Thrilling Derby Weekend In Brazil Masks National Team Failures

Dunga may not have many friends in Brazil right now given his struggle to win the public's affection as national team coach, but last weekend he could at least look back and reflect on the Campeonato Brasileiro's fixture list as an ally of sorts. After accumulating an awful record of just three points from three home games during World Cup qualifiers in 2008, without managing a single goal in the process, you would have expected the knives to be out in a big way for Dunga.

Many Brazilians in the stadium, for example, were actually quite happy with the result. 'This will be the end of Dunga' one smiled gleefully, having spent most of the game criticising the beleaguered coach. The boos and the 'Bye bye Dunga' chants emanating from the Maracana were bad enough, but you would have been forgiven for imagining that the vicious reaction of the press to the 0-0 draw with Colombia would ultimately prove too much for the World Cup winning centre midfielder to withstand.

Not so. Though inevitable criticism was directed at both players and coach of the underachieving Seleção, for the most part the Brazilian media's attention quickly turned towards the buildup to a highly important, potentially pivotal matchday of league football in the Campeonato Brasileiro. For last weekend fans of Brazilian football had not one or two but three classicos to look forward to, with derby clashes reigniting bitter rivalries in three major cities; Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. In Sao Paulo, title contenders Palmeiras and Sao Paulo went head to head at the Palestra Italia. In Rio, relegation-threatened Vasco da Gama took on title hopefuls Flamengo and in Belo Horizonte Atletico Mineiro played host to another team challenging for the Campeonato, Cruzeiro.

As it turned out therefore Dunga was spared an uneasy few days of job speculation, bad press and faultfinding. The sports daily Lance! even relegated reaction to the Colombia stalemate as far back as page 13, preferring instead to devote its front page to the highly anticipated Rio derby between Vasco and Flamengo.

With such intense focus on the trio of derbies off the pitch, the action on the pitch did not disappoint. League leaders Gremio's shock 2-0 defeat at Portuguesa proved a great result for all but Vasco, who see Portuguesa as relegation rivals, and the outcome at Caninde only added further incentive to those competing at the top of the table, knowing that a win would inch them ever closer to that coveted top spot.

Atletico Mineiro 0-2 Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro went into the weekend's fixtures four points behind Gremio, but with results going their way and a deserved 2-0 victory against local rivals Atletico Mineiro at the Estádio Mineirão, the club nicknamed the Fox are now creeping closer and closer to first place. They currently lie second with just a point separating them from the league leaders and eight games to go.

In front of 53,000 goals in either half from Jonathan and Guilherme respectively put paid to Mineiro's chances of winning the derby. Cruzeiro were in total control in the first half, living up to their status as title contenders admirably, and Jonathan's goal three minutes before half time was no more than the away side deserved.

A more evenly balanced second half saw Mineiro, 3-0 winners against Flamengo at the Maracana the previous week, get back into their stride somewhat, but Cruzeiro remained the more incisive outfit and their overall superiority was emphasised when Guilherme struck his sixteenth goal of the season from the penalty spot to wrap up all three points as well as the bragging rights in Belo Horizonte.

Palmeiras 2-2 Sao Paulo

Undoubtedly the game of the weekend took place at the Palestra Italia. Some journalists went as far as dubbing it one of the finest games in the history of this particular classico, which is probably going a little overboard. In terms of excitement and drama though, Palmeiras' comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 was most certainly deserving of the 'classic' tag.

Within seven minutes the 26,776 crowd had already been treated to a goal and two red cards. Leo Lima upended Jean in the box and Rogerio Ceni, the goalkeeper/penalty king slammed in the spotkick to register his seventh goal against Palmeiras. Not a bad return for a keeper. The drama continued even before the game had restarted. Diego Souza and Sao Paulo's Borges' playful flirting was deemed unacceptable by referee Salvio Spinola, and consequently he sent both of them off, presumably to continue their antics in the privacy of the dressing room. Both dismissals were harsh to say the least.

On the stroke of half time Sao Paulo went 2-0 up courtesy of Dagoberto, who ran from deep in midfield and slotted the ball past Marcos to the delight of the away fans. Sao Paulo began brightly in the second half, and it seemed as though they would comfortably go on to wrap up the three points. That is until Palmeiras' remarkable comeback. Two goals in two minutes saw the home side get back on level terms, with former Sao Paulo player Kleber and then Leandro getting on the scoresheet. Roque Junior, formerly of Leeds United, was sent off late in the game.

The outcome of such a thrilling encounter sees Palmeiras move down to third, while Sao Paulo occupy the final Copa Libertadores spot in fourth, three points behind Gremio.

Vasco 0-1 Flamengo

At the Maracana Stadium, Flamengo kept up their hopes of a first league title in 16 years by beating fierce rivals Vasco 1-0. On a rain-soaked surface, Jorge Luiz's own goal two minutes before half time was enough to separate the sides, and though Flamengo were reduced to ten men midway through the second half, Vasco could do nothing to make the man advantage count.

Just 37,000 turned out to watch the Rio classico, with many put off by the poor weather conditions, but the atmosphere remained intense both inside and outside the stadium. The feeling of mutual hatred between both sets of fans was clear for all to see.

A nervy game ended in sheer delight for the Flamengo fans, who taunted Vasco endlessly with chants about their potential relegation; an outcome that looked ever more ominous at the final whistle. Vasco are one of only four Brazilian clubs to have never been relegated but with eight games remaining they lie rock bottom, four points adrift of safety. They have it all to do.