Goals Galore at the Olímpico as Grêmio Stun Santos

Wednesday was a huge night of football in Brazil, with both Copa do Brasil semi-final first legs taking place, as well as two Libertadores games.

Grêmio 4-3 Santos (Copa do Brasil)
Last night's game in Porto Alegre saw the Tricolor gaúcho mount an incredible comeback to beat favourites Santos. The first period was dominated by the Peixe, who took the lead after 15 minutes; André finding space to head in Marquinhos' corner at the far post. Their advantage was doubled just minutes later, when André smartly beat Victor after a through-ball from the excellent Paulo Henrique. Grêmio had a golden opportunity to pull one back before the break, but Jonas saw his dire penalty saved by Felipe.

The home side were surely fearing a hiding, but reacted magnificently in the second half. Their first came when a tackle on Douglas fell kindly to Borges, who could hardly miss. The equaliser arrived soon after; Santos' Rodrigo Mancha dallied in midfield, and was robbed by Douglas, who slipped in Jonas on the right. The striker unselfishly crossed, and Borges stole in with this second. Jonas then ensured that his profligacy from the spot was well and truly forgotten, drilling in a shot from 25-yards. Golaço! Grêmio's red-hot spell was capped with a fourth goal in 18 minutes; Borges beating the offside trap and curling home for his hat-trick.

Borges - Grêmio's hat-trick hero.

Having let slip a strong position, Santos could have been forgiven for resorting to damage limitation, but in fact it was they who had the last word. Paulo Henrique lofted a glorious pass to Robinho, who controlled on his chest before blasting into the roof of the net. It was a stunning goal to round off a thrilling game, and it puts Santos back in pole position before the return leg next week.

Atlético-GO 1-0 Vitória (Copa do Brasil)
Atlético Goianiense continued to confound their doubters with a battling 1-0 win at the Serra Dourada. Neither they nor Vitória have ever appeared in a final of the cup, and nerves may have played a factor in a stuttering game. It was the minnows, however, who gained the advantage, when Rodrigo Tiuí volleyed in, via both the post and bar. The Leão must come from behind in the second leg.

Hernanes (left) celebrates São Paulo's second with Fernandão and Marlos.

Cruzeiro 0-2 São Paulo (Libertadores)
The first leg of the all-Brazilian quarter-final of the Libertadores saw in-form Cruzeiro lose to São Paulo. Nippy striker Dagoberto opened the scoring; tapping home after Marlos and Fernandão had combined on the right. Cruzeiro failed to show much cutting edge, and were left with it all to do at the Morumbi next week when the Tricolor got their second after 65 minutes. Dagoberto wriggled free on the left and passed infield, where the ball broke to Fernandão. The new signing found Hernanes with a back-heel, and the midfielder made no mistake, drilling expertly into the corner.

Flamengo 2-3 Universidad de Chile (Libertadores)
A poor performance by the Rubro-Negro at the Maracanã was punished by their Chilean opponents, who will fancy their chances of a semi-final berth. La U took the lead after just 4 minutes, when Victorino profited from some sloppy defending. Olarra made it two; outjumping Bruno to head home a free-kick. Fla pulled one back before half time, when Adriano met Kléberson's cross with a powerful header. After the break, it was Universidad who restored their two-goal advantage when Fernández reacted quicker than Juan to score at the far post. The Flamengo left-back made amends when his deflected long-range shot snuck past Miguel Pinto in the Universidad goal. This late lifeline gives Flamengo hope in the second leg, but they will have to improve vastly upon this showing to have a chance of progressing.

* * * Thursday Update * * *

Sorondo (left) celebrates his late winner at the Beira-Rio.

Internacional 1-0 Estudiantes (Libertadores)
The fourth of the Libertadores quarter-final first legs took place at the Beira-Rio on Thursday evening, with Inter playing host to holders Estudiantes. The visitors' star man Juan Sebastián Verón bossed the first half, earning substantial praise from today's Brazilian media, but it was the Colorado who got their noses in front. Ex-Crystal Palace defender Gonzalo Sorondo netted with a diving header in the final minutes, following a typically accurate free-kick from Andrezinho. The tie is set up for an intriguing second leg.

