Traditional big guns stumble into new season in Brazil

After the most cursory of off-season breaks, football returned to Brazil this weekend as the state championships kicked off with their usual whimper.

As has become tradition, the first round of games drew precious few fans to stadiums, even in the nominally more glamorous Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo competitions, with most preferring to watch from home, if at all. Of all the flaws with Brazil’s footballing calendar, one of the most glaring is that it leaves no time at all for expectation to build.

Read the rest of my weekly Yahoo Eurosport column, on the early-season worries of Brazil's big guns, here.

The week(end) that was - #6

On Botafogo's 20th Campeonato Carioca title, Rogério's pantomime villainy and the best of the rest...

Botafogo on the up

A well-taken goal from Rafael Marques (not that one) was enough to give Botafogo a 1-0 win against Fluminense in the final of the Taça Rio – a result that saw O Glorioso, who had already won the primeiro turno (the first stage of the championship), crowned champions of the Campeonato Carioca for the 20th time in their history.

They have undeniably been the standout side of the competition, impressing as much with their grit in the big matches as with their ability to overpower more modest opposition. The statistics tell the story: Sunday's victory ensured that Oswaldo de Oliveira's charges became the first side since 1997 to maintain a 100 per cent record during a whole phase of a Rio state championship campaign. This, even for one of the traditional big four, is no mean feat.

Boosted by the revelatory form of Nicolás Lodeiro, Clarence Seedorf's continued excellence and the lack of continental distractions (until the Copa Sul-Americana starts at least), Botafogo will certainly be in confident mood heading into the Série A season. An improvement upon their seventh-placed finish in 2012 looks likely.


Rogério vs Pato (part two)

It is fair to say that Rogério Ceni divides opinion like few others in the Brazilian game. Depending on your allegiances, he is either (a) a fiercely loyal competitor, still churning out era-defining performances in the twilight of his career, or (b) a snivelling, entitled elder statesman who should have retired a long time ago. The reality is somewhere between the two extremes, but few could deny the goalkeeper's penchant for box-office entertainment – be it through his saves, goals (yep) or increasingly frequent handling errors.

This weekend the veteran resumed a running feud with Alexandre Pato. The two first clashed (quite literally) back in March, when Rogério conceded a penalty for a foul the striker in the São Paulo vs Corinthians clássico. The goalkeeper protested the decision ("Look at the replay! He could have broken my foot!") but it was to no avail as Pato converted to win the game for the Timão.

The two sides met again on Sunday evening with a place in the final of the Campeonato Paulista at stake. A dire goalless draw was livened up by the ensuing penalty shootout, the climax of which pitted Pato against Rogério once more. With Paulo Henrique Ganso and Luís Fabiano having missed their kicks, Pato just needed to score from 12 yards to put Corinthians through. He stepped up. Rogério saved.

The São Paulo captain launched into lunatic celebration, only to be brought back down to earth with a bump. He had advanced too far off his line; the kick was to be retaken. Replays showed the extent of the advantage Rogério had been trying to gain – when Pato made contact with the ball, he was over 2.5 metres off his line. Pato made no mistake at the second time of asking, sending the Timão fans at the Morumbi into raptures.

Meanwhile, on computers throughout Brazil, a million photoshopped images mocking Ceni were being whipped up. The old man did it again.


Clássicozzzzzzzzzzz

That match was not the first derby match to disappoint in this season's Paulistão. Here are a few other clássico results from this year: Santos 0-0 Corinthians, São Paulo 0-0 Palmeiras, Palmeiras 0-0 Santos. Every one of those games was an excellent excuse for a snooze.


Elsewhere... 

(Deep breath, and...) Internacional beat Juventude on penalties to retain the Campeonato Gaúcho and earn Dunga his third trophy as a coach. Bahia and Vitória will play out a couple of Ba-Vi derbies to decide the destination of the Bahia state championship. Santa Cruz beat Sport 1-0 in the first leg of the Pernambucano final thanks to a goal from Dênis Marques, the owner of what is officially the worst haircut in human history. In Paraná, a Coritiba side featuring former Fenerbahçe playmaker Alex drew 2-2 with Atlético-PR in the first leg of their state championship decider.

(Your reward, for making it to the end of that last paragraph, is this moment of amusement from the São Paulo game. Emerson holds the ball in front of Thiago Carleto, who, to show how little he's worried, sorts out his fringe. Detail: Thiago Carleto doesn't have a fringe to sort out.)


A version of this article was published by the Guardian.

(Photo credits: (1) Bruno de Lima, (2) Marcos Ribolli.)

The week(end) that was - #4

It has been a fine few days for Diego Forlán, whose goalscoring exploits have played a major part in Internacional's strong start to the year. Neymar and Abel Braga had rather less enjoyable weeks, however...

Forlán's class begins to show

Diego Forlán did not enjoy the most fruitful start to his career in Brazil, struggling to make his mark in an Internacional side that had a year to forget in 2012. But the early signs are that the current campaign will be rather kinder to the Uruguayan. His fine double against Esportivo at the weekend took him to six goals for the season and earnt Inter a place in the final of the Taça Piratini – the opening stage of the Rio Grande do Sul state championship. Forlán also netted in the quarter-final against bitter rivals Grêmio.

The 33-year-old has benefitted greatly from the seriousness with which Inter have treated the Gauchão. While Grêmio have been content to play reserve sides and preserve their stars for the Copa Libertadores, the Colorado have put pedal to the metal in an attempt to kickstart a year that they hope will be crowned with a major title. As a result, Forlán has enjoyed plenty of game time alongside Leandro Damião, with whom he is beginning to form a tidy partnership: the pair have bagged nine of the 12 goals scored by Dunga's first-choice XI in 2013. If they can take that form into the Brasileirão, Inter could finally mount a serious title challenge.


Lighten up, Abel

Vasco da Gama beat Fluminense on Saturday to reach the final of the first half of the Campeonato Carioca (keep up at the back!). This was less a game of two halves than one of four quarters, which played out like a Mogwai song: quiet-quiet-quiet-LOUDER-THAN-BOMBS. The game was goalless going into the closing stages, only for five goals – spread over two comebacks – to hit fans at the Engenhão like a flurry of punches. (A poor cameraman, incidentally, was probably the only one nursing actual bruises, after getting knocked to the ground by an over-jubilant Bernardo.)

In the post-match press conference Fluminense boss Abel Braga could have sounded off about his side's defending, but chose instead to hit out at Vasco substitute Dakson (yes, really) for having the impudence to back-heel the ball to a team-mate in the dying minutes. This wasn't a case of the youngster just playing to the gallery – the pass set up a promising attack – but even that would hardly be a crime. Braga, as Estadão columnist Artero Greco noted, would do well to lighten up: "There are worse things in football than a bit of showboating. Football is being infested by a wave of grumpiness."

Disciplinary worries for Neymar

It wasn't long ago that Neymar was earning praise for his philosophical attitude to being fouled, oh, seventy thousand times per match. This week, however, the striker is in the dock for his own disciplinary record. His booking against São Paulo in the clássico paulista was the 66th of his nascent career, a figure which is beginning to provide cause for concern. That the caution was (correctly) meted out for diving only confirms that, for all his abundant skill, Neymar still lacks a little of the maturity present in the very best players.

(On an unrelated note, here's a fine statistic on the commercial importance of Neymar to Santos. The average attendance at Santos' Vila Belmiro stadium when Neymar plays, since January 2012: 10,563. When he doesn't: 5,852. The Peixe have 18 months to find another way (or another starlet) to lure those fair-weather fans on a more frequent basis – or at least ensure that they cash in on them while Neymar is still around.)


Cruising on the continent

Palmeiras aside, it was a fine week for Brazilian sides in the Libertadores. São Paulo snuck past The Strongest (ahem), Corinthians beat Millonarios in an empty Pacaembu, while Fluminense went top off Group 8 with a win against Huachipato in Chile. The best performance of the lot, though, came in Argentina, where Atlético Mineiro dispatched Arsenal de Sarandí 5-2. Ronaldinho was again influential for the Galo but was barged out of the spotlight by Bernard, scorer of three goals in his first club game outside his homeland. With Brazilian sides performing so strongly, the grip of the country's recent continental hegemony could yet tighten further.


... and finally

This guy turned 60 yesterday. Parabéns, mestre!

(Photo credits: Alexandre Lops, Ari Ferreira.)

The week(end) that was - #1

Welcome to a new feature! Once a week or so, I will reflect on some of the interesting stories that have developed in Brazilian football over the last few days (either over the weekend or during the week, hence the hopelessly non-comittal title). I'll be keeping it relatively short and sweet; brevity, after all, is man's best friend. Enjoy!

