Summary
- Cardoso played 90 minutes in Atlético’s 2-1 victory.
- Romero headed the winner in the 86th minute.
- Alavés finished with 10 players after Ángel Pérez was sent off.
A full shift in midfield
Johnny Cardoso played the full match as Atlético Madrid beat Deportivo Alavés 2-1 in La Liga on October 10. SBI Soccer’s weekend coverage highlighted the American midfielder’s performance, reporting that he completed 73 of 77 passes, won eight duels and made two interceptions. Those figures describe his contribution in midfield rather than a scoring role: Atlético’s goals came from Alejandro Grimaldo and Cristian Romero. [1] [2]
SBI’s separate October 12 player-of-the-week roundup confirmed that Cardoso started and completed 90 minutes. The appearance put him among the American players receiving attention after the return to club competition, alongside Bryan Reynolds and Alex Freeman. The report provides the playing-time context for his performance without projecting a change in his national-team role. [3]
How the match turned
According to AS’s match record, Grimaldo put Atlético ahead in the 32nd minute after a pass from Jonathan David. Lucas Boyé equalized from the penalty spot during first-half added time, leaving the teams level at the interval. Cardoso later supplied Grimaldo for an effort from outside the area that missed the target, a separate move from the opening goal. [2]
Alavés lost Ángel Pérez to a red card in the 60th minute after a video review upgraded the disciplinary decision. Atlético eventually regained the lead when Romero headed Álex Baena’s cross into the bottom corner in the 86th minute. AS recorded Cardoso receiving a yellow card for a foul in the 91st minute before the match ended 2-1. The late winner secured the result after Atlético had spent much of the second half trying to break the tie. [2]