(Photo credits; (1) Gremio.net, (2) Unknown, (3) EFE.)

Brazil World Cup Squad Announced

Within the last hour, Dunga has revealed his selection for the World Cup, which kicks off in a month's time. The squad in full is;

Júlio César (Internazionale)
Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)
Doni (Roma)

Dani Alves (Barcelona)
Maicon (Internazionale)
Gilberto (Cruzeiro)
Michel Bastos (Lyon)
Lúcio (Internazionale)
Juan (Roma)
Luisão (Benfica)
Thiago Silva (Milan)

Felipe Melo (Juventus)
Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos)
Ramires (Benfica)
Elano (Galatasaray)
Josué (Wolfsburg)
Júlio Baptista (Roma)
Kléberson (Flamengo)
Kaká (Real Madrid)

Luís Fabiano (Sevilla)
Robinho (Santos)
Nilmar (Villarreal)
Grafite (Wolfsburg)

Speculation has been rife in recent weeks over potential call-ups for youngsters Neymar and Paulo Henrique, but neither made the final list. Ronaldinho too was left out, despite a significant recent lobby for his conclusion. These decisions should hardly shock us; Dunga is known, after all, for being the most stubborn of coaches. There were no places either for Diego, Alexandre Pato, or Marcelo.

Grafite; the biggest surprise of Dunga's squad.

The only major surprise is the selection of Wolfsburg striker Grafite ahead of Adriano, but given the latter's physical condition in recent months, this looks wise on Dunga's part. Heurelho Gomes' excellent form at Spurs should ensure that he is the main back-up for Júlio César, especially as Doni has been relegated to 3rd choice at Roma.

Interestingly, neither the left-backs who appeared in Brazil's Confederations Cup win (André Santos and Kléber) have earnt a place in the selection. Both flattered to deceive defensively, but judgement is still out on whether either Michel Bastos or Gilberto represent an improvement in that respect.

Kléberson returns to the biggest stage of all after 8 years.

Brazil also boast the experience of four members of the winning 2002 squad; Lúcio, Kaká, Gilberto Silva and Kléberson. The selection of the former Manchester United midfielder man caps a marvellous story of footballing redemption. At the time of the 2006 edition in Germany, Kléberson was 26, and should have been at the peak of his powers. Rather than starring in his second World Cup, however, he was struggling at Besiktas in Turkey, and was barely even under consideration when Felipão named his squad. Now, after recovering his form and confidence at Flamengo, he will hope to make a difference in South Africa.

(Photo credits; (1) AP, (2) Unknown.)

Absence of Stars and Fans Marks Start of Série A

The Campeonato Brasileiro got underway this weekend, but annouced its grand opening with a whisper rather than a shout. Many of the big clubs' marquee names (such as Paulo Henrique Ganso, Adriano, Vágner Love, Robinho, Andrés D'Alessandro, Borges, Thiago Ribeiro) were rested with cup competitions in mind; a maddening consequence of the muddled fixture list. Fans, too, were in short supply; an average of only 10,600 (paying) supporters per match according to Globo.

Both phenomena reflect the priorities of Brazilian clubs (and consequently, their fans) at this time of year. The Libertadores is understandably high on the agenda of Flamengo, Cruzeiro, Inter, and São Paulo, all of whom believe (probably correctly) that they can get away with fielding below-strength sides in the Brasileiro. The Copa do Brasil, too, is in the minds of Grêmio, Vitória, Atlético-GO and Santos, largely because the winners are granted a place in next year's Libertadores.

Despite these structural problems, things got off to an exciting start on the pitch, especially at the Engenhão...

Herrera celebrates his late equaliser for Botafogo.

Botafogo 3-3 Santos
On Saturday night, Botafogo displayed the kind of spirit typical of Joel Santana sides, which should go some way to staving off the relegation worries which beset them in 2009. O Glorioso started impressively, and defender Antônio Carlos headed them into a sixth minute lead. For the first half hour, Santos looked far from their free-flowing selves; second choice No.10 Madson struggled to fill Paulo Henrique's creative boots.

