Flamengo Leaves the relegation Zone

By: Bruno Romani | August 26th, 2007

It took 13 rounds, but Flamengo finally will sleep outside the relegation zone. The Maracanã received 50 thousand fans that painted the stadium red and black and filled it with chants and flags. As a heart that beats in flaming passion, the fans carried the team to a 3-1 victory over Goiás. In the first half, after a great play by Maxi, Souza hit the post and Léo Medeiros converted in the rebound. In the second-half, the left-back scored a beautiful goal with a long distance shot in the angle. With just 15 minutes into the second-half, Ibson with a header drove fans crazy. Flamengo must be respected. Not even the header from outside the box which Paulo Baier used to score the only goal of the visitors was able to silence the rubro-negros.

Unlike Flamengo, a team that seems to have cemented its position in the relegation zone is Naútico, whose visit to leaders São Paulo ended with a 5-0 defeat. True that Wagner Tardelli gave an extra hand to São Paulo by ejecting Acosta in the second-half, but the visitors did not resist players very criticized by their own fans, such as Aloísio and Hugo. Goal-keeper Rogério Ceni scored again, the 76th of his career, and São Paulo keeps the excellent defense statistics: it has allowed only 7 goals in 21 matches.

Talking about goal-keepers, they were the main characters in the match between Sport and Vasco that ended with a nail draw. Silvio Luiz denied a penalty to Sport’s Carlinhos Bala and Magrão saved Sport in at least 3 occasions. Another keeper with a good Sunday was Palmeiras’ Diego Cavalieri in his team’s 2-1 victory over Figueirense in Florianópolis. Why is Diego not with the national team? Wake up Dunga! The goals in the match were scored by Valdívia and Max for Palmeiras and Jean Carlo for Figueirense.

Time to end the conversation about keepers because for 7 matches this is the only thing Paraná’s Josiel heard about. This Sunday he missed a couple of chances, but when you take on a rival that seems sure of its way to second-division, you have to score. And he did it. Josiel scored his 13th goal in the league, the third of Paraná in the 3-1 victory over Juventude.

If there’s anything that can make Juventude fans feel better, it is when they look at América. In Natal, they received Santos and were crushed by an inspired duo Petkovic and Kléber Pereira, two players that raised a few questions in the minds of Santos’ fans prior to their arrival. It is amazing how every victory of Santos seems to be constructed with beautiful goals. Petkovic scored his first goal playing at Santos with a beautiful long shot. Kléber Pereira scored other two great goals and Rodrigo Tabata sealed the victory of the visitors.

Finally, Botafogo after 5 matches won again. The team came back in the match against Atlético-MG in Belo Horizonte. Danilinho scored for the locals while Túlio and Lúcio Flávio, both with headers, scored.

goals: http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Noticias/0,,GIM720663-7823-OS+GOLS+DE+DOMINGO+PELO+CAMPEONATO+BRASILEIRO,00.html

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