Tough times for Ganso

Paulo Henrique Ganso scored his first goal for São Paulo in their 2-1 win over Atlético Sorocaba but has a real fight on his hands to even establish himself in Ney Franco's first XI. The coach told Trivela's Luís Augusto Simon that the playmaker will have to compete with Jádson for a single spot in his preferred 4-3-3 formation, given that (a) Wellington and Denílson look like nailed-on starters and (b) neither Jádson nor Ganso is adept at playing wide. Ganso is certainly capable of higher highs than Jádson, but the latter is, in Brazilian parlance, far more regular – and sometimes consistency counts for a lot.

Elias and Renato Augusto start off on the right foot

Two of the bigger imports to Brazilian football made promising starts over the weekend. For newly austere Flamengo, former Sporting midfielder Elias roamed around nicely, managing to complete all 33 passes he attempted against Volta Redonda – no mean feat given his main attributes lie elsewhere. Renato Augusto, meanwhile, set up the winner for Corinthians against Mirassol (not a Cypriot town, despite its name), before awarding himself a modest six out of ten in the post-match press conference. More will be expected of both in the coming months, but a solid start never goes amiss.

Seedorf key for Botafogo

Veteran midfielder-cum-crooner Clarence Seedorf came off the bench for Botafogo and helped them rescue a point in the clássico against Fluminense. It was doubtful whether he'd even be in the matchday squad at all – his grandmother having died in Surinam recently – but his classy assist for Bolívar's equalising goal underlined once more how crucial he is for O Glorioso.

The countdown continues

The World Cup is now just 500 days away. While celebrations have been put on hold due to the tragic events in Santa Maria, a significant milestone was reached at the weekend: for the first time football was played in a (renovated) World Cup stadium. The Castelão (above) drew a modest (read: disappointing) crowd for the Copa do Nordeste match between Ceará and Bahia, for whom former Brazil midfielder Kléberson netted the winning goal. With works on the Mineirão also completed, eyes now turn to the remaining ten host cities. Sadly, a last-minute rush is all but guaranteed.

Neymar the willing provocateur

Neymar scored his fourth goal of 2013 for Santos against Bragantino. More notable, however, was the rugged treatment he received from opposition defenders: the seleção forward was fouled 12 times (of a total of 24 against the Peixe), with four Bragantino players getting booked for their challenges. Now the Neymar of two years ago would have moaned to the referee about such abuse, but an internal sea change appears to have occurred. "I don't care anymore," Neymar deadpanned afterwards; "One of them comes [and fouls me] and he gets a yellow card. The next guy tries, he gets one too."

His tricks against Botafogo-SP last week had led some to claim that Neymar aims to "humiliate" defenders, and that this somehow justifies rough challenges. (Corinthians coach Tite (in)famously asserted last year that Neymar is a "bad example" to young players for this very reason.) This is nonsense, of course; a player has the right to do whatever aids his team – and pleases fans – within the laws of the game. Angering opponents to the extent that they behave rashly is a legitimate tactic, albeit a dangerous one. It might be hypocritical, of course, to wind players up and then moan when you get fouled, but Neymar's comments suggest that he's not going to fall foul (ahem) of that dilemma anymore.


A version of this round-up was published by The Guardian here.

Five storylines to follow in Brazil's state championships

Brazilian football is back! After a long, gruelling wait roughly five weeks, the dust has settled on the 2012 season and Corinthians, Fluminense et al have to go out there and earn their stripes all over again. Luckily, for the first few weeks at least, 'out there' remains pretty local; yes, this is state championship season.

Aware that not everybody goes gaga for the whole really-big-teams-playing-really-tiny-teams-for-four-months schtick, I've picked out five storylines that should interest even those sceptical of the value of these regional competitions.

You can read the article at Unibet by clicking here.

(Photo credit: Sergio Barzaghi, Gazeta Press.)

Brazilian Clubs Implode in Libertadores; Flamengo Crowned Carioca Champions

Never, reader, count your chickens before they hatch. The media in Brazil had been waxing lyrical about the dominance of the country's clubs in the Copa Libertadores; a golden year, with no fewer than five clubs in the quarter finals... the thrilling prospect of e Gre-Nal clássico (that's Grêmio vs Internacional, for any stragglers) in the last eight... the near certainty of a Brazilian champion. The teams just needed to see off modest oppositi... sorry, what? Four of them? Eliminated? Yes, indeed; during one mad evening, the ground opened up and swallowed four fifths of the Brazilian Libertadores challenge in one large gulp. Elsewhere, Flamengo tied up the Rio state championship with victory over Vasco, and Coritiba annihilated Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
The week actually got off to a positive start; Santos battled to a goalless draw against América, a result which ensured their progress to the quarter finals. The Peixe had young goalkeeper Rafael to thank; an impressive display between the sticks frustrated the Mexican side, and meant that Paulo Henrique Ganso's first leg strike turned out to be the decisive goal.

Now for the bad news. The remaining four sides - Grêmio, Internacional, Fluminense, and Cruzeiro - all suffered defeat on Wednesday night, and were consequently knocked out of the competition. Grêmio, for whom progress was only an outside bet after a woeful first leg performance, lost 1-0 away at Universidad Católica; Milovan Mirosevic (has a Chilean EVER had a more Serbian name?!) bagged the only goal with a late header.

Fred remonstrates with the referee during Fluminense's loss to Libertad.

Fluminense contrived to throw away a comfortable lead against Libertad (the match at the Engenhão finished 3-1 in the Tricolor's favour), going down 3-0 in Paraguay. Some of the blame must be placed on goalkeeper Ricardo Berna, who let Rodrigo Rojas' speculative shot slip through his hands for the opener, but Flu were still in a winning position going into the final five minutes. Smart late strikes from Miguel Samudio and José Ariel Nuñez, however, condemned the visitors to defeat. It emerged after the match that former Chelsea man Deco had refused to come on as a late substitute, and could leave Laranjeiras as a consequence.

Reigning Libertadores champions Internacional, having claimed a useful 1-1 draw in the away leg, welcomed Peñarol to the Beira-Rio. A goal within the first two minutes from young midfielder Oscar settled the nerves of the home fans, but the Uruguayan side responded in style, taking control with a two-goal salvo just after the break. The Colorado huffed and puffed, but were unable to find a way back into the tie. Coach Paulo Roberto Falcão, who was only appointed two weeks ago, may find his popularity dipping from its imperious peak.

Finally, and for me, most surprisingly, Cruzeiro were knocked out by Once Caldas. The Raposa had managed a 2-1 win in Colombia, having been almost unplayable in the group stage, were confident ahead of the return leg at the Arena do Jacaré (the impeccably-named Alligator Arena). Things, however, didn't exactly go to plan. With their usual passing game seemingly rocked by nerves, Cruzeiro invited pressure from the visitors, and only managed to get to the interval on level terms thanks to a stellar display from goalkeeper Fábio. A red card for Roger, however, was followed by two Once Caldas goals; a powerful header from Amaya and Dayro Moreno's simple finish. The Belo Horizonte side pushed forward in search of a goal, but none was forthcoming. There was, though, still time for one last blot on their copybook; coach Cuca sneakily elbowed an opposing striker on the touchline.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
Flamengo secured their 32nd state championship title on Sunday, overcoming Vasco da Gama on penalty kicks. After ninety somewhat tedious minutes without a goal, it was the Rubro-Negro who came out on top, largely due to Vasco's profligacy from the spot; Bernardo, Felipe Bastos, and Élton all contrived to miss from twelve yards. It was former Fluminense player Thiago Neves who dispatched the winning kick, sending Fla fans into delirium. The players, led by Ronaldinho (who has been rather more instrumental in instigating goal celebrations than attacks recently), proceeded to act out their popular Bonde do Mengão routine, to the delight of half of those at the Engenhão. Parabéns Flamengo, Campeão Carioca de 2011!

Patrícia Amorim and Ronaldinho lead the Flamengo celebrations.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
An impressive performance from Paulo Henrique Ganso helped Santos to a 2-0 win over São Paulo in their state championship semi-final. Ganso set up Elano's opener with a delicate cross, before adding one of his own; a cool finish following Neymar's swift break. São Paulo are now left to concentrate on the Copa do Brasil, and prepare for the Brasileirão.

Santos will meet Corinthians in the final, after the Timão overcame Palmeiras on penalties. Leandro Amaro and Willian traded goals during the ninety minutes, which were followed by an impeccable series of spot kicks in the shootout. After eleven successful efforts, the unlucky party was Verdão midfielder João Vitor, who was thwarted by Júlio César. The match was also notable for an injury to Palmeiras' Chilean playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who pulled up with an injury as a result of one of his now infamous 'air-shot' dribbles. He, as you might expect, has been the object of substantial mockery in the days since.