A goal can change everything, however, and so it proved here; Neymar netted following good work on the left by Alex Sandro and Marquinhos, and Peixe relaxed into the game. Santos took the lead just two minutes later, when André dispatched a first-time finish after a mistake from Botafogo left-wingback Somália. The home side were reeling, but they managed to nick a goal against the run of play seconds before half time; Antônio Carlos volleying in his second after Santos failed to clear an Alessandro free-kick.

Joel Santana sent on Edno and Caio at half-time in a clear sign of attacking intent, but to no great effect; rarely did any actual football break out among the petty fouls and play-acting. Fans were forced to wait for a blitz of action in the last 10 minutes, in which Zé Eduardo headed Santos into a 3-2 lead, Alex Sandro was harshly sent off, and Herrera equalised for Botafogo. The Argentine forward deserved his goal; his functional but committed approach, like his team's, provided a challenge for Santos' more fluid style. After the game, Santana declared himself disappointed with the draw, but in truth this was a fair result, and one which should hearten those associated with Fogo.

Palmeiras matchwinner Lincoln battles for possession.

Gameweek 1 Round-up
Saturday evening saw two more games, but only one more goal; Lincoln's well placed finish which gave Palmeiras a 1-0 win over Vitória at the Palestra Itália. Perhaps of greater importance for the Verdão was the exclusion of Diego Souza from their matchday squad. The playmaker has had a fractious relationship with the team's fans of late, and it appears like he could be moving on within the next few weeks. If he does, Palmeiras' thin hopes of a title challenge will be in tatters. At the Serra Dourado, newly promoted Atlético Goianiense earnt an impressive 0-0 draw with a below-par Grêmio.

Sunday saw perennial title-contenders São Paulo travel to Rio to play holders Flamengo. In a quiet game, it was Washington who gave the Tricolor the lead, finishing off a lovely move involving Léo Lima and veteran Marcelinho Paraíba. However, some pedestrian defending in the second half by São Paulo allowed Dênis Marques (who, I feel duty-bound to inform my readers, has the worst "hairstyle" I have ever seen) what seemed like hours to trundle into the box, pick his spot, and scuff a shot past Rogério Ceni. A tentative 1-1 draw was a fair reflection of the game.

At the Pacaembu, Corinthians came from a goal behind to beat Atlético-PR 2-1. Big striker Souza cancelled out Wagner Diniz's free-kick, before Ronaldo secured a win for Timão from the penalty spot. The win will likely take some of the pressure off the team, but may not cool supporters' anger about the renewal of coach Mano Menezes' contract.

In Porto Alegre, Internacional fell to a 2-1 loss to Belo Horizonte giants Cruzeiro. Kléber gave the Raposa an early lead from the penalty spot, only for Taison to head in an equaliser minutes later. It was the Gladiator that settled things though, firing in his second after running onto a long ball.

Cruzeiro hitman Kléber is congratulated by teammates after netting his second.

The biggest win of the round was Avaí's 6-1 destruction of nine-man Grêmio Prudente. Centre-back Emerson did much of the damage with a hat-trick, and Caio bagged himself a brace. The Abelha will have to defend much better, especially from dead balls, if they're to compete in future weeks.

Atlético-MG's victory over Vasco could have had a similar scoreline, but the home side had to settle for a 2-1 win at the Mineirão. Diego Tardelli set up Ricardinho for the opener, and looked to have got the second himself before Muriqui selfishly tapped it in himself. Vasco rallied with a goal from Elton, but couldn't find an equaliser.

Finally, both Ceará and Guarani showed that they will be no pushovers in Série A; the newly promoted teams battled to 1-0 home wins over Fluminense and Goias respectively.

(Photo credits; (1) Pedro Kirilos, (2) Ari Ferreira, (3) Unknown.)

Brasileirão Preview Part 2

So, onto the remaining 10 clubs competing in this season's Série A...

