Fluminense clinched Brazil's Serie A title with a 1-0 victory over Guarani as contenders Corinthians stumbled to a 1-1 draw against lowly Goias. In the final match of the championship, Cruzeiro scored a 2-1 victory against Palmeiras to leapfrog over Corinthians into second place. Fluminense went ahead thanks to a goal by Emerson in the 61st minute and managed to retain their lead by maintaining possession for the vast majority of the game. Dentinho equalized for Corinthians after his team fell behind to a Goias goal by Felipe, but the away team failed to produce the game winner they needed to stay in contention for the title. In any case, a victory for Flu was enough to guarantee them the title as Muricy Ramalho's team went into the final match with a one and two point lead over Corinthians and Cruzeiro respectively. Fluminense's victory put a damper on any possibility Corinthians would salvage the title in their centenary year, in what could be the last competitive season played by their flagship striker and global celebrity, Ronaldo. Fluminense's victory marks the first time they have won Brazil's Serie A title since 1984. Last year's championship winners Flamengo ended their disastrous season by avoiding relegation and taking 14th place out of 20 with a 0-0 draw against Santos in their final game of the season.
Final standings:
Fluminense: 71 points
Cruzeiro: 69 points
Corinthians: 68 points
Gremio: 63 points
Showing posts with label Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Fluminense overtake Corinthians in Brazil's Serie A with 2 rounds remaining
Fluminense regained the lead in Brazil's Serie A after pounding Sao Paulo 4-1 while Corinthians dropped points on the road to lowly Vitoria with a 1-1 draw marked by an injury to their flagship striker Ronaldo. Argentine playmaker Conca scored two goals and set up two more for Fluminense as they consolidated their position as favorites for the title with two rounds remaining. Fluminense defender Gum opened the scoring from a Conca corner in the 34th minute. Lucas equalized for Sao Paulo early in the second half but the last twenty minutes witnessed a torrent of goals initiated by Conca, the midfielder who is widely regarded as the best player in Brazil's Serie A this season. Conca put Fluminense back in the lead with a strike inside the box in the 74th minute and then former Lyon striker Fred poached Conca's long distance strike roughly five minutes later. Two minutes from time, Conca sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory for Fluminense with a left footed shot that positions Fluminense within striking range of their first Serie A title since 1984.
Corinthians, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on their draw to relegation battling Vitoria despite an early lead secured by a terrific pass from Ronaldo to midfielder Danilo, the goalscorer. But Vitoria equalized just before half time with a penalty due to a handball by Corinthians midfielder Ralf. Playing in his seventh consecutive match, Ronaldo was substituted in the interim between the two goals in the 30th minute for a right thigh muscle injury. His departure appeared to unsettle the league leaders as they failed to recover their rhythm and impose their game on the home team. Third placed Cruzeiro bounced back from last week's 1-0 loss to Corinthians with a 3-1 victory over Vasco da Gama from goals by Roger, Henrique and Edcarlos, all of which were assisted by corners or passes from Montillo. The result leaves Cruzeiro just one point behind Corinthians who, in turn, lag one point behind Fluminense with two matches remaining.
After 36 matches:
Fluminense: 65 points
Corinthians: 64 points
Cruzeiro: 63 points
Penultimate round: Sunday, November 28
Fluminense (away) v. Palmeiras
Cruzeiro (away) v. Flamengo
Corinthians (home) v. Vasco da Gama
Corinthians, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on their draw to relegation battling Vitoria despite an early lead secured by a terrific pass from Ronaldo to midfielder Danilo, the goalscorer. But Vitoria equalized just before half time with a penalty due to a handball by Corinthians midfielder Ralf. Playing in his seventh consecutive match, Ronaldo was substituted in the interim between the two goals in the 30th minute for a right thigh muscle injury. His departure appeared to unsettle the league leaders as they failed to recover their rhythm and impose their game on the home team. Third placed Cruzeiro bounced back from last week's 1-0 loss to Corinthians with a 3-1 victory over Vasco da Gama from goals by Roger, Henrique and Edcarlos, all of which were assisted by corners or passes from Montillo. The result leaves Cruzeiro just one point behind Corinthians who, in turn, lag one point behind Fluminense with two matches remaining.
