Denílson interview: 'Gilberto Silva used to invite me over, but I just stayed at home. Alone, watching Prison Break'

As soon as he arrived at Arsenal in 2006, Denílson looked like a future star. This, it was hoped, might be a natural long-term midfield partner for Cesc Fabregas.

For all his promise, however, Denilson never felt comfortable in England. He was homesick, for a start, but it was more than that.

He felt all alone, separated from his new team-mates by age and culture, and from his support network by the Atlantic Ocean. It was a crushing, unshakeable loneliness that eventually undermined his Arsenal career.

I interviewed Denílson, who opened up on his difficulties in England. Read it on The Athletic. 

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A Tricolor love story: What Daniel Alves' return means for São Paulo – and for Brazilian football as a whole

São Paulo is a club with a proud history, but recent years have been difficult and the last couple of weeks have felt faintly surreal.

It would be one thing to sign a player of Daniel Alves' calibre, with 41 senior titles to his name – more than any other player in the world – and a global cachet that stretches beyond that of the entire league, let alone one team.

It is another for that player to be quite so plainly overjoyed with his decision, to be doe-eyed and doting like a teenage in the throes of his first crush.

Read my piece on Alves' homecoming on The Athletic. 

The Lucas Moura conundrum: Can the Tottenham star finally start to explore the outer reaches of his potential?

“To be, or not to be a superstar: that is the question.”

It was a good question seven years later, when Lucas Moura was profiled in Placar magazine, and it is still a good one today.

For the forward, now almost a decade into his career at senior level, continues to tiptoe the line between seven-out-of-ten solidity and something altogether more special. There have been flirtations with the outer reaches of his vast potential, but nothing sustained, no full-blown romance.

Is this season his best opportunity to finally take off? I look at that possibility in my latest for The Athletic.

Time waits for no manager: Rogério Ceni & Vagner Mancini the latest victims of Brazil's rampant short-termism

As anyone with even a passing interest in Brazilian football will know, this is not the home of job security.

Managers are rarely two or three more bad results away from the axe. Talk of 'projects' and 'progress' is usually hopeful at best. No one really thinks this merry-go-round is a good thing, yet it is the norm.

My bit on the sackings of Rogério Ceni and Vagner Mancini is in the September issue of @WSC_magazine. Out now, all good newsagents etc pic.twitter.com/QaJz4XuBGJ

— Jack Lang (@jacklang) August 3, 2017

Yet while those numbers have largely inured people to the precariousness of it all, there is still the odd case that manages to raise eyebrows – as proved by a pair of controversial sackings in Série A at the beginning of July.

You can read my take on the demise of Rogério Ceni at São Paulo and Vagner Mancini at Chapecoense in the latest issue of When Saturday Comes, which is available in newsagents and online.

Rodrigo Caio scouting report: São Paulo's Mr Versatile ready for Europe after putting injury woes behind him

Some people in Brazil call him a Mauricinho – a daddy's boy – because he's got nice hair and choses his words carefully. But while Rodrigo Caio might not be your typical street footballer, there's a proper player there.

The São Paulo man has been tipped for the top for some time, but his progress was slowed by a serious knee injury in 2014. Now, though, having established himself as one of the most cultured defenders in Série A and broken into the Brazil squad, his star looks to be in the ascendency again.

I profile the Tricolor's Mr Versatile in my latest Brazilian scouting report on the Unibet blog. You can read it here.

Sultan of stepovers: Remembering Denílson, Brazil and São Paulo's rubber-legged Pied Piper

There he goes, steaming down the flank with a gaggle of would-be markers in tow, doing one, two, three [*fast forward to save time]... nine stepovers and whipping the ball into the box.

Yep, it's Denílson, the rubber-legged wing whippet and self-described social "tsumani", solely responsible for 70% of playground grazes sustained in the summer of 1998.

The former São Paulo, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Seleção winger is the subject of my latest South American Cult Heroes column for Unibet.

You can read it here.

Alexandre Pato starting to shine for São Paulo after stating desire to play out wide

Like so many other ill-fated schemes, it began with Silvio Berlusconi.

Alexandre Pato had begun his Milan career in stunning style, scoring 24 Serie A goals in goals in his first two seasons and cementing his reputation as one of the best prospects in the game. World domination - both at club level and for Brazil - had seemed inevitable.

Then along came Silvio. A master tactician in his own mind, the three-time Italian prime minister thought Pato – by that point fast becoming the Rossoneri's most marketable asset – was drifting wide too much, wasting energy that could be used in the box. So Berlusconi called on the youngster to play through the middle.