Botafogo (nicknamed O Glorioso - the glorious one)
Players to watch - 'Loco' Abreu, Herrera, Caio.
Despite winning the Carioca this term, Botafogo will be hard pushed to mount a title challenge in Série A. Last time out, they only pulled away from the relegation zone late in the season, so a comfortable mid-table finish will probably satisfy them. Coach Joel Santana is adept at managing relatively modest sides to moderate success, and this is undoubtedly his remit at the Engenhão; 'Loco' Abreu is the one player who comes close to star status. Youngster Caio made a big impact earlier this year, and is expected to provide some spark to Botafogo's functional side.

Carlos Alberto; when fit, Vasco's driving force.

Vasco da Gama (nicknamed Gigante da Colina - the giant of the hill)
Players to watch - Carlos Alberto, Philippe Coutinho, Élton.
Vasco have bounced straight back to Série A after a season in the second tier, but will likely struggle this term. The team relies to a great extent on the energetic Carlos Alberto, who has knuckled down after his career in Europe came off the rails. His fitness problems, however, mean that more responsibility is likely to be placed on young Philippe Coutinho, who is scheduled to join Italian giants Inter in June. If Vasco manage to keep the skilful playmaker until the end of the campaign, it will go some way to easing fears of a relegation dogfight; only pacy left-back Ramon and strikers Élton and Dodô stand out in the rest of the team.

Goiás (nicknamed Esmeraldino - the emeralds)
Players to watch - Felipe, Rafael Moura, Deyvid Sacconi.
This team profile would have featured heavily the name of Fernandão, but the big forward has today been sold to São Paulo. In return comes Carlinhos Paraíba (and some money), a decent midfielder, but hardly one to disguise the fact that Goiás's squad is rather low on talent. Striker Felipe managed 13 goals last term, and should be the team's focus up front. Rafael Moura is a recent acquisition from Atlético-PR, and will be the man to fill Fernandão's boots; albeit probably only in a physical sense. Loanee Deyvid (lovely spelling, that) Sacconi has shown moments of quality for his parent club Palmeiras, but perhaps the most important signing is disciplinarian coach Émerson Leão. If he can organise the meagre resources at his disposal, the top half is possible.

Grêmio Prudente (nicknamed Abelha - the bees)
Players to watch - Tadeu, Leonardo, Paulo César.
The club formerly known as Barueri return this year under a new name, having upped sticks and moved to a new city and stadium. The Milton Keynes Dons of Brazil, if you will. Despite an impressive first season in Série A (they finished the 2009 campaign in 11th), the club has lost its star performers in Val Baiano and Fernandinho, and are expected to struggle to repeat the feat. Experience has been brought in in the shape of full-back Paulo César, centre-back Leonardo, and striker Tadeu, who have had spells in France, the Ukraine and Turkey respectively. If they adapt to the new surroundings, Grêmio Prudente should secure a mid table finish.

Free-kicks? Yes. Penalties? Yes. Hair care? Not so much. Atlético-PR's Paulo Baier

Atlético Paranaense (nicknamed Furacão - the tornado)
Players to watch - Paulo Baier, Alan Bahia, Alex Mineiro.
The single representative of the city of Curitiba this year, Atlético-PR will again be aiming to avoid a relegation dogfight. The team is built around experience; Alan Bahia anchors the midfield, while the balding Paulo Baier provides dead-ball expertise further up the pitch. Veteran striker Alex Mineiro has also been added, but it remains to be seen if he can reproduce the prolific goalscoring that his record suggests he's capable of. The signings of the considerably younger attacking pair of Javier Toledo and Tartá (on loan from Fluminense) are gambles, but could inject some much needed pace into the side.

Avaí (nicknamed Leão da Ilha - the lion of the island)
Players to watch - Sávio, Batista.
The surprise package of last season (they finished 6th), Avaí will again rely on quietly going about their business. A team of no real stars, the team from Florianópolis is unlikely to hit such dizzy heights again. Recalling Batista from a spell at Botafogo last year should lend their midfield some extra steel and energy, after the sale of Léo Gago to Vasco. Ex-Real Madrid winger Sávio has also joined, fresh from (or possibly, given his age, tired from) some good performances in the Champions League with Cypriot team Anorthosis. I doubt that these modest reinforcements will be enough to secure a finish in the upper reaches of the table, but Avaí should steer clear of relegation concerns.

