grêmio equalized just before halftime through Nardoni in the 45+3 minute. In the second half, Tetê hit the crossbar. Coach Luís Castro reiterated that the main objective of the team is to secure a spot in the Copa Libertadores, but he avoided making promises to the fans. "Since the beginning of the season, we set a clear internal goal. That goal is to reach the Libertadores through classification [4th place directly, 5th goes to playoffs]. And that is what we will work hard for and continue to work hard for," emphasized the Portuguese coach. However, Castro was clear in stating that his commitment is to the work and not to guaranteed results. "I know the world loves promises. What I promise in my life is to work, dignified work; I give myself completely to the game and I demand that my players give themselves to the game," he stressed. The Portuguese coach also took the opportunity to defend his players and his strategy, highlighting the thin line that separates success from failure in football. "If Tetê's ball (hitting the crossbar) goes in, we would be here applauding, everyone happy; if William's ball goes in, we would be here saying 'very well, excellent strategy, we won the game.' Football is like that; results are what count. Penalize me, not the players," he added.
Still Winless Away Castro Calls remains central to this story.
Still Winless Away Castro Calls remains central to this story.
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