Copa do Brasil Round-up

As if to prove that their recent run (23 straight wins heading into Thursday's game) wasn't merely attributable to the standard of opponents in the Campeonato Paranaense, Coritiba put six goals past Palmeiras in the first leg of their cup quarter final. The pick of the bunch came from Anderson Aquino; the forward danced his way past some tired looking defenders to prod home in injury time. On this form, the Coxa will be no pushovers in Série A this year. The three remaining ties, meanwhile, are all in the balance; Flamengo suffered a narrow defeat to Ceará, São Paulo beat Avaí 1-0, and Vasco held Atlético-PR at the Baixada.

Coritiba striker Bill (!) celebrates his goal against Palmeiras.

Best of the Rest
Internacional won the second stage of the Campeonato Gaúcho, seeing off bitter rivals Grêmio on penalties. The two will meet again in the final playoff, however, because Grêmio were victorious in the primeiro turno. Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG sealed places in the final of the Minas Gerais state competition, racking up comfortable aggregate wins over América-TO and América-MG respectively.

Selected results. Carioca; Flamengo 0-0 Vasco (3-1 on pens). Paulista; Santos 2-0 São Paulo, Corinthians 1-1 Palmeiras (6-5 on pens). Libertadores; Cruzeiro 0-2 Once Caldas (2-3 on aggregate), América 0-0 Santos (0-1 on aggregate), Universidad Católica 1-0 Grêmio (3-1 on aggregate), Internacional 1-2 Peñarol (2-3 on aggregate), Libertad 3-0 Fluminense (4-3 on aggregate). Copa do Brasil; Flamengo 1-2 Ceará, Coritiba 6-0 Palmeiras, Atlético-PR 2-2 Vasco, São Paulo 1-0 Avaí.

(Photo credits; (1) Diego Benítez, (2) Gilvan de Souza, (3) Felipe Gabriel.)

Juninho Seals Vasco Return; Libertadores Loss for Grêmio

We are now, dear reader, getting to the business end of the first half of the Brazilian season; the state championships are finally drawing to a close, and the Copa Libertadores and is reaching its exciting climax. Without further ado, then, I present my weekly round-up...

Vasco 1-0 Olaria

Royalty. A word which provokes, depending on one's worldview, either a lump in the throat or a stomach ache. An institution which has spawned a million commemorative tea sets, a veritable Atlantic of cloying tat. Yes, reader, as you may have heard, a certain Prince got married today, clogging up the airwaves with the inconsequential ramblings of countless "royal experts" (as if that were a legitimate career). Before you reach for the indigestion tablets, however, I have an altogether more heartwarming royal communion for your consideration.

O Reizinho poses in Vasco's latest jersey.

Juninho Pernambucano, a Vasco da Gama idol thanks to a successful six year spell at the club earlier in his career, has confirmed his imminent return to the São Januário; an announcement which sent fans into raptures. Juninho, who has been representing Qatari side Al-Gharafa since leaving Olympique Lyonnais, is lovingly known among Vasco fans as O Reizinho da Colina (The Little King of the Hill... in reference to the location of the club's stadium, rather than to the cult cartoon series).

The good news didn't end there, however. After restating his love for the club ("This isn't a marketing ploy; Vasco and I are partners, in joy and in sorrow"), Juninho revealed that he had agreed to earn a "minimal salary" throughout the new contract. Most people, me included, took this only to mean that his paycheck would be somewhat smaller than the (presumably stratospheric) figures offered by Al-Gharafa. The reality, however, was utterly astounding. Juninho will receive a basic wage of around £55 per week (yes, you did read that correctly); only slightly above Brazil's national minimum.

Juninho during his first spell at Vasco.

This gesture, so at odds with the stereotype of the modern footballer, has cemented Juninho's place in the hearts of Vascaínos all over Brazil. The Reizinho is not simply fulfilling his promise to return to his heartland; he is doing so on terms which take the club's shaky financial position into account, in a manner which acknowledges his own emotional debt to the fans. So while the return of, for instance, Ronaldinho may have generated more press interest (and monetary gain) for the player and his agent, Vasco wouldn't swap their new (old) midfield monarch for the world.

On the pitch, meanwhile, Ricardo Gomes' side booked their place in the Taça Rio final with a 1-0 win over Olaria. Former Benfica striker Éder Luís scored the only goal of an evenly-balanced game at the Engenhão. Things, then, are looking up for Vasco. One minor worry persists, however; what if Juninho snuck a R$500,000 free-kick bonus into that contract?!

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
In the other Taça Rio semi-final, spot-kicks were needed to separate perennial rivals Flamengo and Fluminense after a 1-1 draw. Rafael Moura put the Tricolor ahead in the first half from close range, but a fine Thiago Neves restored parity. Flamengo goalkeeper Felipe was the hero in the penalty shootout, saving from Araújo and Tartá to hand victory to the Rubro-Negro. Fla will meet Vasco on Sunday, hoping to seal the Carioca crown.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
There were no surprises in the Paulistão quarter finals, with all four big guns booking their places in the final four. Goals from Ilsinho and Dagoberto (the former coming at the end of a lovely passing move) gave São Paulo a comfortable win over Portuguesa, while Santos snuck past Ponte Preta thanks to a Neymar strike. A rocket from Jorge Valdivia (who also gained infamy this week thanks to this amusing dribbling technique) sent Palmeiras on the way to a 2-1 win over Mirassol, and Corinthians beat Oeste thanks to a late Willian effort.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
Grêmio, who muddled through to the knockout phase of the Libertadores without really hitting peak form, were handed a wake-up call on Tuesday night, losing 2-1 at home to Chilean side Universidad Católica. In truth, it could have been far worse; reduced to 10 men after Borges mindlessly elbowed his marker, Grêmio were overrun for long periods, and only got on the scoresheet thanks to a moment of inspiration from Douglas. The Tricolor have it all to do in the second leg. Local rivals Internacional, meanwhile, battled to a creditable 1-1 draw with Peñarol in Montevideo. Leandro Damião's away goal could prove crucial for Paulo Roberto Falcão's side.

Another night, another win for the peerless Cruzeiro; they saw off Once Caldas with some aplomb in Colombia. José Ortigoza scored the goal of the game, chipping nonchalantly over the 'keeper after being released by Walter Montillo. Fluminense also picked up an impressive win, seeing of Libertad 3-1 at the Engenhão. Rafael Moura broke the deadlock, before stunning second half strikes from Marquinho and Darío Conca put the game to bed. At the Vila Belmiro, meanwhile, Paulo Henrique Ganso's low drive handed Santos a narrow victory over Mexican visitors América.

Copa do Brasil Round-up
Take a bow, Marcelo Oliveira. The 56-year-old coach guided Coritiba to a 1-0 win over Caxias on Wednesday, a result which saw the Coxa set a new Brazilian record of 22 consecutive victories. True enough, many of those wins have come in the modest Paraná state championship, but this shouldn't diminish the achievement of a team that spent 2010 in the second tier of the Brazilian game.

All smiles; Coritiba boss Marcelo Oliveira.

Elsewhere, Flamengo booked their place in the last eight with a straightforward win over Horizonte-CE, as did São Paulo, who beat Goiás 1-0. Vasco and Ceará also progressed this week, meaning that the quarter-final lineup is finally complete; Flamengo vs Ceará, Coritiba vs Palmeiras, Vasco vs Atlético-PR, Avaí vs São Paulo. Those games will take place on the 4th and 5th of May.

Best of the Rest
The final of the Campeonato Gaúcho's second stage will (surprise, surprise) pit Internacional against Grêmio; the Porto Alegre pair enjoyed semi-final wins over Juventude and Cruzeiro-RS respectively. In Florianópolis, Avaí managed a 2-0 win over rivals Figueirense, a win that saw them reach the final of the Campeonato Catarinense.

Selected results. Carioca; Vasco 1-0 Olaria, Flamengo 1-1 Fluminense (5-4 on pens). Paulista; São Paulo 2-0 Portuguesa, Palmeiras 2-1 Mirassol, Corinthians 2-1 Oeste, Santos 1-0 Ponte Preta. Libertadores; Once Caldas 1-2 Cruzeiro, Santos 1-0 América, Fluminense 3-1 Libertad, Peñarol 1-1 Internacional, Grêmio 1-2 Universidad Católica.

(Photo credits; (1) Flávio Dias, (2) Renan Medeiros, (3) Hugo Harada.)