Vitória (nicknamed Leão - the lion)
Players to watch - Júnior, Uelliton.
The team from Salvador came 13th in last season's championship, and will be aiming for a similar finish this term. Having lost pacy winger Apodi to Bahia, young midfielder Uelliton will shoulder greater responsibility in midfield. Elsewhere, journeyman striker Júnior (who has had spells at Watford, Walsall and Derby) has been brought in to improve the attack. Neto Berola and the gloriously named Schwenk should also contribute.

Ceará (nicknamed Vovô - grandad(!))
Players to watch - Geraldo, Bóvio.
Newly promoted, the team from Fortaleza in the North of Brazil will surely be embroiled in the relegation battle this year. Their captain Geraldo managed 13 goals from midfield in Série B last season, and his efforts will be crucial. Bóvio, a Brasileirão winner with Santos in 2004, should bring some experience to the side, having had spells in Spain and Greece.

Roger; Guarani's one-man plan to stave off relegation?

Guarani (nicknamed Bugre - the Indians)
Player to watch - Roger.
Hailing from the city of Campinas in São Paulo state, Guarani secured promotion from the second division last season. The signs are, however, that their stint in Série A will be a short one; the side is a very limited one. Somehow, the club has managed to pull off the loan signing of Roger from São Paulo; a striker who proved last season with Vitória that he could plunder goals even precious little support. Expect him to be the brave captain on this sinking ship.

Atlético Goianiense (nicknamed Dragão - the dragon)
Players to watch - Marcão, Márcio, Rodrigo Tiuí.
The minnows from Goiânia have shot to prominence recently, gaining promotion to Série A and reaching the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil. Some achievement for a club with a stadium that hold only 5,000 people. Last season's leading scorer Marcão is the talisman upfront, but contributions too should come from new signing Rodigo Tiuí, who briefly played for Sporting Lisbon, and Márcio; a goalscoring 'keeper in the great South American tradition. Realistically, anything other than relegation would be miraculous.

So, there you have it! Action gets underway on Saturday, but the big games of the opening weekend are on Sunday, with São Paulo hosting Flamengo, and Cruzeiro travelling to Porto Alegre to face Inter. Stay tuned for a round-up on Monday!

(Photo credits; (1) Agência Lance, (2) Gazeta Press, (3) Unknown.)

Brasileirão Preview Part 1

This weekend sees the start of the 2010 Campeonato Brasileiro. After 4 months of patchy state championship action, the return of Brazil's premier national league will be welcomed with open arms among fans up and down the country. It is a gruelling competition at the best of times, but this year's edition will include a break for the World Cup, meaning that teams will face two weekly games for the majority of the season. Further disruption is inevitably caused by the fact that the European transfer window arrives right in the middle of the campaign; star players are often snapped up just when they are needed the most.

Adriano celebrates Flamengo's 2009 triumph.

Despite its disjointed nature, however, the competition is an exciting one, with a huge number of teams competing for the title and for Libertadores qualification. There are always one or two shocks; last season, for example, lowly Avaí and Barueri were hanging around the top of the table whilst Rio giants Fluminense scrapped against the drop. Flamengo snatched the title with a late surge, after having been threatened with relegation earlier in the season.

Geographically, the Campeonato represents a unique challenge. Carlisle fans in England would likely moan about an away trip to Plymouth Argyle, but consider the poor fans of Ceará on the country's North coast who face two round trips of 8484km to play Grêmio and Internacional in Porto Alegre! These outliers provide an interesting juxtaposition to the dense footballing conglomerations of Rio and São Paulo.

Assuming no knowledge on the part of my readership, I present brief profiles on the teams competing in Série A this year (in vague order of predicted success!)...

