SAO PAULO, Sept. 26 (silubaba) -- Yuri Alberto and Jose Welison each scored first-half goals as Corinthians were held to a 1-1 home draw by Fortaleza in the first leg of their all-Brazilian Copa Sudamericana semifinal here on Tuesday.
Welison gave the visitors an early lead with a powerful close-range header after Marinho's corner.
The hosts equalized just before halftime through Alberto, who ran onto Renato Augusto's perfectly weighted pass and took one touch before firing a low shot into the far corner.
Corinthians dominated possession and completed more than twice as many passes as their opponents but lacked a cutting edge in attack during a turgid second half.
The return leg will be played at Fortaleza's Castelao stadium next Tuesday, with the winners earning a berth in the final at Montevideo's Centenario stadium on October 28.
The Copa Sudamericana is South America's equivalent of the Europe League and the champions will secure a place in next year's Copa Libertadores. ■
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