Fluminense Live Up to 'Time de Guerreiros' Tag in Libertadores; Santos Also Progress

It was a marvellous week for Brazilian clubs in the Copa Libertadores; Internacional, Santos, and Fluminense all secured last 16 berths alongside Grêmio and Cruzeiro (who had both already qualified). The glorious outcome, however, tells only half of the story...

Argentinos Juniors 2-4 Fluminense
The odds were well and truly stacked against Fluminense this week. After a poor start to their Libertadores campaign (just one win in their opening five games), they needed an improbable combination of results to occur in order to progress from Group 3. Statistician Tristão Garcia, so often rolled out by the Brazilian media in such circumstances, gave the Tricolor a measly 8% chance of qualification. He might have even knocked a couple of points of that figure in the wake of the build-up to the match; striker Emerson was sent home from the travelling party after (allegedly... and amazingly) singing along to Bonde do Mengão sem Freio, a song which details the various merits of Flu's bitter rivals (and Emerson's former employers) Flamengo. If you insist on alienating yourself from your teammates, at least do it in style, right?!

Interim manager Enderson Moreira went with the (not so) classic big man/big man combination up front, with Rafael 'He-Man' Moura partnering Fred. Deco was absent once more, meaning that the creative responsibilities again fell on the modest shoulders of Darío Conca. It would be two less celebrated figures, however, who would combine for the opening goal; a delightful pass from Marquinho allowed leftback Júlio César to tuck home in the 18th minute. Early hope was quickly extinguished, however, when Argentinos were awarded a soft penalty; Gum was adjudged to have obstructed his man in the box, and Santiago Salcedo made no mistake from twelve yards.

Guerreiros; Flu players and coaching staff celebrate their decisive goal.

The sides continued to trade blows; Fred put Flu back in the driving seat with a long range free-kick, before Gustavo Oberman's deflected effort again restored parity. With news filtering through that América were holding Nacional, the Tricolor appeared to be blowing their chances; only a two-goal victory would be sufficient to see them leapfrog the Uruguayan side. The reigning Brazilian champions seemed to be crashing out at the first hurdle of the Libertadores.

Fluminense, though, are made of sterner stuff. A determined second half display brought two further goals (a Rafael Moura tap-in and a penalty from Fred), and allowed the visitors to scrape through to the knockout stages on goals scored. This was a night on which Flu lived up to the tag Time de Guerreiros (Team of Warriors), a nickname bestowed upon the side following a series of hard-fought victories over the last few years (in their 2008 Libertadores campaign, their 2009 Copa Sudamericana run, and their battle against relegation that same year).

As the Argentinos players instigated an ugly brawl after the final whistle, the words of Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues (a lifelong Flu fan) seemed oddly prescient; "Nobody wins like we win. The victories of other teams are simple, almost boring. Ours are cardiopathic." Fluminense's Libertadores campaign, which seemed to have slipped slowly into darkness, has just been jolted back to life.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
Santos guaranteed their place in the knockout stages with a comfortable win over Deportivo Táchira at the Pacaembu. Early goals from Neymar and Jonathan put the Peixe in the driving seat, before Danilo's strike sealed the points. Internacional also picked up a routine victory, overcoming Emelec 2-0 at home. Rafael Sobis and Leandro Damião got the goals for Paulo Roberto Falcão's side.

Jonathan celebrates his goal for Santos.

Those results mean that Brazil has no fewer than five representatives in the last 16 of the competition. The ties involving these clubs are as follows; Once Caldas vs Cruzeiro, Santos vs América, Fluminense vs Libertad, Peñarol vs Internacional, Grêmio vs Universidad Cátolica.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
Ponte Preta handed Palmeiras only their second defeat of the Paulistão on Sunday, coming away with a 2-1 victory. That result meant that a point against Oeste was enough for São Paulo to secure top spot in the first phase of the competition. Santos finished the group stage on a high, beating Paulista 3-0 thanks to goals from Keirrison, Alan Patrick, and Maikon Leite, while Corinthians secured three points against Santo André. The Timão, however, will be without new signing Adriano for the forseeable future; O Imperador tore his left achilles tendon in training this week.

Predictably, then, all four of the big guns made it through to the quarter finals of the competition. The fixtures are as follows; São Paulo vs Portuguesa, Santos vs Ponte Preta, Palmeiras vs Mirassol, Corinthians vs Oeste.

Off the pitch, a special mention goes to São Paulo president Juvenal Juvêncio, who accused centreback Alex Silva of inventing transfer interest from Sporting Lisbon. If Silva did make up the whole thing, he certainly went to a lot of effort; he (supposedly) travelled to Portugal in order to discuss the potential move last week. This, of course, isn't the first time a São Paulo player has been suspected of such skulduggery; iconic goalkeeper Rogério Ceni was once suspended by the club for allegedly conjuring up a contract offer from Arsenal.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
Late strikes from Bernardo and Rômulo rescued Vasco da Gama from unexpected defeat against Olaria at the Estádio Cláudio Moacyr. That match was little more than a dress rehearsal for this weekend's clash; the two meet again in the semi-finals of the Taça Rio. The other tie will see Flamengo play perennial rivals Fluminense; the latter beat Nova Iguaçu 1-0 on Sunday, but Ronaldinho's late penalty meant that Fla squandered the opportunity to pick up three points. Botafogo miss out on the knockout stage, despite a 3-1 win over América; rightback Lucas scored two fine goals for the Alvinegro in that one.

Copa do Brasil Round-up
Palmeiras and Atlético-PR are both through to the quarter finals of the cup after midweek wins; Palmeiras overcame Santo André despite Kléber's (third successive) penalty miss, whilst the Furacão dispatched Bahia with some ease. Also in the last eight are Avaí, who snuck past Botafogo on away goals in a match marred by a bout of fisticuffs. A bad week for Botafogo was completed when they were greeted by a group of disgruntled fans upon their arrival back in Rio.

Best of the Rest
Both Internacional and Grêmio progressed to the semi-finals of the Taça Farroupilha (the second stage of the Campeonato Gaúcho... yes, it is that complicated); the former beat Santa Cruz-RS 1-0, whilst the latter needed penalties to overcome Ypiranga-RS. Cruzeiro finished top of the Campeonato Mineiro group stage, despite Atlético Mineiro's enormous 7-1 win over América-TO.

Selected results. Carioca; Flamengo 1-1 Macaé, América 1-3 Botafogo, Fluminense 1-0 Nova Iguaçu, Olaria 2-2 Vasco. Paulista; Santos 3-0 Paulista, São Paulo 1-1 Oeste, Santo André 0-2 Corinthians, Ponte Preta 2-1 Palmeiras. Libertadores; Santos 3-1 Deportivo Táchira, Argentinos Juniors 2-4 Fluminense, Internacional 2-0 Emelec.

(Photo credits; (1) Rafael Moraes, (2) Ivan Storti.)

Unbeaten Flamengo Overcome Botafogo in Clássico; Santos Keep Libertadores Hopes Alive

Despite not producing the attacking brilliance that some may have expected in the wake of Ronaldinho's arrival, Flamengo have established themselves as a robust force this year. Sunday's derby win over Botafogo was their 18th game of the season, and the Rubro-Negro have yet to taste defeat. In the Campeonato Paulista, Palmeiras and São Paulo pulled away at the head of the table after Corinthians and Santos dropped points. The latter, though, managed an impressive Libertadores win over Cerro Porteño, a result which keeps alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Botafogo 0-2 Flamengo

There is, in the eyes of many Flamengo fans, one piece of the jigsaw missing. Decent goalkeeper? Check. Solid defence? Check. Combative ball-winners? Check. Attacking midfielders? Check, check, write another cheque. A striker to provide a focal point? Oh. Oh dear. Diego Maurício, a promising young forward, seems unable to cement his place as a titular, whilst Wanderley seems to have been discarded after an impressive pre-season. The incumbent, meanwhile - former Fenerbahçe hitman Deivid - has flattered to deceive since his arrival last year, and must realise that he is just keeping the seat warm for someone more lethal.

That man, provided the Rubro-Negro commercial machine continues to purr, is likely to be Vágner Love; a striker who accumulated plenty of goals during his last spell at Gávea. Love has recently restated his desire to return to Flamengo later in the year, and is hopeful that current club CSKA Moscow facilitate the move. In the meantime, Fla will have to hobble on with their awkward blunt attack.

Ganhando sem freio; Flamengo celebrate Thiago Neves' second.

It is a testament to Flamengo's fighting spirit, then (or perhaps to the poverty of competition within the Campeonato Carioca), that they remain on course to finish unbeaten in the state championship. With no player racking up the goals, many of their victories this year have been obtained thanks to opportunist strikes from their stable of attacking midfielders; Ronaldinho, Renato Abreu and Thiago Neves have often been decisive for Vanderlei Luxemburgo's side. So it proved on Sunday against Botafogo; a relatively dull affair was settled by a Thiago strike either side of half time.