Or at least that is how Pato himself recalls it. In an enlightening interview last week, the forward claimed that the tweak to his role was partly to blame for his subsequent travails at the San Siro and the premature end to his time in Europe.

Read my latest article for WhoScored here.

From the ashes: Breno looking to get career back on track in Brazil after prison sentence for arson

He calls it an accident but that was not how the court in Germany saw it in July of 2012. Nine months earlier, the luxury villa he rented in a suburb of Munich had burnt to the ground. A grave error, surely, but not unintentional, according to judge Rosi Datzman, who handed him a sentence of three years and nine months in prison. Prosecutors had pushed for more.

So it was that Breno, once viewed as one of the most promising young defenders in world football, arrived at his lowest ebb. A career that had promised so much – the Brazilian was snapped up by Bayern Munich while still in his teens and was seen as a future Seleção stalwart – lay in tatters, his name destined to become little more than a bizarre footnote or the answer to a pub quiz question.

Or so it appeared. For against all odds, Breno is working towards a footballing renaissance back in his homeland.

Read the rest of this piece over at ESPN FC.

Absolutely fabulous: Luís Fabiano gatecrashes São Paulo's Fantastic Four to provide reminder of his quality

Bad news for fans of title races going right to the wire: it now seems unlikely that São Paulo will manage to overthrow the heavyweights of Cruzeiro before the Campeonato Brasileirão season ends. Going into the midweek round, the Tricolor trail by four points having played a game more than their rivals. Stranger things have happened, but rarely to a side so battle-hardened as this Cruzeiro outfit.

And yet, as thoughts turn to end-of-year lists and prizes, there is an argument to be made that São Paulo are some kind of people’s champions. Led by the ‘Quartero Fantástico’ – the Fantastic Four of Kaká, Alexandre Pato, Alan Kardec and Paulo Henrique Ganso – São Paulo embarking on a run of 7 victories in 8 games to climb above Internacional, Corinthians and Fluminense.

Yet after the Cruzeiro win came a frustrating stutter: just one point salvaged from four games. The chasing pack closed in; one of the runners in the two-horse race looked to have limped out of contention. One man, though, had other ideas. Luís Fabiano has stepped up to the plate in grand style in recent weeks, netting four times in five starts to put São Paulo back within striking distance once more.

Read the rest of this piece on O Fabuloso's mini-revival on the WhoScored site. 

Fantastic four begin to click for São Paulo

Of all the sides in the Campeonato Brasileiro, none contains more recognisable faces – to European football fans, at least – than São Paulo FC. There's Álvaro Pereira, the Uruguayan wing-back, on the left flank. Former Arsenal midfielder Denílson sits in front of the back four, sniffing out danger and, yes, playing five-yard sideways passes. Luís Fabiano plunders goals and collects red cards like they're going out of fashion. Then there's Rogério Ceni, the goalscoring goalkeeper, who is something of a cult figure in some circles.

Really, though, the team's true star power lies in an attacking quartet that has begun to light up the division in recent weeks. In Kaká, Paulo Henrique Ganso, Alan Kardec and Alexandre Pato, São Paulo could well have found their very own fantastic four, a combination capable of taking them into next season's Libertadores, if not a sustained title challenge (you win again, Cruzeiro).

Read the rest of this piece on the WhoScored website.

What's eating Paulo Henrique Ganso?

“Did you see Ganso?”

The question, posed by Folha de S Paulo columnist Juca Kfouri on Monday, was of course rhetorical. No one saw him. The São Paulo midfielder was denied the chance to face his former employers Santos on Sunday, relegated to the bench by coach Muricy Ramalho and failing to make an impact after coming on for the final 15 minutes.

The decision to leave Ganso out raised the odd eyebrow, but the truth is that most understood Muricy’s reasoning. It was just the latest disappointment for a player whose star has waned drastically in the past few years. Paulo Henrique (‘Ganso’ being a nickname meaning ‘goose’) was once viewed as the heir to Brazil’s playmaking crown, but is in danger of becoming a footnote in history. It was not supposed to be like this.

Read the rest of this article on the Yahoo! Eurosport blog.

The week(end) that was - #7

Juninho rolls back the years, Alexandre Pato and Renato Augusto show their true colours and São Paulo continue to struggle: it's the weekend in Brazilian football!


