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 - #5

Reborn Uruguayans, dressing room pacts, stories of redemption and mysterious masked fans: all in a few days' work for Brazilian football. Here are the stories of the weekend...

Lodeiro stakes his claim

Leggy forward Vitinho caught the eye in Botafogo's 3-0 win over Olária, climbing off the bench to score two fabulous goals in the final stages. But the game's true standout performer was Nicolás Lodeiro. With Clarence Seedorf given the evening off by Oswaldo de Oliveira, the Uruguayan made the most of a rare chance to assume centre stage, buzzing around nefariously behind the forwards and threatening with his dead-ball delivery. 

His goal, which arrived just after the interval, was a thing of beauty. Seizing upon a defensive slip-up, he surged towards the edge of the penalty area before cutting back onto his favoured left foot. With goalkeeper and centre-back (reasonably) expecting a shot, he then shifted the ball back to his right, taking them out of the game completely before clipping into the empty net. It was the kind of subtle, intelligent play that earnt him a move to Ajax as a 20-year-old and a place in Uruguay's 2010 World Cup squad. Botafogo may not be where he imagined himself playing at the age of 24, but the signs are that he's coming into his own in Brazil.

Público zero (almost)

Vasco da Gama's game against Friburguense on Sunday was played out in front of just paying 546 spectators at the São Januário. But this wasn't just another example of the occasionally fair-weather nature of Brazilian fandom. Rather, it was the result of a protest by the club's supporters' groups at the chaotic administration of president Roberto Dinamite. Barely a week seems to go by at Vasco without infighting or financial mismanagement coming to light, prompting the influential Força Jovem group to call for público zero this weekend. 

A few hundred picket-line crossers diminished the force of the protest slightly, but the presence of fans outside the stadium before kick-off was enough to dissuade Dinamite from attending. The anger is entirely understandable but Vasco fans must be careful what they wish for; portions of the crowd were calling for the return of Eurico Miranda, a man most famous for his and callous reaction to a stadium accident that left over 150 people injured at a Vasco match in 2000.*

(Another curiosity at the São Januário was the reappearance of the creepily-masked supporter known as Mister M. Could Mister M have anything to do with Mr Miranda? Conspiracy theories abound.)

Palmeiras pact pays off

Last month's 6-2 mauling at the hands of minnows Mirassol was always likely to go down as a key moment in Palmeiras' season. After the travails of 2012 and unedifying (read: despicable) scuffles between idiotic fans and players in March, you would have been forgiven for expecting total meltdown as the club prepares for life in Série B.

But things have panned out rather differently. Coach Gilson Kleina kept his job and has led the Verdão to three consecutive wins. This weekend a goal from in-form Leandro (who also scored on debut for Brazil in the non-event friendly with Bolivia just 24 hours earlier) saw them condemn early-season flyers Ponte Preta to their first defeat in 17 Paulistão games.

The key to this turnaround? Crisis talks in the dressing room following the Mirassol match. "We made a pact to overcome adversity," said defender Wendel. Fluffy-haired creator Tiago Real chimed in: "We said that we had to start from scratch. The results show that we've done that." These remain early days, but one senses that better times lie ahead for Palmeiras.

Fonte Nova opens with a bang

Another of Brazil's World Cup stadiums was unveiled on Sunday, when the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador hosted the Campeonato Baiano game between Bahia and Vitória. The 55,000-seat stadium, built as a replacement for the Estádio Octávio Mangabeira, will host six games in 2014, as well as three at this summer's Confederations Cup. 

No serious issues were reported at the inauguration, meaning fans were able to fully enjoy the Ba-Vi, one of Brazil's most historic clássicos. Not that 'enjoy' was the right word for Bahia fans, who watched their side slump to a galling 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Ruby-and-Blacks. Among the scorers for Vitória was Maxi Biancucchi, the cousin of one Lionel Messi. Brazilians will be hoping that success doesn't run in the family if Argentina show up at the Fonte Nova in 2014.