While the wait for a star striker continues, then, Fla fans will be largely content in the knowledge that the foundation of a strong team is in place. Despite the absence of an out-and-out goal-getter, the Rubro-Negro have battled to a three-month unbeaten run, and find themselves well placed both in the Carioca and in the Copa do Brasil. Taça na raça indeed.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up

Vasco continue to lead Group A of the Taça Rio, following a narrow win over Cabofriense. New boys Bernardo and Alecsandro were both on target for the Gigante da Colina; the former finished with glorious aplomb in the first half, and the latter tucked home a late penalty to seal the three points. Fluminense, meanwhile, thrashed Americano 5-1 at the Estádio Cláudio Moacyr. Araújo bagged a brace for the Tricolor, but the pick of the goals came from Darío Conca; the Argentine bent home a glorious free-kick in the opening period.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up

Palmeiras were without talismanic striker Kléber for their clash with Grêmio Prudente, but did enough to grind out a 2-0 victory. Defender Thiago Heleno put the Verdão ahead, before a late Douglas own goal thwarted any hopes Prudente had of a comeback. São Paulo were somewhat more emphatic, putting five past struggling Noroeste. Rogério Ceni claimed his sixth goal of the year from the penalty spot, and there were also goals for Marlos, Dagoberto, and Ilsinho.

Adriano was presented to the Corinthians fans ahead of their tie with São Caetano, but it would be another striker who stole the headlines at the Pacaembu; Éduardo scored twice for the visitors, condemning the Timão to an unexpected defeat. Santos also lost ground on the leaders; they struggled to a goalless draw with Americana.

Copa Libertadores Round-up

Grêmio had already sealed their place in the knockout stages ahead of Thursday's match against Oriente Petrolero, but will still have been disappointed with a 3-0 loss. The Tricolor will hope that the last 16 draw doesn't give them reason to regret their performance in Bolivia. Cruzeiro picked up their second win over Estudiantes in the group stages, romping to a 3-0 win in La Plata. In-form attackers Thiago Ribeiro and Wallyson put the Raposa in charge, before ex-Tottenham Hotspur utility man Gilberto completed the scoring.

Maikon Leite celebrates his goal against Cerro. Paraguayan security guards not impressed.

Santos travelled to Paraguay knowing that anything less than a win against Cerro Porteño would have severe implications for their hopes of progressing to the oitavas. The Peixe's task was rendered even more difficult by the absence of their three standout performers this term; Neymar, Zé Éduardo, and Elano were all suspended following dismissals against Colo-Colo. Nerves were settled early on when Brazil U20 star Danilo crashed home an unstoppable effort from 25 yards, and the quicksilver Maikon Leite doubled Santos' lead just after the break. Pedro Benítez reduced the arrears in injury time, but Muricy Ramalho's side held on for a deserved victory on the day of the club's 99th anniversary.

Copa do Brasil Round-up

Goals from Dedé, Alecsandro, and Bernardo gave Vasco da Gama a comfortable win over Náutico in the first leg of their last 16 tie; the perfect birthday present for club president Roberto Dinamite. Palmeiras also boosted their hopes of progress to the quarter finals with a 2-1 win away to Santo André. Avaí held Botafogo to a 2-2 draw at the Engenhão, while Atlético Paranaense drew 1-1 with Bahia at the latter's Pituaçu stadium.

Paraná club Coritiba (confusingly hailing from a city called Curitiba) will also fancy their chances of reaching the last 8, after an impressive 4-0 win over Caxias. Incredibly, Thursday's result was the Coxa's 19th consecutive competitive victory; a sequence which leaves them just two wins away from the Brazilian record, held by Palmeiras.

Best of the Rest

It was an eventful week for Internacional; they sacked Celso Roth last Friday, thrashed Canoas 6-2 on Sunday, and appointed club icon Paulo Roberto Falcão as their new coach on Monday. Roth, who guided Inter to the Libertadores last season, had been on shaky ground since the Colorado's disappointing Club World Cup campaign, and is unlikely to be missed by many of the club's fans. Whether Falcão can translate his popularity into managerial success remains to be seen; his last coaching role - with the Japan national team - ended fully 14 years ago.

New Internacional boss Paulo Roberto Falcão.

Selected results. Carioca; Botafogo 0-2 Flamengo, Vasco 2-1 Cabofriense, Americano 1-5 Fluminense. Paulista; Palmeiras 2-0 Grêmio Prudente, Americana 0-0 Santos, Corinthians 1-2 São Caetano, Noroeste 1-4 São Paulo. Libertadores; Oriente Petrolero 3-0 Grêmio, Cerro Porteño 1-2 Santos, Estudiantes 0-3 Cruzeiro.

(Photos credits; (1) Bruno de Lima, (2) Jorge Adorno.)

Santos Overcome Colo-Colo in Dramatic Libertadores Clash; Palmeiras Reach Paulistão Summit

In this week of eighteen Champions League goals, the Copa Libertadores would have been forgiven for cowering in the corner, jealously observing its cousin's domination of the football dancefloor. Luckily for us, however, it did nothing of the sort; South America's premier club competition dusted off its glad rags and produced some drama of the highest calibre. There was a potentially ruinous defeat for Fluminense, a surprise loss for the previously unbeaten Internacional, and a five goal (and five red card) thriller between Santos and Colo Colo. Among all the excitement, it was Grêmio who kept their heads to guarantee a place in the last 16.

There was also, of course, a full schedule of state championship and domestic cup games; Brazil is a country that seems to cram a month into every seven-day period. With that in mind, let's cut to the chase...

Santos 3-2 Colo-Colo

If you like watching games with plenty of goals, indiscipline, and bizarre drama (that is, if you like football), then you're going to enjoy watching Santos. The seasiders are committed proponents of the the "you score six, we'll score seven" philosophy, and have a staggering array of attacking talent at their disposal; Zé Éduardo, Maikon Leite, Diogo, and Keirrison (OK, so maybe not the latter two!) all compete for one striking spot alongside Brazil stars Neymar, Elano, and Paulo Henrique Ganso.

Wednesday night's Libertadores clash with Colo-Colo provided an instructive example of the kind of drama Santos tend to provide; the Peixe raced into a 3-0 lead at the Vila Belmiro, but only just managed to hold out for the three points after a drastic late capitulation. Elano's delightful free-kick put the hosts ahead, before a deflected strike from Danilo stretched their advantage. Santos added a third early in he second half, when the mercurial Neymar danced through the Chilean side's defence before clipping casually home.

Neymask; the young Santos young striker celebrates his goal.

What followed, however, was even more arresting; Neymar received a second yellow card after putting on a mask handed to him by a fan. Brilliantly, photos later showed that the mask in question was one of NEYMAR'S OWN FACE, and was one of hundreds that had been distributed around the stadium as part of an advertising campaign. This was sport at its pantomime best, although an understandably displeased Neymar failed to see the funny side.

The excitement, though, was far from over. The hot-headed Zé Éduardo indulged in some handbags with Andrés Scotti, an incident which culminated in both players being dismissed. Patricio Jerez then brought the visitors back into contention, before Diego Rubio made it 3-2; finishing off a fine move with a composed finish. Santos nerves were beginning to fray; Elano, who had already been substituted, threw a towel at the Colo-Colo bench, and received a red card of his own. The Peixe would, by hook or by crook, manage to hold out in the remaining minutes; but not before Cristóbal Jorquera had racked up the game's fifth dismissal.

This was a rivetting encounter, even by Santos' standards, but it comes with a cautionary rejoinder. The imminent appointment of Muricy Ramalho, a coach who favours defensive discipline and pragmatism above all else, could spell the end of the seasiders' joyous approach. In a week in which former seleção icon Sócrates felt the need to bemoan the lack of joy in modern football, this would be a sad development indeed.

Copa Libertadores Round-up

Fluminense's terrible start to the year got worse on Wednesday night, as they crashed to a 2-0 defeat to Nacional in Uruguay. After a promising first half display, the Tricolor simply ran out of steam after the interval, and allowed Santiago García to net the crucial goals. Flu, whose Libertadores hopes were already hanging by a threat before the game at the Centenário, now need a mathematical miracle to reach the knockout stages. The ire aimed by supporters at coach Enderson Moreira, however, seems somewhat misplaced given that he is only acting as caretaker until the arrival of Abel Braga.

Fluminense midfielder Souza probes for an opening against Nacional.

