With just a handful of matches still to play in the Brazilian first division this season, defending champions Sao Paulo are on course to win what would be a record fourth successive championship. The Tricolor Paulista have come out of nowhere to lead the Brazilian championship, suggesting that they could be crowned champions yet again.

Sao Paulo, the third most popular club in Brazil with a fan base of 17 million, have dominated the championship in recent years, and as was the case last year, after a poor start to the 2009 season, they are now firm contenders to win the title.

The three-time world champions are well known for their fighting spirit, but also for the amount of quality players they have produced over the years.

Since the arrival of Ricardo Gomes the fortune of the club has changed, as Sao Paulo have proved to be one of the strongest teams in the current championship. With the likes of Hernanes, Washington, Borges, Dagoberto, Rogerio Ceni and Miranda Sao Paulo count with plenty of quality in their squad, and their level of depth is the reason why they have been in top form in the second round of the season.

Although having played one more match that championship rivals Palmeiras, Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo, the side from the posh Morumbi district of Brazil´s biggest city lead the championship with 59 points from 34 games.

In their final four matches of the Brasileiro, Sao Paulo take on Vitoria, Botafogo, Goias and Sport Recife, four matches that they could well win.

After the hard fought draw with Gremio in Porto Alegre last week, Ricardo Gomes stated that he expects his team to claim 10 points from their last four matches, meaning three wins and a draw.

On paper this seems very likely, not only because of the impressive form of the side, but because beside Goias (9th) the rest of the teams they will face find themselves in the bottom end of the table. Vitoria (12th), Botafogo (16th) and Sport (20th) have all struggled a great deal this season.

As has been the case over the last few years, Sao Paulo are the most organised institution in the whole of Brazil, and this is much of the reason why they continue to dominate the league. Even if they haven´t been at their best on the international stage in recent editions of the Copa Libertadores, Sao Paulo are easily one of the leading clubs of the continent, and will hope to win another international title next year. But first, Sao Paulo will be aiming for their latest Brazilian championship.

Copa Libertadores places up for grabs

The top four Brazilian teams qualify directly for the 2010 Copa Libertadores, along with Corinthians, the winners of the 2009 Copa do Brasil. While the top four teams: Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, Atletico-MG and Cruzeiro are the favourites to qualify for the tournament, Flamengo, Internacional and even Avai still have chances of doing so.

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

Sao Paulo temporarily moved to the top of the Brasileiro after drawing 1-1 with Gremio in a round 34 match at the Olimpico stadium of Porto Alegre. The Tricolor Paulista are on track to win what would be a record fourth consecutive Brazilian championship, even if a number of teams are on their heels.

Defender Rafael Marques put Gremio ahead in the 24th minute when he powered in a header, but eight minutes later Dagoberto meet a precise Hernanes ball to draw Sao Paulo level.

A desperate Sao Paulo frustrated a strong Gremio outfit, as they hanged onto the draw. Rogerio Ceni was part of the reason why the Brazilian champions didn´t lose the match, having made a number of crucial saves, as well as making the clock tick away with his experience.

Sao Paulo had three players sent off in the final twelve minutes of the match, these being Borges, Dagoberto and Jean.

With the point Sao Paulo accumulated 59 points, one more than crosstown rivals Palmeiras, with 58 points. Gremio are all but out of the title race, with 48 points.

The round continues on Saturday, but the pick of the bunch is Sunday´s clash between Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo that will be staged at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte.

Gregory Sica

Southamericanfutbol.com

Ronaldo scored his first goal since breaking his hand more than two months ago to give Corinthians a 1-1 draw in the Paulista derby against rivals Sao Paulo at the Morumbi stadium on Sunday.

The former World Player of the Year took advantage of a lapse of concentration in the Sao Paulo defence to put Corinthians ahead in the 20th minute. However, substitute Washington earned Sao Paulo a point in the 70th minute with a firmly struck shot. Washington was sent off in second half injury-time after a second bookable offence.

