Two more ties for Brazilian teams in the Libertadores

Gremio Porto Alegre made its 2009 Libertadores debut on Wednesday, but could not get beyond a scoreless draw against Universidade de Chile at home. The locals dominated a game they could have easily won by 3 or 4 goals, losing several scoring opportunities and complaining about some poor refereeing (two penalties should have been awarded, as well as a goal which was badly waved off). Meanwhile, Cruzeiro went to Ecuador and tied Deportivo Quito 1-1. The Brazilians could also have won the match, but are still happy with one away point - as long as they are able to beat the same opponents when they play each other again in Brazil.

All in all, Brazilian teams have not yet been great in this year's tournament, but they haven't been completely terrible either. Some, like Sport, have managed great results playing solidly (though not marvellously). It's still early, and from what they have shown so far, all the five teams have a chance to advance to the second round.

Brazilian teams debut in Libertadores

Brazilian teams had their first games in the 2009 Copa Libertadores this week.

Palmeiras, which is playing strongly at home in the Paulista championship, had trouble while visiting defending champions LDU Quito, losing 3-2. Walter Calderon had two goals for the locals, with Willians getting the other. Edmilson and Manso scored for the visitors, which lost for the first time in 2009.

Sport Recife had better luck away from home, beating Colo Colo from Chile 2-1. Ciro and Wilson scored for the Brazilians in the first half, with Lucas Barrios netting the lone Chilean goal that left the locals short of a comeback.

Three-time Libertadores winners and current Brazilian champions Sao Paulo dominated the action at home against Independiente Medellin, but almost left with a loss after falling behind 1-0 in the second half and losing several opportunities of its own. In the end, Borges scored a goal in injury time to give the locals a 1-1 tie.

Cruzeiro took some time to get things going, but after it did, Estudiantes La Plata could not stop them. Kleber scored twice and Fernandinho also had a goal as the team from Belo Horizonte scored an emphatic 3-0 home win over the Argentinians.

Gremio and Parana win in the Libertadores

Gremio and Parana managed to get important away wins this Thursday, in their debut at the group stage of the 2007 Copa Libertadores.

Gremio went to Asuncion and left with a great 1-0 win over local Cerro Porteno, thanks to a goal scored by Lucas in the 52nd minute. Argentine goalkeeper Saja, playing for the Brazilian side, made several difficult saves during the game, including a penalty kick in the last minute of regulation, to guarantee the visitors the three points. The sad note about the game was left to the local fans, who threw stones and bottles at the bus that took Gremio to the stadium, and later even started throwing objects at the players themselves on the field. After the missed penalty kick, the referee had to end the match due to an increase in the number of dangerous objects thrown on the field.

Parana had a less troubled debut in Venezuela, where it beat local side Maracaibo 4-2. The first half ended on a 1-1 draw, with Parana opening the score with Josiel in the 39th minute and Arismendi tying the game six minutes later. The Brazilians came back stronger in the second half and scored twice in a two-minute span - in the 55th and 56th minutes - with Dinelson and Henrique. Casseres still scored for Maracaibo in the 67th minute, but Gerson made sure the local comeback would not take place with a goal two minutes later.

Flamengo vows not to play in high altitudes again

After a heroic 2-2 tie against Real Potosi in Bolivia on Wednesday, Flamengo vowed never to play another game in high altitudes again. Playing at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, Flamengo had trouble keeping up with the locals during its debut at the 2007 Copa Libertadores. However, despite falling behind 2-0, the team was able to come back and tie the game 2-2 in the second half.

On Thursday, the team released an official statement where it highlighted the heroics of the match, but at the same time criticized the tournament officials for allowing a game to be played in such a high altitude. "We will officially let the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, as well as the South American Confederation and FIFA, that we will no longer show up for matches scheduled to be played in altitudes above those recommended by sports medical professionals," says the note. According to the club, "playing sports in conditions that are not approved by sports medicine turns physical effort into a barbarian act, which degrades human condition and puts the athletes life in risk. Allowing matches to be played in these conditions is the same as letting doping to be used in the sport." The team will play again for the Libertadores next week, at home against Maracaibo from Venezuela.

The other Brazilian team to play yesterday in the Libertadores Cup was current runner-up and 2005 winner Sao Paulo, which went to Santiago in Chile and was held to a scoreless draw by Audax Italiano. On Thursday, Parana travels to Venezuela to play Maracaibo, while Gremio Porto Alegre faces Cerro Porteno in Asuncion, Paraguay. Internacional and Santos, the other Brazilian teams in the Libertadores, play their first game of the group stage next week.