Santos (nicknamed Peixe - the fish)
Players to watch - Neymar, Ganso, Robinho.
The seasiders from São Paulo state have built up quite a reputation since the turn of the year. I have spoken in previous entries about their array of star forwards, but it should be noted that they also boast both a solid midfield engine (in Arouca and Marquinhos), and a reasonable back-line. Dorival Júnior's men enter the championship as the nation's form side and probably start as favourites.

Dagoberto - danger man for São Paulo.

São Paulo (nicknamed Tricolor)
Players to watch - Dagoberto, Hernanes, Miranda.
SP just missed out last term on collecting their fourth consecutive tital, and with a squad as deep as it is talented, few would back against them mounting a serious challenge in 2010. Coach Ricardo Gomes who has grown into his role, and players like nippy striker Dagoberto and powerful midfielder Léo Lima have started to fulfill their promise. If the team's spine stays (and, in the cases of Rogério Ceni and Washington, stays fit), they could win it.

Corinthians (nicknamed Timão - the big team)
Players to watch - Ronaldo, Dentinho, Elias.
After last night's Libertadores exit, the pressure will be on Corinthians to compete in the league. They are certainly equipped to do so. With forwards such as Ronaldo, Dentinho, Jorge Henrique and Iarley, a midfield boasting Elias and Jucilei, and a powerful back-line including Roberto Carlos, all the materials are there. However, the team fell away badly in the latter stages of last season's campaign, especially after loosing Cristian, Douglas and André Santos to big money bids from abroad. Similar losses this term would provide cause for concern.

Grêmio (nicknamed Tricolor)
Players to watch - Borges, Douglas, Souza.
Despite having to rebuild since the departures of Tchecho and Maxi López, Grêmio remain a good bet to finish in the upper reaches of the table. Defensively solid (goalkeeper Victor will probably be Brazil's third choice in the World Cup), and with creative midfielders like Souza (and on his day, Fábio Rochemback), Grêmio are hard to beat, especially at home. Reinforcements up front, however could be key; Borges is a proven finisher, and Douglas is a clever creator with a magical left foot. If their new look forward line can click, they could be contenders.

Can Luxemburgo inspire Atlético-MG to another title challenge?

Atlético Mineiro (nicknamed Galo - the rooster/cockerel)
Players to watch - Diego Tardelli, Obina, Muriqui.
Last season's surprise package, Atlético-MG have shown that they have the ability to challenge again in 2010. Despite losing influential attacker Éder Luís to Benfica, Atlético are good going forward. Diego Tardelli in particular is a deadly finisher with both feet, and the much maligned Obina is also a threat on his day. Elsewhere, the squad in modest but well organised; they are coached, after all, by five-time Série A winner Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Internacional (nicknamed Colorado - the reds)
Players to watch - Alecsandro, Taison, d'Alessandro.
The form team early in last season's competition, the Porto Alegre side have since become somewhat one-dimensional. Nilmar's departure, and the drop in form of the much-hyped Taison have meant that Inter rely on the goals of Alecsandro; a burly but prolific striker. The midfield is well anchored by the Argentine Guiñaza and future Tottenham midfielder Sandro, but Andres d'Alessandro has struggled to provide the creative spark the team so desperately need. If he and Taison can return to form, Inter will fancy a Libertadores place.

Cruzeiro (nicknamed Raposa - the fox)
Players to watch - Kléber, Thiago Ribeiro, Gilberto.
Finalists in last year's Cope Libertadores, Cruzeiro look a good candidate to mount a title challenge this year. With a great keeper (albeit one who oddly wears a gumshield) in Fábio, and an experienced backline, the team has a solid foundation. They pose quite a threat going forward, too, with the combination of the pacy Thiago Ribeiro and stocky talisman Kléber sure to cause opposition defences problems. Prompted by the dead balls and crosses of left-back-turned-No.10 Gilberto, the raposa should challenge.

Flamengo (nicknamed Rubro-Negro - the scarlet-and-black)
Players to watch - Adriano, Vagner Love, Léo Moura.
The reigning champions will, as ever, be an unpredictable force this season. Having sacked Andrade, the manager that took them to the title last term, the only guarentee with Flamengo is that it will be interesting. With Adriano and Vágner Love up front, the team is not short of firepower, but defensively they tend to be fragile. Much also rests on Kléberson's ability to provide for the front players. When he's fit, Flamengo look a much better prospect.