During the game Ronaldo looked as dangerous as ever, but it was evident that he still wasn’t at full fitness. He was substituted in the 77th minute. The match also marked the debut of Argentine prodigy Matias Defederico who joined Corinthians from Huracan. But the attacking midfielder made little impact.

On Saturday, Palmeiras increased their lead at the top of the standings to five points after beating Atletico Paranaense 2-1 at the Palestra Italia stadium. Luis Figueroa and Danilo scored Palmeiras’ two goals, while Chico pulled a goal back for the visitors.

In Saturday’s only other game Cruzeiro beat Barueri 1-0 thanks to a strike from former Brazilian international Gilberto.

Goias climbed into second-place after edging Gremio 2-1 in front of 15,000 fans at the Serra Dourada stadium in Goiania. Souza put Gremio ahead in the first half, but goals from Leo Lima and Felipe earned Goias the three points.

In Porto Alegre, Internacional failed to move closer towards the league leaders, after being held to a goalless draw by Flamengo. The game lacked rhythm and this had much to do with the state of the surface, that was drenched with water. Internacional find themselves in fourth-place, while Flamengo are in eighth-place.

Atletico Mineiro moved into fifth-place after beating Santos 3-1 courtesy of two goals from Brazilian international Diego Tardelli and another from Evandro. Kleber Pereira converted for Santos.

In other matches, Coritiba beat Nautico 2-0, Fluminense edged Avai 3-2, Vitoria downed Botafogo 3-1, and finally Sport Recife defeated Santo Andre 2-1.

Diego Tardelli (Atletico Mineiro), Adriano (Flamengo) and Jonas (Gremio) share top spot of the scoring charts with thirteen goals each.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Palmeiras fought out a goalless draw with crosstown rivals Sao Paulo but remain top of the Brazilian championship after second-placed Goias were thrashed 4-0 by Internacional.

The Verdao dominated proceedings in front of 42,000 fans at the Morumbi stadium but couldn’t break through the rock-solid Sao Paulo defence. Palmeiras came closest to winning the match, but wasted several clear-cut opportunities throughout the game.

Goias travelled to Porto Alegre to do battle with Internacional and returned home empty handed after  an unexpected 4-0 defeat. Inter’s goals were scored by Marquinhos, Pablo Guinazu, Giuliano and Kleber. The match turned sour for Goias only 12 minutes in, when former Inter striker Fernandao received his marching orders.

With the win Inter moved into third place, with 37 points, one point behind Goias, and four behind league leaders Palmeiras.

Inter’s city rivals, Gremio, were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Botafogo at the Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Jonas scored twice for Gremio and Souza scored another, while Botafogo’s goals were converted by Reinaldo, Victor Simoes and Leandro Guerreiro, the last coming three minutes before full-time.

The clash between Vitoria and Cruzeiro in Salvador also ended in a 3-3 tie. Meanwhile, 11th-placed Santos beat bottom-placed Fluminense 2-0 and Atletico Mineiro shared a 1-1 draw with Sport Recife. Atletico have struggled of late, after having led the championship for a number of weeks earlier in the season.

On Saturday, Flamengo cruised past Santo Andre 3-0 at Maracana stadium. Denis Marques, Leo Moura and Ze Roberto scored for the most widely supported club in Brazil. The Mengao are in 12th place with 30 points.

In the other matches, Coritiba beat Avai 2-0 and Nautico thrashed Atletico Paranaense 3-0.

On September 2, Corinthians entertain Santos in the traditional Paulista derby, while Internacional have an opportunity to jump into second when they play host to Atletico Mineiro.

Val Baiano (Barueri), Marcelinho Paraiba (Coritiba) and Roger (Vitoria) lead the Brazilian scoring charts with 11 goals each.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Sao Paulo continued their exciting title charge, after winning 2-1 at Sport Recife. The Brazilian champions worked hard in a violent game where three players received their marching orders. They won thanks to a first half goal from Washington and a second half injury-time goal from Hugo. Fabiano scored for Sport earlier in the second half.