Redemption for Rhayner

There are dry spells and then there are dry spells. Just ask Fluminense forward Rhayner. Before this weekend the 22-year-old had failed to register for the Tricolor, whom he joined at the start of the year. That would have be fine, except for the fact that he hadn't managed to find the net in 34 games for former club Náutico either. And for the three clubs he represented before them (Figueirense, Linense, Tombense)? You guessed it: zero goals. His last strike had come back in January 2011.

It wasn't for lack of trying; Rhayner did well enough at Náutico to earn a move to Flu, and had been lively in the latter's early Campeonato Carioca games. When the reigning Brazilian champions were awarded a penalty against Macaé last month, there was only one logical candidate to take it. Rhayner duly missed.

So when the youngster fortuitously found the net with a cross-shot against Resende on Saturday, the relief was almost palpable. After two years and 83 games without a goal, even a subsequent injury couldn't quite take the smile off his face; he left the pitch visibly buoyed by the cheers of the crowd at the Raulino de Oliveira stadium. Perhaps now the floodgates will open.

*For more on this story, read chapter thirteen of Alex Bellos' excellent Futebol.

A version of this article was published by The Guardian here.

(Photo credits: (1) Paulo Sergio, (2) Vanderlei Almeida/AFP.)

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 - #3

Join me as I look back upon a fine week of Libertadores and state championship action...

Romarinho punishes Palmeiras. Again

Corinthians forward Romarinho is fast establishing himself as a big game player par excellence. The 22-year-old came off the bench to earn his side a point in the clássico against Palmeiras, slotting home from the edge of the area following Alexandre Pato's square pass. It was his fourth goal in three games against the Verdão – a record that, coupled with his crucial goal in the 2012 Copa Libertadores final, has already earnt him cult status among the Corinthians faithful.


Malandragem não tem fim 

Atlético Mineiro's opener against São Paulo in the Libertadores last week appeared to be the result of sloppiness on the part of the Tricolor defence. Ronaldinho Gaúcho found himself in acres of space at a throw-in and took full advantage, biding his time before squaring for Jô to bundle home. But replays showed Ronaldinho surreptitiously wondering over to share a water bottle with Rogério Ceni in the build-up to the goal, prompting some to claim that this was a premeditated ploy.

Galo coach Cuca naturally denied the allegations ("It wasn't planned; it just happened. I'm just glad we made the most of it!") but either way, it was a potent example of malandragem from Ronaldinho, whose percussive passing was at the centre of a fine Atlético performance. The playmaker's seleção days may be numbered, but he is still more than capable of bossing matches at this level.


Fla flying high on a budget

Flamengo scrapped their way to a 1-0 win over Botafogo on Sunday – their sixth victory in seven matches since the turn of the year. The budgetary constraints imposed by new president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello seem to have engendered a greater sense of team spirit at Gávea, with none of the ego-massaging that defined previous regimes. Dorival Júnior's side looks robust at the back and peddles a nifty line in heart-stopping counter-attacks, utilising the pace of young Rafinha to full effect on the flanks. With striker Hernane continuing to plunder goals (his shinned effort at the Engenhão was his eighth of the season), Fla fans have plenty reasons to be cheerful.

Stranger danger

Grêmio's last-minute pre-Libertadores shopping spree was as thrilling as it was surprising. The Porto Alegre side boasted a settled squad and an experienced coach in Vanderlei Luxemburgo, but few had earmarked them as continental contenders in 2013. But the signings of Hernán Barcos (Palmeiras), Edu Vargas (Napoli) and Welliton (Spartak Moscow) made everyone sit up and take notice; in a matter of days Grêmio had assembled one of South America's most fearsome attacks, and were suddenly being spoken of as major players in this season's competition.