Goal machine Fred will need to stay injury-free for Flu.

Fluminense (nicknamed Tricolor)
Players to watch - Fred, Conca, Wellington Silva.
Fluminense too avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth in 2009, and their shallow squad betrays why. In attack, much of the responsibility will fall on Fred, who when fit has looked a handful for most defences in the country. He will be supplied by the wily Argentine Dário Conca, as well as the future Arsenal player Wellington Silva. Whether these three can overcome the side's defensive frailties is doubtful; especially as the latter is a mere 17 years old. Flu should be content with the safety of mid-table.

Palmeiras (nicknamed Verdão - the big green)
Players to watch - Diego Souza, Cleiton Xavier, Lincoln.
The fourth of São Paulo's big guns came so close to winning last year's title, but stuttered in the final few weeks. Since then, their form has been abject; finishing mid-table in the Campeonato Paulista and getting knocked out of the cup by Atlético-GO. If they are to mount a challenge this year, it will likely be due to the efforts of Diego Souza; a strong attacking midfielder with an eye for goal. The club have brought in Lincoln, whose career has veered between maverick playmaking genius and maverick troublemaking idiot. An inspired gamble? Let's wait and see.

That ends Part 1. Stand by for the second instalment later today!

(Photo credits; (1) Felipe Dana/Associated Press, (2) & (3) Unknown, (4) GloboEsporte.)

Not for Love nor Money; Vágner Ends Timão's Libertadores Project

This was to be their year. What better way to celebrate the club's centenary that by winning South America's biggest club competition? Corinthians' spending matched their ambition; since qualifying via the Copa do Brasil last year, the club has brought in Roberto Carlos, Iarley, Tchecho, Danilo and Matías Defederico. Given that the spine of the team (Felipe, Chicão, Elias, Ronaldo) was already one of the strongest on the continent, expectations were legitimately high. Yet at the Pacaembu last night, it was Flamengo who advanced to the quarter-finals of the Libertadores on away goals; Vágner Love's goal just after the interval proving the difference between the two sides.

Love hurts: the Flamengo forward celebrates his decisive goal.

It had all started so well; a cross by Danilo was turned into his own net by Rubro-Negro centre-back David as Corinthians came out fighting. Their coach Mano Menezes had taken the bold step of playing both Dentinho and Jorge Henrique behind Ronaldo, sacrificing the more defensive midfielder Jucilei. This was the formation that had taken the Timão to the Brazilian cup last term, and the side looked substantially more dangerous than at the Maracanã a week ago.

Just before half-time, Corinthians doubled their advantage on the night; Dentinho skipped away from his marker on the left and floated in a delicate cross with the outside of the foot. Ronaldo had drifted cleverly into space, and slammed his header home. It was nothing more than Corinthians deserved; Ralf and Elias were bossing the midfield, and Bruno had been forced into good saves from Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo. Going into the dressing rooms at half-time, the home side was undoubtedly in the driving seat.

A distraught Elias at the final whistle.

An away goal, however, would change everything, and so it proved. Kléberson found some space on the edge of the penalty box, and slipped a pass through for the onrushing Vágner Love. The forward made no mistake, cooling finishing left-footed. Corinthians continued to press, and twice went close from Chicão free-kicks, but in truth it was Flamengo who had the better chances late on. The Timão's Libertadores dream drifted agonisingly away, and when the final whistle blew, many of their players were left in tears. The team will have to go all-out in the Campeonato Brasileiro in order to win some silverware in their centenary year.

Libertadores Round-up
On Tuesday evening, São Paulo guaranteed themselves a berth in the quarter-finals after beating Universitario of Peru on penalties. After an edgy goalless drew, Tricolor 'keeper Rogério Ceni was the hero; despite himself missing São Paulo's first spot-kick, he dusted himself off and pulled off two outstanding stops to deny la U a shock victory.

Rogério Ceni: usually better at scoring than saving pens.