The Little King returns

Few players in the Brazilian game feel a stronger connection with a single team than Juninho Pernambucano does with Vasco da Gama. The love affair started in 1995 when the midfielder, then a fresh-faced (well, fresher-faced) youth, joined the Rio outfit from Sport. He went on to play a key role as Vasco won two domestic titles and a maiden Copa Libertadores crown, before making the inevitable switch to Europe. A decade later he returned to huge fanfare, signing a contract worth just £55 a week with the notoriously debt-happy club.

Juninho left Vasco for a second time in December 2012 after growing frustrated with boardroom bickering and penned a deal with New York Red Bulls. But when that arrangement soured, the man nicknamed Reizinho da Colina (Little King of the Hill – in reference to the location of the club's stadium rather than the cartoon) made an unexpected return to his spiritual home, signing a contract that will keep him at São Januário until December.

Fittingly, the first appearance of his third spell coincided with the return of domestic football to the Maracanã, the site of many of his past glories. Sunday's clássico between Fluminense and Vasco was the first club match to be played in the historic stadium since September 2010 and drew a crowd of nearly 35,000 paying spectators – a good 30,000 more than Fluminense had averaged in their four 'home' matches up to that point.

Vasco were hopeful that Juninho's presence would help them leapfrog their city rivals in the Série A table, and father fate did not disappoint. Juninho retook to Brazilian football in style, scoring the opener with a powerful effort before laying on another as Vasco ran out 3-1 winners.

Midtable mediocrity may beckon for the Gigante da Colina but at least fans can look forward to their favourite son providing some fireworks (and scoring some free-kicks) before the end of the season.

(Juninho wasn't the only veteran to shine this weekend, incidentally: Alex (35) took his tally for the year to 21 with a brace for Coritiba against Santos; Zé Roberto (39) scored a fine goal for Grêmio; and Paulo Baier (38) provided a dreamy assist for Marcelo in Atlético Paranaense's 1-1 draw with Corinthians.


Masked avengers

That final match was notable mainly for the monsoon-like conditions in which it took place, but also because it underlined a recent upturn in fortunes for Corinthians' two big off-season signings. Repatriated from Europe at no little expense, Alexandre Pato and Renato Augusto both made underwhelming starts to life at the Parque São Jorge, the former developing a worrying habit of missing open goals and the latter struggling to shake off a series of injuries.

A couple of months ago fans would have been forgiven for wondering whether the €15million spent on the pair might have been better invested elsewhere, but both have provided glimpses of their talent in recent weeks: Renato scored an imperious lob in the first leg of the Recopa Sul-Americana final against São Paulo (never a bad way to ingratiate yourself to the Fiel) while Pato netted twice to give the Timão a valuable away win against Bahia a fortnight ago.

The two linked up to good effect on Sunday, combining for their side's equalising goal. Renato, wearing a Phantom-of-the-Opera mask to protect a facial injury sustained earlier in the month, dug out a tempting cross for Pato, who planted a firm header past Weverton in the Atlético goal. The former Milan striker proceeded to show off his mysterious new hand-mask celebration, which has proven a big hit among Corinthians fans online. Both he and Renato will be keen to show more of their true colours in the coming months.


From bad to worse

São Paulo continue to outdo themselves in their one-horse race to the bottom. Coming into the weekend the Tricolor had lost six games on the trot – an indignity they had not suffered since the first six matches of the club's history, back in 1936. This weekend things started off reasonably enough, Paulo Autouri's side making it to half-time on level terms with in-form Cruzeiro. But then things fell apart once more. Luan profitted from some shoddy defending to slam home a volley and then trundled through to add a second. He completed his hat-trick minutes later with jarring inevitability.

"They have become the league's punch bag," Estado de S.Paulo columnist Artero Greco mused. "At the first sign of strength from their opponents, they lose control in every way – physically, emotionally and tactically."

The problem for São Paulo is that the experienced players who could reasonably be expected to set an example are among the biggest culprits in their decline: Rogério Ceni has more power in the dressing room than is healthy; Lúcio is a shadow of the player who captained Brazil; Luís Fabiano seems more interested in locking horns with referees than he is in scoring goals. Unfortunately, things are likely to get worse before they get better.

A version of this article was published by The Guardian.

Sovereignty on the rocks: São Paulo struggling on and off the pitch

Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. The night is darkest before the dawn and all that. The problem for fans of São Paulo FC is that it's only ten past midnight and things are already unbearably bad.

On Wednesday evening the Tricolor lost 2-0 to Corinthians in the second leg of the Recopa Sul-Americana, a result that sealed a 4-1 aggregate win for the latter. As the São Paulo players trudged off the pitch at the Pacaembu, their bitter rivals celebrated their fourth trophy of the decade.