After 36 matches:
Fluminense: 65 points
Corinthians: 64 points
Cruzeiro: 63 points
Penultimate round: Sunday, November 28
Fluminense (away) v. Palmeiras
Cruzeiro (away) v. Flamengo
Corinthians (home) v. Vasco da Gama
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Corinthians regain lead from Fluminense as Ronaldo penalty sends Brazil Serie A battle down to the wire
Ronaldo scored a decisive penalty in the closing minutes of a hard fought match against Cruzeiro to give Corinthians a crucial victory as the battle for the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A goes down to the wire with three matches remaining. Since Ronaldo's return from injury, Corinthians have now won four matches and drawn two, a significant turnaround from a period when the Timao suffered a five match winless streak when their flagship striker, more commonly known as The Phenomenon, was sidelined because of injury. Ronaldo has now played six consecutive 90 minute matches and the Corinthians number 9 has vowed to play as much as possible in order to bring the title back to Corinthians in their centenary year. The match against Cruzeiro represented a hard fought victory for Corinthians as Cruzeiro squandered a number of high percentage chances on goal. Ronaldo himself had a number of chances including a blistering run from midfield that resulted in a left footed shot that sailed over the crossbar. The 89th minute penalty was awarded when Ronaldo suffered a blow from the back that left him face down in the box. Cruzeiro players protested the penalty vociferously and in the process, defender Gil earned a red card. Under pressure, Ronaldo maintained his tradition of successful penalty taking by sending the ball low into the corner to goalkeeper Fabio's left as he dove right.
Meanwhile, Fluminense drew 1-1 with Goias, and consequently relinquished the lead in Brazil's Serie A to Corinthians. Corinthians now have 63 points, Fluminense have 62 and Cruzeiro have 60, with 3 matches remaining. Highly familiar with titles going down to the wire, the experienced Ronaldo noted that, in the battle for Brazil's Serie A, "everything will be decided only on the last day."
Meanwhile, Fluminense drew 1-1 with Goias, and consequently relinquished the lead in Brazil's Serie A to Corinthians. Corinthians now have 63 points, Fluminense have 62 and Cruzeiro have 60, with 3 matches remaining. Highly familiar with titles going down to the wire, the experienced Ronaldo noted that, in the battle for Brazil's Serie A, "everything will be decided only on the last day."
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Neymar's Uniqueness
He has a lanky build and spiky hair. At first glance, one might mistake him for a playground player with pace and the chutzpah to take shots on goal. He occasionally throws tantrums on the field that testify to the immaturity of an 18 year old boy. But this same petulant youth has been compared with Pele and Robinho and hailed as one of the brightest stars in the emerging generation of Brazilian football. His name is Neymar da Silva Santos Junior and he wears either the number 11 or 7 shirt for the Brazilian club Santos.
Although Neymar has scored 10 goals for Santos in Brazil's Serie A this season so far, and 10 in the preceding season as a whole, his international fame and attention from clubs such as Chelsea and Juventus have rested less on the raw statistics of his goals per game, and more on his unique style of play. For one, there is a boundless energy and exuberance about his movement on the pitch. He plays with the youthful energy of a teenager, bursting forward on the left and right wings and running at the center of defenses as well. The Brazilian press have compared him most frequently to Robinho because of their shared propensity to dribble and cut inward from the flanks without fear of swarms of defenders.
In a style reminiscent of his compatriot Ronaldo, Neymar roams all over the pitch and returns deep into midfield in order to run at defenses. But unlike Ronaldo, he brushes by defenders by relying almost exclusively on an exquisite sense of balance and ball control in contrast to Ronaldo's combination of power, strength and skill. Drawing throngs of defenders in his wake, he solicits the foul, scores from the penalty spot or orchestrates the ensuing free kick and instinctively locates the right place in the box for the killer header or deflection or shot on goal. More often than not, he carves his way out of a thicket of defenders by feigning a move right and then darting left, or employing a similar set of guileful tricks to fool defenders.
Like Ronaldo, Neymar shoots off both feet. Like Ronaldo, he treks back deep into midfield. Like Romario, his balance and goal scoring precision around the box are virtually unparalleled in the modern game. Like Rivaldo, he takes penalties with confidence and success. Like Kaka, he has a sixth sense for the placement of his team mates on the pitch at all moments. But in the final analysis, he is just Neymar, the lanky Santos striker who finds the back of the net from all corners of the pitch and applies himself to his trade with a limitless energy and adolescent disrespect for the positioning and rigidity of the modern game.
In recent months he has scored for Santos in Brazil's Serie A against Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, Avai, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Internacional and Sao Paulo. And he scored Brazil's opening goal in their friendly against the USA on August 10, 2010 in New Jersey. Nevertheless, Selecao coach Mano Menezes opted to drop Neymar from Brazil's friendlies against Iran and the Ukraine because of his incidents of indiscipline at Santos. At the moment, it's anyone's guess as to whether the Santos sensation will be included in the Brazil roster for the November friendly against Argentina. As every coach knows, brilliance and indiscipline are often coextensive traits that take time for a gifted young athlete to juggle and balance. The question now on everyone's mind is whether Mano and Santos can enable Neymar's talent to blossom to reach its fullest potential and become a complete player that bears no comparison to Robinho, Pele, Ronaldo or Romario, but is just Neymar, the aggressive forward whose creativity marks the fullest embodiment of the beautiful game since Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Socrates.