Cruzeiro beat Nacional of Uruguay 3-0 in the Mineirão, and advanced with a 6-1 aggregate score. Thiago Ribeiro opened the scoring with a thumping drive from range, and second half goals from Diego Renan and former Tottenham man Gilberto sealed the win.
Tonight sees Internacional facing Banfield, the winners of which will face reigning champions Estudiantes in the next round.

Copa do Brasil Round-up
Santos rounded off a great week by seeing off Atlético-MG and progressing to the semi-finals of the cup, where they will meet Grêmio. André, Neymar, and Wesley got the goals for the Peixe, with Correa scoring little more than a consolation for Atlético. Grêmio secured their spot by beating Fluminense 2-0 at the Estádio Olímpico. Hugo opened the scoring with a lovely finish and Jonas tapped in a second.
The second semi-final will be see Vitória face surprise package Atético Goianiense. The former went down to a 3-1 defeat to Vasco, but sneaked through on away goals. Atlético-GO pulled off the shock of the round; beating mighty Palmeiras on penalties after a 1-0 victory drew them level on aggregate.

(Photo credits; (1) Vipcomm, (2) Rubens Cavallari/Folha Imagem, (3) EFE.)

Third Generation of Santos 'Kids' Lift Paulista Title

In 1978, it was the goals of Juary and Pita, as well as the intelligent prompting of the waiflike João Paulo at the Morumbi which enabled Santos to lift the Campeonato Paulista a week later. In 2002, it was a trio of Europe-bound starlets which took the club to its first Campeonato Brasileiro. It was fitting, then, that one of the three, Robinho (Elano and Diego being the others), was playing on Sunday, when the third generation of 'Vila Belmiro Kids' came of age and claimed the São Paulo state championship. The Peixe lost 3-2 on the day to Santo André, but claimed victory due to their superior record from the competition's first stage.

André and Neymar; the kids are alright.

The bright futures of Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso have long been assured, but their performances at a packed Pacaembu still managed to draw a new wave of plaudits from the Brazilian press. Neymar scored Santos' first, collecting a cute Robinho flick, dribbling past Júlio César and slotting past two defenders on the line. He doubled his tally later in the first half, calmly beating the Santo André keeper at his near post. The day, though, belonged to Ganso (which translates as 'goose' - a harsh but probably fair nickname). It was he who set up Neymar's second with a sumptuous back-heel, and generally bossed the game. "The soul of the champions," declared Lance!; whilst Globo observed that the youngster displays "the maturity of a veteran."

The importance of the two (as well as of Robinho and the raw goalscorer André) has been acknowledged by club officials, who have already launched a project for keeping the group for another year. It's not an easy task; despite their prodigious academy, Santos remains a relatively small club. The Vila Belmiro may be atmospheric, but a capacity of little more than 20,000 suggests the youngsters will, sooner or later, look for a bigger stage to exhibit their skills. Fans of the club can at best, I think, hope that the squad stays together long enough to mount a serious challenge for the Campeonato Brasileiro, which starts soon. Even this hope may be dashed if Neymar and Ganso join Robinho in Dunga's World Cup selection; although this currently looks unlikely.

Neymar and Ganso celebrate Santos' second goal.

Turning back to yesterday's game, I feel I should give an honourable mention to Santo André. The minnows turned in an inspirational performance yesterday, marked by some lovely goals. It was they who opened the scoring within a minute of play; Cicinho running onto Branquinho's visionary through-ball, rounding the keeper, and squaring for Nunes to finish. Alê nicked their second from a corner, before Branquinho put the finishing touches to a great team move. If Rodriguinho's goal not been ridiculously ruled out, things could have been so much different.

Elsewhere, Grêmio lost 1-0 to Internacional, but claimed the Gaúcho crown 2-1 on aggregate. Giuliano got the goal with a drive from distance, but violence again marked this rivalry; Taison needlessly kicking out at Jonas. Atlético-MG capped a busy week by securing the Campeonato Mineiro; beating Ipatinga 2-0 with goals from Diego Tardelli and Marques.

(Photo credits; (1) & (2) Ari Ferreira.)