Yet that was merely a drop in the ocean of dejection that has flooded through the club in recent weeks. A season that begun with hopes of Copa Libertadores glory and a domestic title challenge has come apart at the seams, prompting a rash of finger-pointing among shell-shocked supporters.

Read the rest of this article on the WhoScored website.

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.)

Against all odds: São Paulo channel horror film alter ego to progress in Libertadores

São Paulo FC needed a miracle. Two miracles, actually. With one game remaining in Group 3 of the Copa Libertadores, the Tricolor were all but eliminated, requiring a win against Atlético Mineiro to stand a chance of sneaking into the knockout stages. Even a victory wouldn't guarantee anything: they also needed a favour from Arsenal de Sarandí, who hosted Bolivian side The Strongest.

Keeping up their own half of the bargain looked the hardest part. Atlético went into yesterday's match at the Morumbi with a 100 per cent record in the competition, having scored 16 goals in their opening five matches. Led by a rejuvenated Ronaldinho, they have reaped the rewards of having a settled, balanced starting XI, on which coach Cuca, himself in the midst of a career renaissance, has been working for well over a year.

To make matters worse, São Paulo were beset by selection issues. Luís Fabiano was suspended for the millionth time since his return to Brazil, as was Jádson, the player whose understated performances lifted the side to last season's Copa Sul-Americana. In came the bustling Aloísio and Douglas. The latter, a full-back by trade, was asked to play on the right of an attacking quartet – a clear sign that coach Ney Franco has yet to fill the hole left by Lucas since the latter left for Paris Saint-Germain.

Atlético were expected to relish the chance to dump the Tricolor out of the competition but Cuca's team selection suggested a more cautious approach: Serginho started in place of the far more attacking Diego Tardelli. That lack of ambition was reflected in a performance that had very little in common with their previous outings in the competition. Simply put, their hearts weren't really in it. Ronaldinho even admitted as such to reporters at half-time, calling it a "big training session".

That São Paulo hadn't scored by that stage owed more to luck than judgement. The hosts, spurred on rather than daunted by the difficulty of the task at hand, produced their best display of the competition so far. Denílson and Wellington snuffed out the threat of Ronaldinho. Douglas and Osvaldo probed the channels, forcing Atlético full-backs Richarlyson and Marcos Rocha – usually such reliable outlets for the Galo – back into their own half. Paulo Henrique Ganso, a player whose star has waxed and waned over the last two years, put in his best performance in a São Paulo shirt, protecting the ball and ushering team-mates forward with his languid passing.

By the time the second half began, the Tricolor knew that their fate was in their own hands; Arsenal had taken the lead against The Strongest. Urged forward by an uncommonly raucous Morumbi crowd, São Paulo dug deep and soon got their reward. Aloísio was felled by Leonardo Silva in the area, allowing goalkeeper Rogério Ceni to stroke home from the spot. The veteran, who continues to divide opinion ("the Margaret Thatcher of Brazilian football", as one Tweeter recently put it) sunk to his knees in celebration of his 110th career goal. Few have been more vital.

Atlético didn't fight back, instead allowing São Paulo to score a second. Ganso's heart-stopping through-ball (how long I've waited to use a sentence like that again) released Osvaldo, whose cut-back was turned home coolly by substitute Ademílson. Game over.

As injury time began, news filtered through that Arsenal had indeed won in Sarandí. Against all odds, São Paulo were back from the brink. It's not the first time they've cheated fate: when the Tricolor won the Brasileirão in 2006, everyone expected it to be a one-off, but they came back to win it the following year – and the year after that. In so doing, they earnt the nickname 'Jason', after the antagonist from the Friday the 13th films. Like the masked killer, goes the logic, they just won't die.

Atlético's lax approach, meanwhile, could quickly come back to haunt them. The fixtures for the round of 16 are decided not through a draw but by a seeding process: the team with the best record from the group stage plays the team with the worst, and so on. Atlético had already qualified as first seeds. The team that qualified with the lowest points tally turned out to be... São Paulo. "[Ronaldinho] can play how he wants," remarked Ceni, pointedly. "Next time it counts."

When the sequel comes around they may live to regret not putting the final nail in São Paulo's coffin. In Brazilian football, as in horror films, you write off Jason at your peril.


A version of this article was published by The Guardian.

(Photo credit: Tom Dib, LancePress.)