The result moves the defending champions into fourth place of the table, with 33 points, only four points behind league leaders Palmeiras, with 37 points.

Four-time champions Corinthians beat Atletico Mineiro 2-0 and in doing so put a five-match winless streak to an end. The Timao dominated their opponents and claimed the three points courtesy of goals from Dentinho and Boquita.

Former World Player of the Year, Ronaldo, who is recovering after breaking his hand, was part of the 21,000 crowd at the Pacaembu stadium.

Goias climbed into second place, after edging Vitoria 3-2 in an exciting encounter at the Serra Dourada stadium. Goias needed an injury-time strike from defender Julio Cesar to claim the three points.

Gremio crushed Flamengo 4-1 at the Olimpico stadium of Porto Alegre with goals from Edixon Perea and Rever, and a further two goals from Jonas. With the result, Gremio moved into seventh place with 28 points.

Meanwhile, Coritiba defeated Fluminense 3-1 at Maracana stadium. With only three wins from nineteen matches Fluminense find themselves second bottom, and unless they begin to pick up their game they could face relegation to the second division.

League leaders, Palmeiras, failed to extend their lead at the top of the table on Saturday, after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Botafogo. Andre Lima scored for Botafogo, while Danilo found the back of the net for the side from the Palestra Italia.

In other matches, Avai beat Nautico 2-1, Internacional won 2-0 at Santo Andre and Cruzeiro fought out a goalless draw with Santos. Finally, Atletico Paranaense thrashed Barueri 3-0.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Forget the UEFA Champions League. If you want a competition that boasts the future of world soccer, look no further than South America’s Copa Libertadores.

The Champions League may have the glamour, money and superstars, but South America — in particular, Brazil and Argentina — is where much of its success started.

The world’s two best players in history — Pelé and Diego Maradona — have stood out in past editions of the Libertadores. More recently, star turns have included Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Romário — players that have won seven of the last 13 FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

Brazilian and Argentine clubs have almost completely dominated the Libertadores since its inception in 1960, and the fact that together they have won 13 of the last 15 competitions means it won’t be any different this year — they still produce the most talented players.

Predicting the clubs that will excel in the competition each year is no big task — just pick the teams from these two countries. That’ll win you a buck or two, but unlike Europe’s Champions League, the quality of the Libertadores is never predictable. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a big fan of European soccer, and in particular the Champions League, but every year, it’s the same old, same old.

The Libertadores promises the emergence of new talent and allows us to witness soccer’s new trends first-hand: the new stars, the new styles and all the latest tricks. (Ronaldinho first made his magic at Grêmio, not Barcelona). The 48th edition, which kicks off Tuesday night, promises to be a huge success. Here’s what we can expect from the competition.

The Group of Death

Pity Ecuador’s little Emelec, finding itself in a Group 4 that includes three former Libertadores champions: Nacional, Vélez Sársfield and reigning title-holder Internacional. Inter is looking particularly strong and is a repeat candidate despite some heavy changes. Nacional of Montevideo, Uruguay, is one of the most respected clubs on the continent, but is in a crisis of late. Still, it did eliminate Boca Juniors from last season’s Copa Sudamericana by playing some outstanding soccer.

Who will emerge on top? I’m going with ’94 champ Vélez, a serious candidate I’ve become particularly fond of for its attractive style of soccer under Ricardo La Volpe. Look for Mauro Zárate to compete for player of the tournament. I can’t stress it enough that this youngster is simply amazing.

First-round matchups to watch

Brazil-Argentina clashes are always one-of-a-kind, no matter the clubs. These soccer nations are arguably the two most exciting in the world and happen to be geographical neighbors. Translation: They absolutely hate each other. Most games are played passionately, as if a grand final of some sort and a bonus for fans is that an after game brawl is always guaranteed, especially from the losing Argentine side. Internacional-Vélez promises all this, plus great soccer.

