Brazilian Serie A - round 24 preview

Round 24 of the Brazilian Serie A highlights the rematch of this year's Libertadores final, with Sao Paulo hosting Internacional and hoping to win to increase its lead over the team from Porto Alegre, currently sitting in second place in the standings. Third place Santos and Gremio also have tough matches, while the fight against relegation also heats up.

Here are my views on this weekend's matches:

ATLETICO PARANAENSE x SANTA CRUZ: Atletico Paranaense has a great chance to gain some breathing room in the fight to remain in the First Division when it faces Santa Cruz at home on Saturday. One of four teams tied with 27 points - among which 17th placed Ponte Preta, the first to be relegated if the season ended today. Santa Cruz seems to be destined to return to the Serie B one year after being promoted. After a brief recovery following the World Cup, the team is again mounting a series of poor results, and now trails its closest rival - Fortaleza - by five points. With Flamengo nine points ahead, Santa Cruz must pray for a miracle if it wants to play in the Serie A next year. Since that is unlikely to happen, Atletico should win this game with relative ease.

VASCO x GOIAS: Coach Renato Gaucho wanted to rest his main players against Corinthians in the Sudamericana, but after the board demanded he fielded his main team in match against Corinthians, he now wishes he hadn't listened. Vasco was eliminated after a 3-1 loss, and now must regroup when it faces Goias at home. After losing some ground in the race for first in the standings, the team knows it can't waste chances like this if it wants to keep in contention for a place in the Libertadores Cup in 2007. Forward Leandro Amaral can make his debut for Vasco, but defender Jorge Luiz is likely out. Goias seems to have finally improved after an earlier 11-game winless streak, and managed a great 2-2 tie with Figueirense in Florianopolis last week. This time it will be a lot tougher for the visitors though, and Vasco should triumph. For this game midfielder Cleber Gaucho is out suspended, and forward Welliton will also not play.

CORINTHIANS x PARANA: After a heroic scoreless draw with the league leaders last weekend, Corinthians gained even more momentum by qualifying in the Copa Sudamericana after a 3-1 win over Vasco on Wednesday. The team has everything in place to get another win here against a recovering Parana side, which is relieved after halting a four-game losing streak last Sunday with a win over Fluminense. The visitors lost to Atletico Paranaense in the Sudamericana though, and it remains to be seen if the team can regain the confidence it needs to win a game away from home again. Corinthians will play without suspended Eduardo Ratinho, Cesar and Rafael Moura, with Edson, Gustavo Nery and Nadson replacing them. Coach Caio Junior opted not to use midfielder Maicosuel in Parana, after the player showed up late for a training session. Sandro or Joelson could replace him.

SAO PAULO x INTERNACIONAL: Sao Paulo must desperately win this match or risk losing all its confidence for the remainder of the season, ultimately hindering its chances of winning its first Brazilian title since 1991. After a disappointing scoreless draw against a nine-men Corinthians side last Sunday, the team from Morumbi tied Boca Juniors 2-2 on Thursday to lose the Recopa to the Argentine side. Worse, it was the third runner-up finish for the team in the three tournaments it played in this year. Now Sao Paulo faces Internacional in the rematch of this year's Libertadores final. Forwards Aloisio and Leandro, who were scratched just prior to the Boca game due to injury, are still questionable. Right-back Souza and midfielder Richarlyson are also out, injured. Inter seems to be back on track after losing four players following the continental title, and is currently on a three-game winning streak. Hidalgo will play as the right-back in place of Rubens Cardoso, while Michel and Perdigao are still battling for a spot in midfield. A very close match, where a draw should not surprise anyone.

GREMIO x BOTAFOGO: Botafogo had its four-game winning streak snapped by cross-town rivals Flamengo last Sunday, only to be eliminated by another rival - Fluminense - in the Copa Sudamericana four days later. Players were visibly upset following the game, and may feel the impact of the loss in the upcoming matches in the Brazilian League. This weekend the team from Rio will face a strong Gremio side that is still very much in the race for the Brazilian League title, even after losing one place in the standings following a 1-1 draw at Vasco last Saturday. Left-back Bruno Teles plays in place of Wellington, while midfielder Leo Lima could return from injury. Botafogo's coach Cuca has yet to confirm his team. Gremio is the favorite.