Copa Libertadores preview

And so it begins. The Copa Libertadores got underway last night with the thrilling draw between Nacional and Barcelona, before Emelec and Universidad de Chile picked up home wins. The Brazilian challenge begins this evening, when Atlético-MG host São Paulo (big game klaxon) and Fluminense travel to Venezuela to face Caracas. Here's my take on how Brazil's six contenders shape up this year...

Palmeiras

Coach: Gilson Kleina
Key players: Henrique, Souza, Wesley
Group 2 opponents: Libertad (PAR), Tigre (ARG), Sporting Cristal (PER)

Libertadores champions in 1999, the Verdão face an uphill task to make their mark on this year's edition. Having won the Brazilian Cup midway through 2012, Palmeiras' season fell apart, culminating in their relegation from Série A in November. A number of key players have since left, meaning that the squad, despite some shrewd budget signings (Ayrton, Kléber, Léo Gago), lacks that air of class. A protracted flirtation with Juan Román Riquelme threatened to change that, but negotiations came to nought – probably a good thing, given the potential cost of bringing the Argentine to São Paulo. If Palmeiras progress to the latter stages of the competition, coach Gilson Kleina will go down as a miracle worker.

Atlético Mineiro

Coach: Cuca
Key players: Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Réver, Diego Tardelli
Group 3 opponents: São Paulo, Arsenal de Sarandí (ARG), The Strongest (BOL)

The surprise package of last season's Campeonato Brasileiro, the Galo embark on their first Libertadores campaign since 2000. They certainly boast the attacking talent to trouble any side; Ronaldinho Gaúcho is still a force to be reckoned with at this level, busy youngster Bernard and beanpole striker Jô provide ample support, and the returning Diego Tardelli will plunder plenty of goals. Crucial to their chances could be home advantage: the club has elected to snub the newly-renovated Mineirão in favour of the Estádio Independência, whose cramped, steep stands tend to create a more intimate – and intimidating – atmosphere.


São Paulo

Coach: Ney Franco
Key players: Lúcio, Luís Fabiano, Jádson
Group 3 opponents: Atlético Mineiro, Arsenal de Sarandí (ARG), The Strongest (BOL)

Winners of the Copa Sul-Americana in 2012, São Paulo look well placed to make the step up to the continent's premier competition this year. Theirs is a squad replete with experience: former seleção captain Lúcio join fellow veterans Rogério Ceni and Luís Fabiano to form a formidable spine. In midfield, a rejuvenated Denílson has formed a promising partnership with Wellington, allowing Jádson to focus on creative duties. Yet there are concerns for coach Ney Franco. The departure of Lucas has left the attack lopsided, whilst Paulo Henrique Ganso appears to be a square peg in a formation of round holes. The failure to sign another attacker – such as Edu Vargas, who was poached by Grêmio – could come back to haunt the Tricolor.

Corinthians

Coach: Tite
Key players: Paulinho, Paolo Guerrero, Cássio
Group 5 opponents: Millonarios (COL), San José (BOL), Tijuana (MEX)

Reigning Libertadores champions, the Timão have done what all great clubs do (and what all other clubs resent): strengthen after success. In have come Alexandre Pato, Renato Augusto and Gil – three players of unquestionable quality, although none is even guaranteed a starting place. Even more significant could be the form of Paolo Guerrero: the Peruvian has begun the year in startling form and will be relishing his opportunity to grace this competition for the first time. With coach Tite's star shining brighter than ever before, it would take a brave man to bet against Corinthians repeating their 2012 triumph.


Fluminense

Coach: Abel Braga
Key players: Fred, Wellington Nem, Diego Cavalieri
Group 8 opponents: Grêmio, Caracas (VEN), Huachipato (CHI)

The off-season passed relatively serenely at Laranjeiras, with no major transfers in or out. This, one senses, is exactly how they like it. Little has changed for the side that won the Brasileirão in 2012, meaning that the steady hand of coach Abel Braga will again be their greatest strength. Not that the Tricolor squad lacks star quality; in Fred they boast perhaps the most ruthless matador on the continent, while the zippy Wellington Nem and goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri also ooze class. Much will depend on whether players like Deco, Thiago Neves and Rafael Sóbis – undoubted talents, one and all – can stay fit and produce the goods on a regular basis.