Another interesting matchup is the one between heavyweight clubs River Plate and Colo-Colo. The Chileans get particularly carried away when they host such high-key games, and this will be no different. The sad thing is they always end up on the losing side. Other potential classics: Boca-Toluca, Nacional-Vélez, Gimnasia La Plata-Santos and Grêmio-Cerro Porteño.

Most exciting club

The pick here is Santos, which hammered Bolivia’s Blooming 6-0 on aggregate to earn its Libertadores birth. The second leg at the Vila Belmiro was a total destruction, as Vanderlei Luxemburgo‘s side proved its huge superiority.

Even though it’s unlikely the club will ever develop a player of Pelé’s quality again (The King guided Santos to back-to-back titles in 1962 and ’63), a number of big names have come from the club, such as Robinho, Diego and Ricardo Oliveira. New prospects currently at the club include Cléber Santana, Rodrigo Tiuí and Rodrigo Souto.

Brazil World Cup veteran and former Bayern Munich star Zé Roberto adds much-needed experience to an otherwise young but highly talented side. O Peixe clearly has the upper hand in a group that might get tricky, particularly with the unpredictable nature of Defensor Sporting, Gimnasia La Plata and Colombian side Deportivo Pasto. Santos has the potential to be among the elite of South American soccer for many years to come.

The Revelation

Ecuador’s Liga de Quito has made some noise in recent editions of the Libertadores. But with a solid lineup and depth at every position, this could be its most historic campaign yet. Los Albos face a huge challenge out of a group that includes River and Colo-Colo, but they have the ability to be a monstrous surprise. Remember ’06 World Cup revelation Ecuador? The backbone of that team all plays its club soccer at LDU. Other outsiders that could stir some trouble include Flamengo, Nacional and Paraguayan clubs Cerro Porteño and Libertad.

Title candidates

Predictably, the huge clubs boast enough talent to win the competition: Boca, River, Vélez, São Paulo, Inter, Grêmio, Santos and perhaps one of the Mexican clubs. If one of them doesn’t obtain the title, I’ll give up as a soccer analyst. Not only do they have the best players, but they are also all very significant for the ongoing success of the competition, not to mention their track records.

If we had to pick an early winner, we’d have to go with Boca Juniors. Club president Mauricio Macri made some wild predictions when he first promised to bring Juan Román Riquelme back to the Bombonera. But Macri actually kept his promise and sealed the deal — the unhappy former Argentina national-team captain returns to Boca from Spain’s Villarreal on a six-month loan. Macri made some other important signings as well, such as Bruno Marioni, by far the most prolific striker the Mexican league has had in recent years.

But we all have to respect archrival River as well, which broke the bank in attempts to strengthen the squad. Living up to their nickname, the Millonarios have demonstrated their power in the transfer market and could be a real menace. But if all fails, it will be the fault of team manager Daniel Passarella, who constantly seems to rotate his squad in preference for his reserve players for the crunch matches.

As for the Brazilians, they are always more than a handful for any side, particularly São Paulo. The Tricolor Paulista should at least reach the semifinals, and will only be eliminated by a fellow Brazilian or Argentine club. In truth, just their name (and star keeper Rogério Ceni) frightens the hell out of nearly every club in the competition.

The nice thing about Brazilian clubs — and the reason they’re a cut above the Argentines in terms of achievements — is because each year a different team reaches the final stages of the tournament. Don’t be surprised if a club such as Flamengo reaches the final. Brazil’s most popular team has a great chance to demonstrate that it’s capable of breaking through, and boasts an awesome home-field advantage of 100,000 fans at a renovated Maracanã.

Final predictions

How about a Boca-Santos dream matchup? It’s way too early to make such a prediction, but history shows that it could well be another Superclásico. When the clubs met in the ’03 final, Boca cruised to an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win. Can that be repeated?

