Champions League? No, Copa Libertadores!

By: Bruno Romani | April 4th, 2007

Hugo celebrates - Vipcomm

Hugo celebrates the third goal

Champions League? No, tonight was a night of Copa Libertadores for Brazilian clubs.

São Paulo and Flamengo, clubs with history in the tournament, played their matches with different goals.

Maracaibo (VEN) 1 x 2 Flamengo

Flamengo went to Venezuela to play against Maracaibo just to confirm its good campaign in the group. I didn’t watch it, but it seems that the game was a shop-window of poor skills. The team from Rio won 2 – 1, coming back in the score board at 36th minute in the second half. Renato and Renato Augusto scored for Flamengo while Maracaibo’s goal was scored by Paulinho, Flamengo’s defensive midfielder. Besides scoring an own goal, Paulinho also got a red card.

Flamengo is qualified to the playoffs and has one more match in the group stage against Real Potosí from Bolivia. In this match, the Rubro-Negro will try to confirm the best campaign of the tournament.

São Paulo 3 x 0 Necaxa (MEX)

São Paulo received Necaxa at the Morumbi trying to prove to its fans that there’s no risk of the club being left out of the playoffs. Necaxa visited the tricolor paulista thinking it could be the new Chivas, whose victory last year at the Morumbi in the group stage still resonates in the Mexican imaginary.

However, São Paulo crushed Necaxa with a great performance by its two offensive midfielders Souza and Hugo.

In the 12th minute mark, Souza received a beautiful pass from Hugo, who showed skills. In the second half, Miranda (12th) and Hugo (27th) after a cross by Souza defined the score board in the best performance of São Paulo in this year’s edition of the Libertadores.

In other tournaments, tragedy for big clubs

For the third time, Vasco had the party ready for Romario’s 1000th goal. The rivals were easy and the stage was Maracanã. The only problem is that somebody forgot to tell all this to Gama, club from Brasília. Gama scored in the very last minute, winning 2-1, Romário barely touched the ball, and Vasco faced elimination in the early stages of Copa do Brasil.

Internacional, the world champs, got eliminated from the Gauchão, the state tournament. In Veranópolis, the home team scored in the very last minute, winning 2-1. Abel Braga, the coach who took Inter to the unforgettable game against Barcelona, may be fired.