Grêmio

Coach: Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Key players: Elano, Welliton, Hernán Barcos
Group 8 opponents: Fluminense, Caracas (VEN), Huachipato (CHI)

Until just a few weeks ago, Grêmio unlikely to make waves in this season's competition. While Vanderlei Luxemburgo could count on some solid performers – Elano, Werley and Zé Roberto were especially impressive in 2012 – the Porto Alegre side appeared to lack the sprinkling of attacking quality that separates good sides and great ones. But an astonishing transfer blitz has changed all that. In have come three forwards of the highest calibre: Hernán 'El Pirata' Barcos (Palmeiras), Edu Vargas (Napoli), Welliton (Spartak Moscow). How Luxa plans to accommodate that trio is anyone's guess, particularly given that Marcelo Moreno and Kléber are (at time of writing, at least), still at the club. Expect fireworks.

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.)

São Paulo's Ferrari: On Manchester United Target Lucas

São Paulo flyer Lucas has long since attracted covetous glances from Europe's big boys, but things got real this week; Manchester United made a €33million bid for the 19-year-old.

With a maelstrom of questions and YouTube-based opinions looming ominously on the horizon, I've written a profile of the young forward for Unibet. I've attempted to elucidate some of his strengths and weaknesses, based on what I've seen over the last couple of years.

To read the article, click here.

(Please excuse the crushingly generic picture that accompanies the article and join me in bemoaning the extortionate cost of buying photographs for editorial use.)

Vasco Crowned Copa do Brasil Champions; São Paulo Maintain 100% League Record

Vasco da Gama won the Brazilian cup for the first time in their 113 year history last night, overcoming Coritiba on away goals. There was also a Campeonato Brasileiro match taking place, with unbeaten pair Atlético Mineiro and São Paulo meeting in Sete Lagoas...

É campeão! Diego Souza and Alecsandro celebrate.

Coritiba 3-2 Vasco da Gama
Finally, the perennial bridesmaids of Brazilian football have a Copa do Brasil title of their own. Vasco were forced to do things the hard way, however, against Marcelo Oliveira's brave Coritiba outfit. The Rio giants travelled to Paraná with the slenderest of leads, having won the first leg 1-0 at the São Januário. That clean sheet on home soil would turn out to be critical.

Both sides came flying out of the blocks; Éder Luís had an early effort deflected into the side netting, whilst Jonas came close with a free-kick for the Coxa. The opening goal duly arrived in the 11th minute; Éder Luís ran onto Diego Souza's fine pass, before squaring for Alecsandro to finish. The Couto Pereira, usually so vibrant, was momentarily silenced. The home side fought back, however, managing two quick goals before the interval; Bill nodded home from close range, and Davi smashed home the second.

Vasco players celebrate Éder Luís' strike in trademark style.

The hosts, then, needed just one more after the break, and continued to press forward. What came next was a knockout blow. There seemed to be little danger as Éder Luís dribbled forward, with plenty of Coritiba defenders between him and the goal. His hopeful shot, however, was horribly misjudged by Édson Bastos, who allowed the ball to bounce over his flailing left leg. Vasco's players indulged in their trem bala da colina (bullet train) celebration, forming a conga line of delirium. Coritiba pulled one back through Willian's fabulous volley, but the spoils went to Ricardo Gomes' men. Parabéns, Vasco, campeão inédito!

Atlético Mineiro 0-1 São Paulo
Despite being on the back foot for much of the match, São Paulo snatched all three points from their trip to Minas Gerais. With Rogério Ceni on vintage form for the Tricolor, Atlético's dominance of possession failed to translate onto the scoreboard, despite the Galo racking up nearly 20 attempts on goal. Brazil U20 midfielder Casemiro netted the winner, curling home from just outside the area. The victory - their third in three games - takes São Paulo to the summit of Série A.

Results. Copa do Brasil; Coritiba 3-2 Vasco (3-3 on aggregate, Vasco win on away goals). Série A; Atlético-MG 0-1 São Paulo.

(Photo credits; (1) & (2) Cleber Mendes.)

Rivaldo and Dagoberto Lift São Paulo; Gusmão Sacked Following Poor Start for Vasco

It was another busy, busy week in Brazil, with Copa Libertadores qualifiers and South American Youth Championship games jostling for space among two rounds of state championship action. In the Paulistão, Santos and Palmeiras continue to set the pace, but São Paulo sit just one point adrift after an inspired second half comeback against Americana. In Rio, Vasco da Gama continued their catastrophic start to 2011, slumping to two disheartening defeats against Nova Iguaçu and Boavista; results that today cost coach PC Gusmão his job. The other three big guns in the Carioca - Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo - maintained their 100% records. In continental competition, Grêmio and Corinthians both drew in the first legs of their Libertadores qualifiers.