There was better news for Grêmio, who sealed their place in the knockout stages with a 2-0 win over Junior Barranquilla. Lúcio and Borges both got on the scoresheet for the Tricolor, whose campaign has been quietly effective so far. Neighbours Internacional, meanwhile, who had hitherto been thoroughly impressive in the competition, turned in a woeful display against Jaguares, and were beaten 1-0.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up

Palmeiras moved to the top of the Paulistão with a 1-0 win over Santos on Sunday. Off the pitch, the Verdão, who have been so reliant on Kléber (the forward who bagged the winner at the Vila Belmiro), finally signed another striker; Wellington Paulista arrives on loan from Cruzeiro. Although perhaps not the marquee signing that fans hoped for, Wellington clearly ticked a number of boxes for Luiz Felipe Scolari; he is a hard worker both in attack and defence, seems unlikely to moan about being benched occasionally, and knows Kléber well from their time in Belo Horizonte. Things are looking up for Palmeiras.

At the Arena Barueri, a stunning individual goal from Lucas handed São Paulo a narrow victory over Mirassol. The young attacker surged from the halfway line, beating countless defenders before slotting home. Que golaço! Corinthians, meanwhile, could only manage a goalless draw wih Botafogo-SP.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up

Vasco maintained their upward trend under the stewardship of Ricardo Gomes, beating Bangu 4-0 at the Engenhão. Veteran playmaker Felipe was again the star of the show, playing a role in the opening three goals before curling home one of his own. At the Engenhão, Botafogo needed a late Antônio Carlos strike to rescue a point against Resende, but there were away wins for Flamengo (2-0 against Duque de Caxias) and Fluminense (2-1 against Volta Redonda).

Vasco forward Éder Luís celebrates his goal against Bangu.

Copa do Brasil Round-up

The second round of the cup was finally completed on Wednesday night, with no fewer than seven teams booking their place in the last 16. Botafogo and Caxias made light work of Paraná and Botafogo-PB respectively, but Vasco needed a late Bernardo strike to overcome ABC-RN. Goals from Rhodolfo and Ilsinho allowed São Paulo to overturn a first leg deficit against Santa Cruz, but Atlético Mineiro crashed out against Grêmio Prudente. Bahia and Santo André also progressed.

Best of the Rest

Cruzeiro remain top of the Campeonato Mineiro after a win and a draw this week, but Atlético-MG could close the gap with a win over Caldense on Sunday. In the Gauchão, Grêmio recorded a tightly-fought win over Veranópolis, but Inter could only manage a 1-1 draw with Lajeadense. Elsewhere, Adílson Batista, who was recently sacked by Santos, was appointed as the new Atlético Paranaense boss.

Selected results. Carioca; Vasco 4-0 Bangu, Volta Redonda 1-2 Fluminense, Duque de Caxias 0-2 Flamengo, Botafogo 1-1 Resende. Paulista; Santos 0-1 Palmeiras, São Paulo 1-0 Mirassol, Botafogo-SP 0-0 Corinthians. Libertadores; Grêmio 2-0 Junior Barranquilla, Santos 3-2 Colo-Colo, Jaguares 1-0 Internacional, Nacional 2-0 Fluminense.

(Photo credits; (1) Ivan Storti, (2) Ivan Franco, (3) Paulo Sergio.)

Rogério Reaches Century in Clássico; Cruzeiro Through to Last 16 of Libertadores

A short pause in domestic action while international games take place? Not in Brazil, partner. A full schedule of state championship, Copa do Brasil, and Taça Libertadores games was lit up by Rogério Ceni, the São Paulo goalkeeper who netted his 100th career goal against Corinthians. And no, that's not a typo. Elsewhere, Cruzeiro guaranteed their place in the knockout stages of the Libertadores, where they look likely to be joined by Internacional.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up

Oh, Rogério! You mythical goleiro artilheiro, you! You disrespecter of received wisdom! You one-man embodiment of everything that is great about football in your homeland! Yes, reader, Sunday was a magical day in Brazil; 38-year-old goalkeeper Rogério Ceni bent home a trademark free-kick to complete a century of goals for São Paulo. That the goal gave the Tricolor a victory over bitter rivals Corinthians made the moment all the more sweet.

Centurion; Rogério roars with joy at his 100th goal.

Rather than continuing to wax lyrical about RC01 here, I refer readers to a previous article of mine, where I weighed up the impact of the veteran at the Morumbi. Suffice it to say that Sunday's effort, which came sandwiched between nice goals from Dagoberto (for São Paulo) and Dentinho (for the Timão), prompted an outpouring of goodwill, both from São Paulinos the world over and from the Brazilian public more generally; the consensus was that Rogério, a true gentleman of the game, fully deserved his moment in the spotlight.

A Neymar-less Santos, meanwhile, scraping a tight 3-2 win over Ituano at the newly-reopened Novelli Júnior stadium. Rightback Jonathan opened his account for the Peixe, and there was also a goal for the much-maligned striker Keirrison. Palmeiras were also victorious, overcoming Bragantino with some ease; centreback Thiago Heleno bagged a brace for the Verdão in that one.

Off the field, both Adriano and Luís Fabiano were unveiled this week by their new clubs. Over 40,000 São Paulo fans packed into the Morumbi to welcome the former, although the presence of Rogério probably boosted attendance somewhat. The former Sevilla marksman was greeted as a returning hero by the club's fans, who hope that his goals will fire an impressive squad to glory this term. Adriano, on the other hand, was presented with relatively little fanfare; no fans were invited to the Corinthians training centre for the announcement. O Imperador admitted that his arrival at the Pacaembu was motivated by a desire to return to the Brazil side, and cited the "huge willpower" at his disposal. It seems unlikely, however, that many football fans would share this generous psychological appraisal.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
Tiny Boavista repeated their giant-taming antics this week, holding Botafogo to a 0-0 draw at their modest Cláudio Moacyr ground. Fluminense and Vasco also failed to produce any notable goalmouth action, sleepwalking to a goalless draw in Sunday's clássico. Thankfully, Flamengo took it upon themselves to liven things up, battling to a 3-3 draw with Madureira. A stunning own goal from Welinton put Fla in trouble early on, and they needed late goals from Deivid goal and Thiago Neves to rescue a point.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
A comfortable 2-0 win over Guaraní in Paraguay was enough to guarantee Cruzeiro their place in the last 16. The Raposa, who remain unbeaten in this year's competition, took the lead when Thiago Ribeiro coolly slotted home, before José Ortigoza's late strike sealed the points. Internacional produced another impeccable continental performance, strolling to victory over the marvellously-monickered Bolivian side Jorge Wilstermann. Young midfielder Oscar was the star of the show at the Beira-Rio, opening the scoring and providing a threat througout. Experienced Libertadores campaigner Andrés D'Alessandro also found the net.

Cruzeiro forward Thiago Ribeiro celebrates his goal against Guaraní.

Copa do Brasil Round-up
São Paulo must make up a deficit in the second leg of their tie with Santa Cruz, after slumping to an unexpected 1-0 defeat on Wednesday. Vasco and Botafogo must also negotiate tricky return matches; the former drew with the acronym-tastic ABC-RN, whilst the latter picked up a narrow win over Paraná in Caio Júnior's first game in charge. A number of teams did, however, manage to book their places in the last 16; Goiás, Coritiba, Avaí, Ceará, and Horizonte-CE all did enough to progress.

Best of the Rest
Cruzeiro opened up some breathing space at the summit of the Campeonato Mineiro with a 3-2 win over América-MG. Once more it was Walter Montillo who made the difference for Cuca's men; the Argentine nicked a late winner at the Melão. In the Gauchão, Grêmio beat Pelotas 3-1, but Inter could only manage a draw with São Luiz.

Selected results. Paulista; São Paulo 2-1 Corinthians, Ituano 2-3 Santos, Palmeiras 3-0 Bragantino. Carioca; Fluminense 0-0 Vasco, Boavista 0-0 Botafogo, Flamengo 3-3 Madureira. Libertadores; Internacional 3-0 Jorge Wilstermann, Guaraní 0-2 Cruzeiro.

(Photo credits; (1) Tom Dib, (2) Andrés Cristaldo.)

Papai Joel Leaves Botafogo; Deco Hands Fluminense Libertadores Lifeline

There was yet more managerial turmoil in Brazil this week, with the lovable Joel Santana parting company with Botafogo after thirteen months at the helm. Fluminense and Santos, meanwhile, both of whom are themselves without full-time coaches, spent the week chasing replacements. On the pitch, Corinthians moved to the top of the Paulistão, whilst Fluminense boosted their hopes of qualifying for the the knockout stages of the Libertadores with a win over Mexican side América.