River Plate-São Paulo could be another possibility. River last hoisted the Cup in ’96, and its new squad has the potential to lift another title. São Paulo has kept its ’06 finalist side intact and could make a record third successive final appearance.

But recent trends suggest a Mexican club could reach the finals. Club América looks to be the strongest of the three in the competition, and is one of the best supported. The Águilas could be a force, and may well be the second Mexican finalist in tournament history.

Gregory Sica

Article at Si.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

If you’re looking for a club with several balls in the air at once, look no further than São Paulo FC. O Tricolor kicks off its 2006 Brazilian championship campaign on Sunday against Flamengo and is hoping to repeat a sensational ’05 season in which it won three major titles, including the FIFA Club World Championship in December.

São Paulo is a side that depends hugely on its rock-solid defense, and Uruguayan international Diego Lugano is the standout. The highly rated center-back is one of the most sought-after defenders in world soccer and particularly impressed me after a recent training session at the club’s five-star training complex.

While the rest of the squad hit the showers after a hard day’s work, a fresh Lugano seemed to have just started, and continued with ball skills, stretching and 30 minutes of muscular work before taking time to do live broadcasts for various Brazilian television networks.

Finally, after he settled down, we had a chance to discuss his sudden rise to fame, his international career and life in São Paulo.

SI.com: You were relatively unknown in Uruguay before arriving at São Paulo. Did you imagine you would achieve so much success when you first arrived at the club?

Lugano: To tell you the truth, when one transfers to an important club such as São Paulo, you always dream about good things, but what happened has definitely surpassed expectation. On the pitch we won the Copa Libertadores, the Club World Championship and the ’05 Paulista Championship, but also off the pitch I have earned the respect of the people and have learned a lot as a soccer player and as a person. Like I always say, reality surpassed my dreams at São Paulo.

SI.com: You have been voted the best center-back in Brazil in consecutive years, and were voted the second-best player in South America last year. How does that make you feel?

Lugano: Being awarded as the best center-back in Brazil two years in a row was huge, especially as everyone knows the best soccer in the world is played here. Players are sold here every day to whichever team in the world, and as a foreigner, it is difficult to play here and particularly difficult to succeed, so I definitely take this with much pride. The fact that my achievements at São Paulo and with the Uruguayan national team have helped me be considered in the top two players in the continent was a dream come true. I hope to repeat this again this year, although it will be difficult.

SI.com: What are the differences between Brazilian and Uruguayan soccer?

Lugano: There are huge differences in many aspects. Firstly, you can’t compare structure; Brazil is a country with more than 200 million inhabitants and Uruguay barely reaches three million, and that is the biggest reason why the structure in Brazil is much superior when compared with Uruguay’s. This means that the internal competition in Brazilian soccer is much greater, but that doesn’t take anything away from the value of Uruguayan soccer. Although the country is small and has few investment possibilities in the game, Uruguay has always been a competitive soccer nation that has won important things and will continue to do so. Playing soccer in such a big country like Brazil is terrific, and I feel proud of being Uruguayan.

SI.com: What have you learned from Brazilian soccer?

Lugano: When you face forwards with lots of ability and teams with good technique and lots of dynamic Sunday after Sunday, week after week, your soccer almost automatically improves. You grow and adapt to where you play, and I think no matter which aspect of life you look at, if you have a goal and strive toward it with sufficient backing, it all becomes much easier. São Paulo gave me the possibility to play for my country and to triumph as a professional and I am very grateful for this. The quality of the Brazilian competition has helped me a great deal in becoming a better player.

SI.com: What do you think is your best quality as a player?

Lugano: As a center-back, I try to position myself well on the pitch. I try to use my physique and aerial strength as best as possible and try to time myself when coming out of the area to break down attacks. Off the pitch I am 100 percent professional; I dedicate myself entirely to soccer in all aspects and always strive to improve.

SI.com: Uruguay has some of the best players in world soccer, so why is it always so difficult to obtain World Cup qualification?

