Brazilian Serie A - round 20 preview
With the halfway point of the season already behind them, teams try to focus on the second stage of the Brazilian Serie A beginning this weekend. Leaders Sao Paulo have a five-point lead over second place Santos, with one game in hand. At the same time, only four points separate the bottom six teams in the standings.
Here are my views for the games this weekend:
FLUMINENSE x ATLETICO PARANAENSE: Antonio Lopes will try to straighten the ship at Fluminense, which has gone through four previous managers in the year and a terrible month of August so far. After a 3-0 away loss to Palmeiras on Wednesday, the tricolor from Rio tries to win the three points against a renewed Atletico Paranaense that had no mercy of Ponte Preta, in another 3-0 game. Fluminense had a good 2-1 away win over Atletico in the first round, but they will have a much tougher time this weekend.
SANTOS x GOIAS: Still in second place, but now five points behind league leaders Sao Paulo, Santos must win this game to remain in the title race. Coming off two sub-par performances that saw the team lose at home to Vasco 2-0 and draw 1-1 away to last place Santa Cruz, the team coached by Wanderley Luxemburgo knows it should beat Goias in this game. The visitors poor form continues, and they barely manage to salvage a 2-2 tie at home to Internacional on Wednesday, scoring two late goals after Inter had a player sent off. The teams were held scoreless in their previous matchup.
CRUZEIRO x SAO CAETANO: Can Cruzeiro fall any lower? Winless in eight, the team controlled the play against Botafogo away at the Maracana Stadium on Wednesday, but still left the field empty handed. Worse, the result ended Botafogo's own six-game winless streak, and left the team from Belo Horizonte in eighth place. Sao Caetano was lucky to draw Flamengo at home by a 2-2 score, and must improve if it wants to come away with at least a point. Cruzeiro will try to avenge the 2-1 loss to Sao Caetano in their first match of the league, but could have trouble trying to do so.
INTERNACIONAL x VASCO: The Libertadores champions lost four important players but still managed to put up a good effort at Goias, surrendering a late 2-0 lead when a player was sent off near the end of the game. Back at home they try to win their first match after their continental title, against a rejuvenated Vasco team coming off two important wins over Santos and Figueirense. Despite their recent results, Inter is the favorite. In the first round, a 1-1 draw in Rio.
PARANA x JUVENTUDE: Parana was unlucky not to come out of the Morumbi Stadium leading the standings, giving away two leads and ultimately losing to Sao Paulo by a 3-2 score on Thursday. Back to Curitiba, the surprise of the year in the league should not lose the chance to get all the points from the match to keep its title chances alive. Under normal conditions, Juventude should be beaten here. In their first match of the league, however, Juventude beat Parana 1-0.
FLAMENGO x SAO PAULO: League leaders Sao Paulo try to prove they have definitely overcome the trauma of losing to Internacional in the Libertadores final. Against Brazilian Cup champions Flamengo, the team coached by Muricy Ramalho tries to keep its comfortable lead atop the standings. However, it shall have a tough time against a very reasonable Flamengo side unbeaten in five games. Sao Paulo won the first match of the season between the two, 1-0.
CORINTHIANS x GREMIO: The gauchos seem to have found their game, and have climbed up to fifth place in the standings after beating Fortaleza 4-1 on Thursday. Their task this weekend will not be an easy one, however, as the team travels to Sao Paulo to face defending champions Corinthians. Still unbeaten in three games under its new coach, Corinthians is still trying to regroup after a turbulent week in which star player Carlos Tevez left the team and travelled without authorization from the club to his Buenos Aires home. Gremio beat Corinthians 2-0 in the first round.
FIGUEIRENSE x SANTA CRUZ: Figueirense will try to get three points from last place Santa Cruz at home to break a three-game home winless streak in which the team accumulated three 1-1 draws during the month of August. Four points out of fourth place, the team still has a chance of fighting for a Libertadores spot, but should stop wasting opportunities at home if it wants to play in the prestigious competition next year. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz hopes to return to its good form found after the World Cup, and end the current five-game winless streak. In the previous match, a scoreless draw in Recife.
PONTE PRETA x PALMEIRAS: Palmeiras gave its fans more reason to smile on Wednesday, when it easily beat Fluminense 3-0 to keep its great form and improve to 6 wins and 3 draws after the World Cup break. To make things better, Edmundo returns to the team after serving a one-match ban. Against a fading Ponte Preta that lost 3-0 at Atletico Paranaense, Palmeiras will try to return the favour from the first round, when they lost 3-2 at home to Ponte.
FORTALEZA x BOTAFOGO: After ending a six-game winless streak, Botafogo will try to create another streak, but a positive one this time. To do that they will have to beat Fortaleza, coming off a 4-1 loss top Gremio in a long trip to Rio Grande do Sul. The long trip may affect the locals, but Fortaleza has shown some toughness at home in their last games at the Castelao, and Botafogo has not won a game away from Rio yet. In their debut in the league this season, Botafogo beat Fortaleza 1-0 at the Maracana.