JUVENTUDE x SAO CAETANO: Sao Caetano must stop its freefall if it wants to remain in the Brazilian Serie A in 2007. Winless in six matches and sitting in 18th place, the team travels to Caxias do Sul to face a tough Juventude side. The locals recovered from a 2-0 loss to Goias by beating Cruzeiro by the same score, moving into eighth place with 32 points and still very much in the race for a spot at the Libertadores next year. The locals may miss goalkeeper Andre, who's suffering from the flu. Defender Antonio Carlos and midfielder Lauro return from suspension. Defender Gustavo is questionable for Sao Caetano, while defender Mauricio and forward Dinelson can make their debut for the team. Despite the situation in goal, Juventude should still win this one.

CRUZEIRO x PALMEIRAS: Cruzeiro tries to recover from a loss in a penalty shootout to Santos in the Copa Sudamericana when it hosts Palmeiras at the Mineirao Stadium. The locals have completely wasted their chances of battling for the Brazilian title after a miserable month of August that saw the team plummet to ninth in the standings. Forward Elber could return to the team from injury but is still questionable. Left-Back Leandro and defender Andre Luis could be used by coach Oswaldo Oliveira, who may opt to use a 3-5-2 tactic. Palmeiras, on the other hand, continues to be one of the better teams following the World Cup break, jumping out of the relegation zone and now trailing Cruzeiro by just a point. Defender Nen should return to the team. Both teams should pay attention to the bottom of the standings though, as 17th place Ponte Preta is dangerously close with 27 points. Another possible draw.

FLUMINENSE x FIGUEIRENSE: Fluminense is still happy about advancing to the second round of the Copa Sudamericana after a controversial match with Botafogo on Thursday. In the Brazilian League, however, the team remains winless in seven games, and must win soon or risk falling too close to the bottom four. This week the tricolor from Rio hosts Figueirense, which is coming off a disappointing 2-2 draw with Goias at home. Roger and Juliano are out for the locals, suspended. Right-back Neto can make his debut. For the visitors, foward Diego will replace suspended Soares, while defensive midfielder Rodrigo Souto returns from his ban. A draw wouldn't surprise me here, though Fluminense has a slight advantage for playing at home.

PONTE PRETA x SANTOS: After failing to defeat Fortaleza away from home last Sunday, Santos fell to third place in the standings and saw Internacional move closer to leaders Sao Paulo. With both teams ahead of it in the standings battling each other at the Morumbi, the team from Vila Belmiro will desperately try to beat Ponte Preta in Campinas to gain ground in the title race. Brazilian International Ze Roberto has been confirmed and will make his debut. Ponte will have a much tougher time this week than it did last weekend, when it beat Santa Cruz at home. Still in the relegation zone, the team must at least tie this game in order not to risk falling too much behind 16th place - the last spot that guarantees a place in the First Division next year. Forward Tuto could return in place of Velber, with defender Rafael Santos playing instead of midfielder Danilo in a shift from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 to strengthen the defense.

FORTALEZA x FLAMENGO: It's a game to try to build on good results to escape the bottom of the standings. Flamengo travels to Fortaleza after a great 2-0 win in the local derby against Botafogo that took it out of the bottom four - on goal differential over Ponte Preta. The team will face a tough opponent though, which was able to hold off second place Santos to a 1-1 draw last week. Lucio, Chicao and Finazzi are suspended for Fortaleza, while Dude, Ivan and Osmar are injured. The visitors will not use forward Peralta, accused of not showing enough interest during training sessions this week, and could instead opt to play Fabiano Oliveira with Obina in attack. Flamengo can take advantage of Fortaleza's missing players, but a draw would not be unexpected.