Hulk, who was booked for a complaint during the match, stated that the referee "doesn't have personality" and that he had never seen a referee "peiting a player" in the world. This comes after a video emerged of the referee appearing to peit Vasco player Canobbio.
The match was marked by confusion between players and pressure on the referee, with five players receiving yellow cards in the first half. The referee's decisions were heavily contested by the players, particularly from Fluminense, who felt that there was a lack of consistency in the application of yellow cards.
The first half of the match ended 0-0, with Vasco creating more opportunities to score.