But the Tricolor started their campaign with a whimper, falling to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Huachipato last week. The problem was immediately visible: Grêmio played like a bunch of strangers – which, of course, is exactly what they are. Things will doubtlessly improve over time, but time is in short supply: Luxa and his charges travel to Rio to face reigning Brazilian champions Fluminense this week. If they lose that, they might need every last bit of their newly-acquired firepower to reach the knockout stages.

A version of this article was published by The Guardian.

The week(end) that was - #2

Football itself ceded centre stage to Brazil's stadiums this week, as the Arena do Grêmio and the Mineirão hogged the headlines for all the wrong reasons...

Stadium woes (part one)

"But can we still do the avalanche?" This was the first question asked by most Grêmio fans when plans for their new stadium were unveiled in late 2009. Their (in)famous goal celebration – which involves members of the Geral supporters' group rushing to the front of the terrace as one – was deeply associated with the Estádio Olímpico, whose shallow stands lent themselves to the idea as well as any. To maintain the tradition, one terrace of the Arena do Grêmio – which opened this year – was designed with the 'avalanche' specifically in mind – despite reservations voiced by the local military police corps over the safety of the celebration.

Those fears came flooding back last week. The safety barrier at the bottom of the stand dedicated to the 'avalanche' gave way as fans celebrated Grêmio's goal against LDU, leaving eight people requiring medical attention. Thankfully none were seriously injured, but in a state still in shock following the tragic events in Santa Maria, a hard truth seems to have hit home: tradition it may be, but a crowd of thousands piling down steps towards a barrier (sturdy or otherwise) is simply not safe. With local authorities and Conmebol investigating the incident, the addition of seats in the area is likely.

Miralles finds his feet at Santos

One of a number of Argentines to have come to prominence in Chilean football (see also: Darío Conca, Walter Montillo, Darío Bottinelli), Ezequiel Miralles made an inauspicious start to life in Brazil, making just nine Brasileirão starts for Grêmio before being shipped off to Santos in the deal that took Elano to Porto Alegre.

There are signs, however, that he could be ready to make a bigger impact in 2013. Miralles looked sharp in the seasiders' 3-1 derby win against São Paulo, scoring twice and linking up well with both Neymar and fellow hermano Montillo. With his waspish movement, the 29-year-old certainly provides a more subtle threat than André, his main competitor for a starting role. Much will depend on whether he can be similarly ruthless in front of goal, but Sunday's performance bodes well.

Stadium woes (part two)

After over a thousand days of restoration work, the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte was reopened by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff in December. The new-look stadium was used for the first time this weekend, with the clássico between Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG expected to be a celebratory affair.

But the football itself was overshadowed by a host of problems reported by fans. The more serious allegations – a lack of drinking water (in water fountains and subsequently even from taps), understaffed bars which then closed due to overcrowding, no toilet paper in bathrooms – provide significant cause for concern. The distress evident on the face of one man caught on camera, desperate for water to give to his son, was particularly troubling.

"The idea that these are just little teething troubles doesn't cut it," seethed Estadão's Antero Greco. "Fans were treated with disrespect – like they were litter. And they have the cheek to put up banners that say things like 'Enjoy the party!' It's lamentable."

Home sweet... oh

Paulo Henrique Ganso played against Santos for the first time since his acrimonious departure last year. To celebrate the occasion, the Peixe fans printed fake bank notes with his name and face on them, threw coins and even made a Ganso 'Judas doll' (don't ask) to punch, scratch and curse. At least somebody was a little more forgiving.

Like a duck to water

It's fair to say that Alexandre Pato knows how to make a good impression. (Insert Barbara Berlusconi joke here, if you're so inclined.) It took the striker just three minutes – and three touches – to open his account for Corinthians after coming off the bench against Oeste. Incredibly, he has now scored on début for every team he had represented at senior level, having made similarly positive first impressions for Internacional, Milan and the seleção. Whether he can maintain the early momentum, of course, will depend largely on his fitness – as both he and the Timão medical department will well know.

A version of this article was published by The Guardian here.

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.