Americana 3-4 São Paulo
São Paulo have become somewhat of a conundrum in Brazil over the past two years; theirs is a squad of undoubted quality, but one which has routinely underachieved both domestically and in the Libertadores. The problem, to some extent, is one of inflated expectations; the three consecutive Brasileirão titles that the club won between 2006 and 2008 under the stewardship of Muricy Ramalho represent - rightly or wrongly - the yardstick against which the Tricolor's achievements are bound to be judged. But even considered in isolation, São Paulo's ninth place finish in last year's Série A is hugely disappointing, especially once one glances at the players at their disposal; Dagoberto, Miranda, Fernandão, Ricardo Oliveira, Marlos and Jean would all find their way into most Brazilian sides.

Thumbs up for ludicrous transfers!

As well as undergoing some managerial turmoil (neither Ricardo Gomes and Sérgio Baresi even began to approach the kind of impact that Ramalho had at the Morumbi), São Paulo have suffered from the lack of a consistent tactical system; often switching between three and four defenders, shunting players (like Jean, Fernandinho and Fernandão) into a range of different positions, and failing to find a way of properly allying nippy forwards (Dagoberto, Marlos, Fernandinho) with beanpole giants like Fernandão and Washington. New boss Paulo César Carpeggiani, by his own admission, is still grappling with such issues, and spent the post-season break searching for, and moaning about his inability to locate, a bona fide No.10 for his side. That particular problem was solved this week by the sensational signing of Rivaldo, whose 38 years apparently proved no barrier to a return to the top table of Brazilian football. Whether this coup helps Carpeggiani to construct a stable system in his image remains to be seen.

Wednesday's clash with Americana, then, despite being São Paulo's fourth Paulistão game (they lost 1-0 to Ponte Preta four days earlier), still had a whiff of pre-season about it, with players staking their claim to a starting spot ahead of the real restructuring of the side. On the evidence of the first half, during which Americana earnt a deserved 2-1 lead, Carpeggiani needs to focus on his defence; Xandão, Alex Silva and the Atlético Madrid-bound Miranda were at sixes and sevens as Marcinho and Rafael struck for the hosts. The Tricolor required a slice of luck to even get on the scoresheet; Gercimar turned past his own goalkeeper after good wing play from Fernandinho.

São Paulo's two-goal hero Dagoberto.

São Paulo, though, inspired by the diminutive Dagoberto, took control in the second period. The man they call Dagol lofted a classy finish over the Americana 'keeper (and, according to the linesman, over the goal line) to get the visitors back on level terms, before bagging his second from Fernandão's cross. With 15 minutes remaining, Jean's long-range effort cannoned off the post and the unlucky Jaílson to put São Paulo 4-2 up. Fumagalli's injury time effort would prove no more than a consolation for the home side. A hard fought victory for São Paulo, then, who will hope for greater stability both on and off the pitch in the coming months.

Campeonato Carioca Round-up
The state championships have claimed their first major victim; Vasco boss PC Gusmão was fired today following his side's abject start to the Carioca. Club president Roberto Dinamite actually promised on Thursday that Gusmão's position was safe, but after further talks with the club's directors, evidently decided to renege on that commitment. Talk is cheap in football, especially when one has (both metaphorically and, in Vasco's case, quite literally) a baying mob of fans to appease. Gusmão enjoyed a relatively succesful 2010, overachieving with Ceará before guiding Vasco to mid-table safety in Série A, but a run of three straight defeats brought his reign at the São Januário to a close.

I'm a PC; sacked Vasco boss Gusmão.

The Gigante da Colina faced Nova Iguaçu on Sunday, and found themselves 2-0 down within twenty minutes, due to some laughable defending. Rômulo and Marcel dragged Vasco back into contention, but with time running out, Nova Iguaçu striker William waltzed into the box unchallenged to slot home the winner. Things went from bad to worse on Wednesday, when Boavista romped to a convincing 3-1 win over the Cruzmaltino. Vasco's supporters must be seriously apprehensive about the coming year.

There are no such concerns for Série A champions Fluminense, who have hit the ground running this term. There were two goals apiece for Fred, Marquinho and Rodriguinho in Sunday's 6-2 win over Olaria, which was followed by a comfortable 3-1 win over Macaé. Recent acquisition Souza got off the mark for the club with a brace in that second game. Flamengo also racked up two wins, against the similarly-named América and Americano. Thiago Neves made his début for the Rubro-Negro in the latter clash, but it was Wanderley who hogged the headlines with two tap-ins.