Vasco da Gama 2-0 Botafogo
Fans of Botafogo should be careful what they wish for. The torrent of abuse aimed at coach Joel Santana (which reached its apex with a mass chorus of "Joel out!") during and after Sunday's clássico loss to Vasco prompted the 62-year-old to tender his resignation on Tuesday. When the blood of those Botafoguenses drops below boiling point, however, they will surely come to regret their conduct.

An emotional Joel Santana speaks to the press on Tuesday.

Santana, nicknamed Papai Joel in reference both to the Portuguese for Santa Claus and to his paternal management style, had, given the meagre resources at his disposal, done an admirable job at the Engenhão; victory in last year's Rio state championship was followed by a strong Série A campaign which very nearly culminated in Libertadores qualification. Although only managing to reach the semi-finals of the Taça Guanabara, Santana's side had started the segundo turno of the Carioca well, and top Group B despite the derby defeat. The grief-stricken tone of Joel's midweek press conference suggested that he had himself been shocked to witness the club's supporters turn on him.

The man charged with replacing Santana is Caio Júnior, who had been coaching Qatari club Al-Gharafa. Despite a previous spell as manager of Flamengo, Júnior is hardly a household name in Brazil, and will have his work cut out to fill the shoes vacated by Joel. Sunday's loss suggested that defensive stability should be his priority; Botafogo's backline was perforated too easily in the run-up to Diego Souza's opener, and lapsed again to allow Éder Luís to wrap up the points. Such frailties, though, exist largely in spite of Santana's stewardship, rather than because of it. It remains to be seen how Botafogo will fare in the coming months, but one thing seems clear; fans will regret the day they stopped believing in Papai Joel.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
Fluminense began the week in terrible fashion, both in footballing and administrative terms. A 2-0 loss to Boavista on Saturday (a match which was graced by a stunning long-range free-kick from centreback Gustavo) preceded an undignified scramble for a permanent coach. The Tricolor initially annouced the appointment of Gilson Kleina, only for the 42-year-old to state intention to stay at Ponte Preta. Kleina was, embarrassingly, the fourth coach to turn down the job since Muricy Ramalho's exit; Cuca, Levir Culpi, and Adílson Batista had also received approaches from the Laranjeiras club. Finally, later in the week, a solution was reached; the experienced Abel Braga will assume command when his contract with Al-Jazira (the club, not the phonetically-similar news channel) expires later in the year. Enderson Moreira will be the caretaker manager until then.

Rocket man; Boavista defender Gustavo (right) celebrates his wondergoal.

One almost expected Flamengo to conjure up some drama of their own to stay in the spotlight, but the week was a quiet one at Gávea. A side shorn of the suspended Ronaldinho and Thiago Neves could only manage a goalless draw with Cabofriense, and the club passed up the opportunity to sign a controversial former star...

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
That's where Corinthians come in. The Timão sealed the signing of Adriano on an 18-month contract, and are expected to unveil the striker officially next Tuesday; at the very sime time that São Paulo had scheduled the presentation of Luís Fabiano. This attempt at one-upmanship, though, seems misplaced; a case of "anything you can do, we can do worse," given the relative qualities (both psychological and physical) of the two players at this moment in time.

Corinthians did, however, manage to get one over on their neighbours this week, moving to the head of the Campeonato Paulista. Tite's side followed up a 1-0 victory over Americana with a more comfortable win over Oeste, a game in which Liédson scored his tenth goal in just nine appearances. Just how Levezinho will combine with the decidedly un-leve Adriano will be a crucial question for the Corinthians management to address. After gaining three points against Grêmio Prudente at the weekend, São Paulo lost ground on Wednesday night; the Tricolor fell to defeat against Paulista, despite Rogério Ceni's 99th career goal. The veteran goalkeeper will be hoping to seal his century in Sunday's derby against- yep, you guessed it - Corinthians.

Corinthians striker Dentinho celebrates his goal against Oeste.

Palmeiras moved up to second in midweek, thrashing Linense at the Arena Barueri. Patrik continued his impressive recent form, bagging two goals in that game. The Verdão remain two points adrift of Corinthians however, due to having dropped points against São Caetano at the weekend. Santos recovered from a loss to Bragantino with a Paulo Henrique Ganso-inspired win over Mogi Mirim, but were dealt a severe blow by that very player; Ganso looks destined to leave in the near future after stating his desire to play in Europe. Milan and Internazionale are believed to be the favourites for his signature.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
Fluminense, who have struggled in the Libertadores this term, were handed a lifeline on Wednesday; a late Deco goal gave them a scarcely-deserved victory over América at the Engenhão. Gum's header cancelled out Vicente Sánchez's opener in a tense first half, but an own-goal from Digão gave the Tricolor a mountain to climb. Araújo brough Flu level, however, before Deco sent fans into raptures. It was a rare goal from the former Portuguese international, who later admitted to having considered hanging up his boots last season.

Best of the Rest
Grêmio enjoyed a fine week in the Campeonato Gaúcho, racking up nine unanswered goals in games against Porto Alegre and Internacional-SM. Internacional could only draw with Novo Hamburgo on Saturday, but bounced back with victory over São José-RS. In Minas Gerais, Cruzeiro continued to impress with a 3-0 win over Funorte, whilst Atlético Mineiro picked up a win over Vila Nova. The latter also annouced the signing of striker Guilherme, a former Raposa favourite whose career in Europe failed to take off as many expected.

Selected results. Carioca; Vasco 2-0 Botafogo, Fluminense 0-2 Boavista, Cabofriense 0-0 Flamengo. Paulista; Bragantino 2-1 Santos, Corinthians 1-0 Americana, São Caetano 1-1 Palmeiras, Grêmio Prudente 0-1 São Paulo, Santos 3-1 Mogi Morim, Corinthians 3-0 Oeste, Palmeiras 3-0 Linense, Paulista 3-2 São Paulo. Libertadores; Fluminense 3-2 América.

(Photo credits; (1) Wagner Meier, (2) Cleber Mendes, (3) Tom Dib.)

Ramalho Exit Rocks Fluminense; Ganso Scores on Comeback

It's a testament to the unpredictability of Brazilian football that, just a couple of months into the season, two of the sides widely tipped for success this year - Fluminense and Santos - find themselves in turmoil. The latter, who still have no permanent coach in the wake of Adílson Batista's dismissal, are teetering on the brink of elimination from the Copa Libertadores after defeat against Colo Colo. The return of Paulo Henrique Ganso from injury does offer some solace, but the Peixe face an uphill battle to progress past the first stage of the continent's biggest competition. Things, though, could be worse, as the reigning Brazilian champions found out on Sunday...

Flamengo 0-0 Fluminense
As parting shots go, this one was up there with the best. "There were even," claimed Muricy Ramalho, finishing off his rant at former employers Fluminense, "rats in the changing rooms." Thus ended a turbulent few days at Laranjeiras; a healthy dose of humiliation was mixed into an already-potent cocktail of confusion, disappointment, and despair. Sunday's game against Flamengo, normally one of the highlights of the Campeonato Carioca, turned out to be neither interesting nor particularly relevant to the major developments of the week.

Alarm bells were firstly raised on Saturday, when Flu's vice president Alcides Antunes was sacked. Antunes, for whom, despite rumours of a recent rift, Ramalho held a long-standing admiration, found out about his dismissal on the radio. One day later, after one of the dullest clássicos in recent memory, Muricy announced that he too would be leaving the club that he guided to the Brasileirão title just three months ago.

Flu jab; Ramalho contemplates his future during Sunday's game.

The decision to leave, claimed Ramalho, had actually been made before the weekend's events. The 55-year-old declared that he felt let-down by the Tricolor hierarchy, who reneged on promises to improve facilities at the club. Of particular concern was the club's training centre, which - rodents aside - is apparently vastly inferior to those of similarly prestigious clubs in the country. The abject state of the turf on the practice pitch, for example, is thought to have contributed to Fluminense's frequently lengthy injury list in recent months.

The situation at Laranjeiras, of course, must be unfavourably compared to that at São Paulo, a club that reaped the benefits of the widespread structural change instigated by Muricy during his time at the Morumbi. It seems likely that Ramalho's decision was one motivated by frustration at the intransigence of the Fluminense directors, who, despite the club's obvious improvement on the pitch, remained reluctant to surrender power to the coach. Only hindsight will reveal whether their strategy was a wise one.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
With Flamengo and Fluminense mustering precious little excitement, it was left to Vasco and Botafogo to provide some attacking intrigue this week. Thankfully, both stepped up to the plate, netting four goals apiece. Argentine striker Herrera has rediscovered his form of late, and netted a brace in Botafogo's victory over Americano. Emblematic forward Loco Abreu and defender João Felipe were also on target for O Glorioso.

