Flamengo gives Sao Paulo a gift

Flamengo beat Cruzeiro 3-1 on Wednesday at the Maracana Stadium, in a match that had been postponed from the 16th round of the Brazilian Serie A soccer league. The result not only helped Flamengo move a little bit further away from the relegation zone, but also prevented Cruzeiro from closing the gap to league leaders Sao Paulo. With the loss, the team from Belo Horizonte remains with 45 points, nine less than Sao Paulo, with 54.

Right-back Leonardo Moura opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a powerful shot from just outside the penalty box. Forward Souza made it 2-0 twenty minutes into the second half, Guilherme gave new hope to Cruzeiro with eight minutes to go, but Obina confirmed the win for the locals with a goal in the 88th minute.