Despite some problems behind the scenes (star striker 'Loco' Abreu and coach Joel Santana don't appear to be singing from the same hymn-sheet), Botafogo continued to impress, picking up 5-0 and 4-1 wins against Cabofriense and Madureira respectively. Young forward Caio netted in both games, and must be close to securing the regular starting spot which has thus far eluded him, whilst new signing João Filipe has tightened up the Fogão backline. Spare a thought, though, for Cabofriense midfielder Goeber, who had to explain to his daughter that the two goals he managed to score on Sunday were both at the wrong end of the field, and hence didn't merit her congratulatory cheers.

Campeonato Paulista Round-up
In the immortal (and awkwardly adapted) words of Crowded House; everywhere Santos go, they always take the goals with them. The net rippled no fewer than twelve times in the Peixe's two games this week, as the early pace-setters beat Grêmio Prudente 4-2 and drew 3-3 with São Caetano. Former Manchester City midfielder Elano stamped his mark on both games, dictating play from midfield and netting no fewer than four goals. There were also signs that Keirrison - that paradigm European transfer flop - is beginning to regain some of the form that brought him into the public eye in the first place; he scored in both games.

Palmeiras, so abject in their opening game last week, suddenly look a force to be reckoned with, and sit level on points with Santos at the head of the table. A hard-fought win over Oeste was followed by the impressive dismantling of Paulista, a game which marked the return of legendary goalkeeper Marcos from injury. Kléber fired home a sumptuous volley in a 3-1 win for the Verdão. Corinthians only had the one Paulistão game this week, due to their participation in the Libertadores; the Timão were held 1-1 by Noroeste.

Copa Libertadores Round-up
Both Grêmio and Corinthians were in action in the qualifying round for this year's Libertadores, which kicks off next month. Corinthians hosted Colombian side Tolima, hoping to build up an advantage ahead of next week's tricky-looking away leg. Tite's side, however, endured a frustrating evening at the Pacaembu, and were unable to break the deadlock. A nervy return tie beckons for the Timão. Grêmio will be far happier, having battled to a useful 2-2 draw in Montevideo against Liverpool. André Lima and Douglas grabbed the all-important away goals for the Tricolor.

South American Youth Championship
The Brazil U20 side secured safe passage into the competition's final stage, despite not producing the fireworks that lit up their opening games in the competition. First up for Ney Franco's side this week were Bolivia, who produced a spirited display to claim a 1-1 draw. The seleção never really got into their rhythm and were somewhat cluttered in the attacking third; Casemiro's powerful forward bursts and Neymar's willingness to drop deep meant that (nominal) No.10 Lucas had little space in which to make an impression. Strikers Henrique and Willian José are, for me at least, too similar, although the former did tuck away a smart finish in the first half.

Henrique celebrates his winner against Ecuador.

Henrique was on target again on Tuesday, scoring a fine goal which handed Brazil victory over Ecuador. Franco rested most of his first choice players for the match, preferring instead to hand run-outs to his squad players. Having won Group B, Brazil now enter the six-team final group, hoping to secure qualification for the 2012 Olympic competition.

Best of the Rest
Grêmio somehow also squeezed two Campeonato Gaúcho games into their schedule this week, and emerged with maximum points, following wins over Canoas and São José-RS. The latter game was significant for being Jonas' final match for the club; the striker has joined Spanish giants Valencia after his extraordinarily low €1.25million release clause was met. Internacional, who continue to field a team of reserve players, also picked up two wins. Avaí continued their woeful Campeonato Catarinense form with a fourth loss on the bounce, while a 3-0 win over Trindade extended Atlético-GO's lead in the Goiás state championship.

Selected results. Carioca; America-RJ 1-3 Flamengo, Nova Iguaçu 2-3 Vasco, Fluminense 6-2 Olaria, Cabofriense 0-5 Botafogo, Flamengo 2-0 Americano, Boavista 3-1 Vasco, Fluminense 3-1 Macaé, Botafogo 4-1 Madureira. Paulista; São Paulo 0-1 Ponte Preta, Corinthians 1-1 Noroeste, Grêmio Prudente 2-4 Santos, Palmeiras 1-0 Oeste, Americana 3-4 São Paulo, Santos 3-3 São Caetano, Palmeiras 3-1 Paulista. Libertadores; Corinthians 0-0 Tolima, Liverpool 2-2 Grêmio. Other; Brazil U20 1-1 Bolivia U20, Brazil U20 1-0 Ecuador U20.

(Photo credits; (1) & (2) Miguel Schincariol, (3) Marcelo Sadio, (4) EFE.)