Although Neymar has scored 10 goals for Santos in Brazil's Serie A this season so far, and 10 in the preceding season as a whole, his international fame and attention from clubs such as Chelsea and Juventus have rested less on the raw statistics of his goals per game, and more on his unique style of play. For one, there is a boundless energy and exuberance about his movement on the pitch. He plays with the youthful energy of a teenager, bursting forward on the left and right wings and running at the center of defenses as well. The Brazilian press have compared him most frequently to Robinho because of their shared propensity to dribble and cut inward from the flanks without fear of swarms of defenders.
In a style reminiscent of his compatriot Ronaldo, Neymar roams all over the pitch and returns deep into midfield in order to run at defenses. But unlike Ronaldo, he brushes by defenders by relying almost exclusively on an exquisite sense of balance and ball control in contrast to Ronaldo's combination of power, strength and skill. Drawing throngs of defenders in his wake, he solicits the foul, scores from the penalty spot or orchestrates the ensuing free kick and instinctively locates the right place in the box for the killer header or deflection or shot on goal. More often than not, he carves his way out of a thicket of defenders by feigning a move right and then darting left, or employing a similar set of guileful tricks to fool defenders.
Like Ronaldo, Neymar shoots off both feet. Like Ronaldo, he treks back deep into midfield. Like Romario, his balance and goal scoring precision around the box are virtually unparalleled in the modern game. Like Rivaldo, he takes penalties with confidence and success. Like Kaka, he has a sixth sense for the placement of his team mates on the pitch at all moments. But in the final analysis, he is just Neymar, the lanky Santos striker who finds the back of the net from all corners of the pitch and applies himself to his trade with a limitless energy and adolescent disrespect for the positioning and rigidity of the modern game.
In recent months he has scored for Santos in Brazil's Serie A against Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, Avai, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Internacional and Sao Paulo. And he scored Brazil's opening goal in their friendly against the USA on August 10, 2010 in New Jersey. Nevertheless, Selecao coach Mano Menezes opted to drop Neymar from Brazil's friendlies against Iran and the Ukraine because of his incidents of indiscipline at Santos. At the moment, it's anyone's guess as to whether the Santos sensation will be included in the Brazil roster for the November friendly against Argentina. As every coach knows, brilliance and indiscipline are often coextensive traits that take time for a gifted young athlete to juggle and balance. The question now on everyone's mind is whether Mano and Santos can enable Neymar's talent to blossom to reach its fullest potential and become a complete player that bears no comparison to Robinho, Pele, Ronaldo or Romario, but is just Neymar, the aggressive forward whose creativity marks the fullest embodiment of the beautiful game since Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Socrates.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fluminense, Corinthians and Cruzeiro draw as battle for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A heats up
The race for the championship of the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A remained tightly clustered around Fluminese, Corinthians and Cruzeiro, as the three leading teams drew over the October 2 weekend against opponents further down the table. Leaders Fluminense drew 1-1 with Gremio Prudente, second placed Corinthians fought back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Ceara and third placed Cruzeiro drew 0-0 with Atletico Paranaense. Internacional are in fourth place while Botafogo, who drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Flamengo, are now in fifth.
Corinthians midfielder Paulinho and substitute Matias de Federico scored in the 70th and 82th minute respectively to salvage a point for Adilson Batista's team and avoid dropping further down the table into third place. In the case of Fluminense, striker Rodriguinho scored in the 34th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, but Muricy Ramalho's team conceded a goal to Willian Jose 18 minutes before the whistle. The race for the title is now firmly on between the top four teams, though Corinthians and Internacional have a game in hand with 26 matches played in contrast to the 27 played by Fluminense and Cruzeiro.
Corinthians midfielder Paulinho and substitute Matias de Federico scored in the 70th and 82th minute respectively to salvage a point for Adilson Batista's team and avoid dropping further down the table into third place. In the case of Fluminense, striker Rodriguinho scored in the 34th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, but Muricy Ramalho's team conceded a goal to Willian Jose 18 minutes before the whistle. The race for the title is now firmly on between the top four teams, though Corinthians and Internacional have a game in hand with 26 matches played in contrast to the 27 played by Fluminense and Cruzeiro.
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