Here are my views for the games this weekend:
FLUMINENSE x ATLETICO PARANAENSE: Antonio Lopes will try to straighten the ship at Fluminense, which has gone through four previous managers in the year and a terrible month of August so far. After a 3-0 away loss to Palmeiras on Wednesday, the tricolor from Rio tries to win the three points against a renewed Atletico Paranaense that had no mercy of Ponte Preta, in another 3-0 game. Fluminense had a good 2-1 away win over Atletico in the first round, but they will have a much tougher time this weekend.
SANTOS x GOIAS: Still in second place, but now five points behind league leaders Sao Paulo, Santos must win this game to remain in the title race. Coming off two sub-par performances that saw the team lose at home to Vasco 2-0 and draw 1-1 away to last place Santa Cruz, the team coached by Wanderley Luxemburgo knows it should beat Goias in this game. The visitors poor form continues, and they barely manage to salvage a 2-2 tie at home to Internacional on Wednesday, scoring two late goals after Inter had a player sent off. The teams were held scoreless in their previous matchup.
CRUZEIRO x SAO CAETANO: Can Cruzeiro fall any lower? Winless in eight, the team controlled the play against Botafogo away at the Maracana Stadium on Wednesday, but still left the field empty handed. Worse, the result ended Botafogo's own six-game winless streak, and left the team from Belo Horizonte in eighth place. Sao Caetano was lucky to draw Flamengo at home by a 2-2 score, and must improve if it wants to come away with at least a point. Cruzeiro will try to avenge the 2-1 loss to Sao Caetano in their first match of the league, but could have trouble trying to do so.
INTERNACIONAL x VASCO: The Libertadores champions lost four important players but still managed to put up a good effort at Goias, surrendering a late 2-0 lead when a player was sent off near the end of the game. Back at home they try to win their first match after their continental title, against a rejuvenated Vasco team coming off two important wins over Santos and Figueirense. Despite their recent results, Inter is the favorite. In the first round, a 1-1 draw in Rio.
PARANA x JUVENTUDE: Parana was unlucky not to come out of the Morumbi Stadium leading the standings, giving away two leads and ultimately losing to Sao Paulo by a 3-2 score on Thursday. Back to Curitiba, the surprise of the year in the league should not lose the chance to get all the points from the match to keep its title chances alive. Under normal conditions, Juventude should be beaten here. In their first match of the league, however, Juventude beat Parana 1-0.
FLAMENGO x SAO PAULO: League leaders Sao Paulo try to prove they have definitely overcome the trauma of losing to Internacional in the Libertadores final. Against Brazilian Cup champions Flamengo, the team coached by Muricy Ramalho tries to keep its comfortable lead atop the standings. However, it shall have a tough time against a very reasonable Flamengo side unbeaten in five games. Sao Paulo won the first match of the season between the two, 1-0.
CORINTHIANS x GREMIO: The gauchos seem to have found their game, and have climbed up to fifth place in the standings after beating Fortaleza 4-1 on Thursday. Their task this weekend will not be an easy one, however, as the team travels to Sao Paulo to face defending champions Corinthians. Still unbeaten in three games under its new coach, Corinthians is still trying to regroup after a turbulent week in which star player Carlos Tevez left the team and travelled without authorization from the club to his Buenos Aires home. Gremio beat Corinthians 2-0 in the first round.
FIGUEIRENSE x SANTA CRUZ: Figueirense will try to get three points from last place Santa Cruz at home to break a three-game home winless streak in which the team accumulated three 1-1 draws during the month of August. Four points out of fourth place, the team still has a chance of fighting for a Libertadores spot, but should stop wasting opportunities at home if it wants to play in the prestigious competition next year. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz hopes to return to its good form found after the World Cup, and end the current five-game winless streak. In the previous match, a scoreless draw in Recife.
PONTE PRETA x PALMEIRAS: Palmeiras gave its fans more reason to smile on Wednesday, when it easily beat Fluminense 3-0 to keep its great form and improve to 6 wins and 3 draws after the World Cup break. To make things better, Edmundo returns to the team after serving a one-match ban. Against a fading Ponte Preta that lost 3-0 at Atletico Paranaense, Palmeiras will try to return the favour from the first round, when they lost 3-2 at home to Ponte.
FORTALEZA x BOTAFOGO: After ending a six-game winless streak, Botafogo will try to create another streak, but a positive one this time. To do that they will have to beat Fortaleza, coming off a 4-1 loss top Gremio in a long trip to Rio Grande do Sul. The long trip may affect the locals, but Fortaleza has shown some toughness at home in their last games at the Castelao, and Botafogo has not won a game away from Rio yet. In their debut in the league this season, Botafogo beat Fortaleza 1-0 at the Maracana.
posted by fejas @ 3:51 PM
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