Old man river; Vasco's Felipe (right) competes for a header.

Madureira certainly put up a fight against Vasco, twice equalising in the second period, but finally succumbed to two late strikes; Bernardo rounded off his hattrick with a brave header, before Felipe Bastos drilled home to secure the points. Significant for Vasco was the performance of veteran playmaker Felipe (not-Bastos), who set up the first two goals, and impressed with his passing. The Gigante da Colina arguably enjoyed an even better week off the pitch; wrapping up the signing of Internacional striker Alecsandro, and receiving the news that Juninho Pernambucano is keen on a return to the São Januário.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
All of the big guns in the São Paulo state championship recorded victories at the weekend, leaving them all tied on 28 points. São Paulo (FC) remain top thanks to a convincing 3-0 win over Santo André. Dagoberto nodded home the opener after some delightful wing play from Juan, before youngsters Lucas (with a stunning Paul Scholes-style volley) and Casemiro put the game to bed. With Luís Fabiano returning to the Morumbi, São Paulo look a good bet to challenge for honours this year.

Corinthians were without Liédson for their match against Mirassol, and needed a late Bruno César goal to ensure maximum points. Liédson's replacement, the young striker Willian, gave a good account of himself, finding the net with two predatory efforts. The Timão also had an administrative reshuffle this week, with former Arsenal midfielder Edu being appointed as the club's new director of football.

Back in action; Santos star Paulo Henrique Ganso.

Paulo Henrique Ganso, making his first appearance since August, came off the bench to inspire Santos to a 2-1 win over Botafogo-SP. A visionary pass from youngster allowed Zé Éduardo to set up Elano for the opener, before Ganso himself got on the scoresheet with a tap-in. Palmeiras, meanwhile, kept up their challenge with a win over São Bernardo; Danilo and Patrik bagged the goals.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
Santos, despite the excitement generated by Ganso's return earlier in the week, fell to a 3-2 loss against Colo Colo; a result which leaves them with just two points at the halfway point of the group stage. Elano's long range free-kick and a glorious Neymar finish gave the seasiders hope in Chile, but goals from Paredes, Miralles, and Scotti ensured that the hosts emerged victorious. Santos, who are apparently keen on appointing the aforementioned Muricy Ramalho as permanent coach, have plenty of work to do to progress.

Grêmio picked up a useful draw away to Léon de Huánuco, thanks to a strike from Carlos Alberto. The former Porto man proceeded to celebrate in amusing style; imitating the "bum-bouncing" of TP Mazembe goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba, who in December helped the African club defeat Grêmio's local rivals Internacional at the Club World Cup. I take my hat off to such ludicrously convoluted baiting.

Internacional and Cruzeiro, the two Brazilian clubs who have really impressed in the competition so far, maintained their fabulous records. The former beat Jorge Wilstermann 4-1, with young forward Leandro Damião impressive yet again. Cruzeiro, meanwhile, racked up no fewer than six goals against Tolima, taking their tournament total to 15 in just four matches. Mano Menezes was in attendance at the Arena do Jacaré, and will have been impressed with a number of players, including Wallyson, Roger, and recent seleção call-up Henrique.

Copa do Brasil Round-up
Four teams secured their place in the last sixteen of the Brazilian cup thanks to comfortable away wins. Flamengo, who remain unbeaten in 2011, brushed Fortaleza aside, while a Kléber-inspired Palmeiras routed minnows Uberaba 4-0. Náutico and Atlético Paranaense also advanced, beating Bangu and Paulista respectively.

Selected results. Carioca; Flamengo 0-0 Fluminense, Botafogo 4-0 Americano, Madureira 2-4 Vasco. Paulista; Santos 2-1 Botafogo-SP, São Paulo 3-0 Santo André, Mirassol 2-3 Corinthians, Palmeiras 2-0 São Bernardo. Libertadores; Léon de Huánuco 1-1 Grêmio, Colo Colo 3-2 Santos, Cruzeiro 6-1 Tolima, Jorge Wilstermann 1-4 Internacional. Copa do Brasil; Fortaleza 0-3 Flamengo, Uberaba 0-4 Palmeiras.

(Photo credits; (1) Ivo Gonzalez, (2) Gilvan de Souza, (3) Miguel Schincariol.)

Big Four Rise to Summit of Paulistão; Vasco Continue to Struggle

Brazilian football's biggest stars were out in force this week, as the country enjoyed its annual carnaval celebrations. Ronaldinho was a busy boy, stepping out for no fewer than three samba schools, whilst other stars such as Neymar, Kléber, and Darío Conca soaked up the jovial atmosphere. Ronaldo, meanwhile, was photographed partying, inexplicably (to me at least), with Jude Law. The state championships, though, rolled on relentlessly, in spite of such social commitments.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
Two rounds of action bookended the festivities in São Paulo, where the traditional 'big four' have all risen to the top of the Paulistão table. Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, and São Paulo have all accumulated 25 points after twelve games, with the latter currently holding first place due to their superior number of victories. The Tricolor picked up 2-0 wins over São Caetano and Ituano this week, with midfielder-cum-rightback Jean scoring in both games.

Another strike from Liédson helped Corinthians to a comfortable win over Linense on Saturday, but the Timão tasted defeat in midweek; an early Éverton Santos goal meant that Ponte Preta left the Pacaembu with all three points. Palmeiras recovered from their goalless draw against Santo André with a Jorge Valdivia-inspired victory over Noroeste. There appear, however, to be storm clouds brewing for the Verdão; star striker Kléber yesterday hit out at coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for criticising his own players.

Neymarvellous; the young striker celebrates a strike against Portuguesa.

Santos steadied their ship after the dismissal of Adílson Batista, recording comfortable wins over Oeste and Portuguesa. Zé Éduardo (or, as he is increasingly (and toe-curlingly) known, Zé Love) netted a brace in the former match, and Neymar repeated the trick in the second. Marcelo Martelotte, the club's caretaker manager, looks to be doing a decent job thus far.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
Ronaldinho prepared for the carnaval in the best possible fashion, scoring Flamengo's second in a tight 3-2 win over Olaria at the weekend. Thiago Neves also popped up with a brace for the Rubro-Negro, whose fans would have been forgiven for expecting a post-party slump against Bangu on Thursday. As it turned out, Fla recorded another victory, despite never really getting out of second gear. Ronaldinho rounded off his week with a goal from the penalty spot, and Diego Maurício headed home the winner in injury time.

Diego Maurício is congratulated by Ronaldinho after his goal against Bangu.

Fluminense have also started the Taça Rio in ruthless style. Araújo opened his account for the club in a narrow win over Resende, before a Darío Conca masterclass crushed América at the Engenhão. Young forward Alex scored his first professional goal for Botafogo on Sunday, as they strolled to a 4-2 victory over Volta Redonda. O Glorioso also claimed maximum points against Nova Iguaçu in midweek.

After performing terribly in the opening section of the Carioca, Vasco da Gama were hoping for a marked improvement in the second half of the campaign. Things got off to the worst possible start, however, with a 3-1 loss to Macaé at the weekend; new coach Ricardo Gomes could probably hear knives being sharpened at the away end. Luckily for him, the Gigante da Colina regained some pride with victory over Duque de Caxias on Wednesday evening, but it remains to be seen whether he can coax such performances from a modest squad on a frequent basis.

Best of the Rest
Excellent performances from youngsters Oscar and Leandro Damião propelled Internacional to a 4-0 win over Ypiranga in the Gauchão, a result that suggests that they'll be taking the second half of the competition somewhat more seriously than they did the first. In the Campeonato Paranaense, Atlético-PR needed a goal from Kléberson to rescue a point against Corinthians-PR.

In 'footballing icons debasing themselves for money' news, a team comprised of veteran seleção heroes (including Romário, Bebeto, and Cafu) played a Chechnya select side which included Ruud Gullit and Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of the region. Brazil ran out 6-4 victors, but every goal was celebrated by the bleak grimace of men who really should know better.

Selected results. Paulista; São Caetano 0-2 São Paulo, Palmeiras 0-0 Santo André, Oeste 0-2 Santos, Linense 0-2 Corinthians, São Paulo 2-0 Ituano, Noroeste 1-2 Palmeiras, Santos 3-0 Portuguesa, Corinthians 0-1 Ponte Preta. Carioca; Macaé 3-1 Vasco, Botafogo 4-2 Volta Redonda, Flamengo 3-2 Olaria, Resende 1-2 Fluminense, Vasco 4-2 Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu 0-1 Botafogo, Bangu 1-2 Flamengo, Fluminense 3-1 América.

(Photo credits; (1) Tom Dib, (2) Cleber Mendes.)