Lugano: In some aspects we, the players, are partly responsible. But a lot of the blame comes down to the internal problems in Uruguayan soccer, particularly because of the directors. I think the economic situation of the country also contributes to this. In the World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay organized itself in a very unprofessional manner. Today, all national-team players deserve to concentrate solely on soccer, while internal conflicts should be dealt with by other people. This lack of organization was demonstrated in the way we arrived for the playoff match in Australia. The trip there was a nightmare and it was impossible to fully concentrate on the match. These disadvantages make us feel that we are still far away in terms of organization, and although we have good players, if this is not accompanied with professionalism and structure, we can’t compete at a high level.

SI.com: What can be done to correct this?

Lugano: I’m not sure where to start, but I am sure that no team in the world gives you the advantages that Uruguay gives. That’s what I don’t understand; maybe it has something to do with the economic state of the country. But I think there is a lack of organization and self will. It is fundamental that we begin working on improving the organization of our youth categories so that good players keep emerging. Today, Uruguay isn’t the power it was 10 to 15 years ago because we don’t have players of that same quality. We must look at soccer as a professional and serious sport as they have started to do in most other countries.

SI.com: You are the favorite to succeed Paolo Montero as the captain of the Uruguayan national team, and you wore the captain’s band against England in a friendly match last March. How does it feel to have this responsibility?

Lugano: For Uruguay to see me as the successor of Montero is a great honor because Paolo signifies a lot for us as a player, as a person and as a leader on and off the pitch. I wanted to be like him as a player, so being compared to him is a great honor. But I don’t want to be Paolo Montero; I want to be my own self and lead the national team with my own distinctive personality. And to be the captain of the national team at the age of 25 for a match against England is a bit like seeing some of my dreams become reality. It was a dream come true, but hopefully it’s just the start of a lot of good moments to live with La Celeste.

SI.com: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Liverpool are all fighting for your signature, but you insist on staying at São Paulo for now. But surely you’d be interested in a move to European soccer in the future?

Lugano: Last year there were concrete offers from several of the clubs you mentioned, but at São Paulo we had a project to make a champion team and experienced an unforgettable ’05 when we won everything. It was a dream come true and I don’t regret the decision I made. Today I am very respected and liked at São Paulo so I don’t regret anything. If one day I have to go to Europe, I will do so
with lots of desire to triumph and with high expectations. But at the moment I am at the best club in the world, an exceptional club that is first-rate in all aspects, so I don’t have any preoccupation and am hoping to continue at the club for a while.

SI.com: If you do move abroad in the future, which European league would you prefer to play in?

Lugano: I don’t have a preference, but for my style of play and my background I think Italy would suit me best. But I am a person who can adapt to any conditions because I am a battler and I try to accomplish my objectives with lots of professionalism.

SI.com: Who were your idols when you were growing up as a soccer player?

Lugano: I admired Hugo de Leon, as he was a center-back, a leader and a great captain; he was my main reference as a youngster. But later on, when I became a professional, Paolo Montero became my main reference, as a center-back, person and as a leader as well. Those two were my main Uruguayan soccer references.

SI.com: What do you do in your spare time?

Lugano: I try to spend time with my family, my wife and my son, because here in Brazil, the continuity of matches is constant. You play 80 matches a year and have to travel a lot, so you don’t have much spare time. And when you do, the family comes first, as they really need your presence, especially my son, so I try to spend as much time as possible with them.

SI.com: Other than São Paulo, which other teams do you think are candidates to win the Copa Libertadores?

Lugano: I think the other Brazilian teams are very strong, such as Internacional of Porto Alegre. Corinthians may not have much tradition in the competition, but it is a club that has invested heavily in good players. I think Chivas of Mexico is also a strong team, and you always have to respect River, a very important rival. I think it’s going to be a highly disputed Libertadores. It’s going to be very nice to play and I hope we can do as well as we did last year.

Gregory Sica

Article at Si.com