Campeonato Brasileiro 2009 Goes Down to the Wire

2 Dec, 2009 Jonathan F Brazil, Latest, South America

And when I say down to the wire, I’m not talking about McNulty, Bunk or Omar.

The Campeonato Brasileiro 2009, Brazil’s top division, comes to a conclusion this weekend and, just like last season, the destination of the league title remains undecided. It was dramatic enough last year when just two teams (Gremio and São Paulo) vied for top spot. This year you can double that. Four teams – Flamengo, Internacional, Palmeiras and current holders São Paulo all have a chance of dancing jubilantly into the night, trophy in hand.

So what is the state of play heading into the season finale?

Well, here is the league table after game 37 last weekend: (P = points, J = games played, V = wins). (Full table here).

As you can see, Flamengo top the table by two clear points with Inter, Palmeiras and São Paulo all level on 62 points. And these are the four team’s respective fixtures on the final day:

Flamengo vs Gremio
Internacional vs Santo Andre
Botafogo vs Palmeiras
São Paulo vs Sport

As is the beauty of football, all these games have their own little storylines that, when attempting to work out the destination of the title, make it far less straightforward than being a simple case of working out which team is better than which.

In Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo host the southerners of Gremio fully aware that the destiny of the league title lies in their own hands. A win for Mengo would crown them national champions for the first time since 1992 – too long for a club with such a colossal fanbase. Having climbed the table steadily in recent months after a run of form largely inspired by 37-year-old veteran Serb Dejan Petkovic and talisman striker Adriano, Flamengo went top of the league for the first time this season last week after beating Corinthians 2-0, and thanks to Sao Paulo’s 4-2 loss against Goias. This prompted wild and rather premature celebrations in Rio from fans ecstatic at seeing their team come within touching distance of the championship.

Crazily, these celebrations have continued into what is a huge week for the club, prompting coach Andrade to relocate his squad to the CBF training site at Granja Comary in Teresopolis where the Brazil national team trains. A shrewd move from Andrade you feel, who has worked wonders in his first prolonged stint as a manager.

Flamengo coach Andrade has taken his club to the verge of a first title in 17 years (photo: Marcia Feitosa)

Having said that, maybe Flamengo’s fans have reason to be confident ahead of the game against Gremio after all. Second place in the table, waiting in the wings for any slip-ups from Flamengo, are Internacional, who also happen to be Gremio’s fierce cross-city rivals from Porto Alegre. In a country where players are regularly taken to task by exuberant fans, could Gremio’s players actually face heading back south with a win knowing they had handed their biggest enemy the championship? That alone might be enough to drop the energy levels a notch or two and swing things in Flamengo’s favour.

Internacional, for their part, go into the game with relegation-threatened Santo Andre knowing they lie in prime position to capitalise on any fortunes their closest adversary may bring them in Rio. In the event of a tie the league is decided on number of wins in Brazil, so if Inter win and Fla drop points Inter will be champions. However, their opponents Santo Andre must also win to have a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.

Just a few miles down the road from the Maracana, another season-defining game takes place at the Engenhão where Botafogo host Palmeiras. Again
, both sides need the points for very different reasons. Palmeiras coach Muricy Ramalho has had all sorts of problems to deal with in recent weeks, from a drop in form to players from the same team fighting on the pitch to members of one of the club’s ultras groups physically attacking Vagner Love, and this mini-implosion looks to have cost them their shot at the title.

“We had the trophy in our hands and then this team blew it with their shameful football,” a member of the Ultras group ‘Mancha Alviverde’ told Brazilian sports daily Lance! in a statement regarding the attack on Vagner Love, and while certain members of this group clearly went way too far, the overwhelming anger at the team’s complete capitulation is understandable to an extent. Botafogo must also win to escape relegation.

Another team for whom the word ‘capitulation’ is appropriate right now is São Paulo, current champions and kings of domestic Brazilian football for the last three consecutive years. Ricardo Gomes’ men were in poll position and looked a good shout to win their fourth championship in a row a few weeks ago, until two straight defeats to Botafogo and Goias dropped them down to 4th. The Paulista’s hopes of lifting another title are now fading fast. To win it, São Paulo must beat Sport by 3 clear goals at the Morumbi while hoping none of the other three teams above them win. Chances slimmer than Kate Moss on the Atkins diet, you feel. But, with Sport already relegated, a chance nonetheless.

If we’re talking predictions, I’d have to say it is very much Flamengo’s to lose. Andrade has acted very shrewdly in whisking his team away to a training camp to avoid all the hype in Rio, and with Adriano likely to be fit again after burning his foot in a domestic accident and missing the key victory against Corinthians last week, perhaps he will be the one to fire Flamengo to their first title in 17 years.

If you think differently let us know who you’re going for. Stay tuned on Just-Football.com and we’ll let you know how all the drama unfolds on Sunday.

(photo 4: Eduardo Viana)