I'm not Brasilian but it is one of my favorite leagues to watch. I pull for Flamengo and Gremio. Heck I know it would be heresy in Brasil but I also pull for Inter if they're not playing one of those teams. All in all I just love to watch the matches no matter who's playing. I usually end up liking certain teams due to the players on the squad. The league may not have the greatest talent or most money but it's still a real joy to watch. The problem for me is that there are no websites I know of that cover the league in English. If you do, help a brotha' out. Anyway with players coming and going who is the consensus pre-season favorite for this season? Will SPFC repeat? Any big off-season signings/losses that will play a role in changing the table? Who do you think will take it? Thanks, Dave
To be honest, there really isn't any favorite at the moment. That's what is so exciting about the Brazilian league.
Good for you, you are watching the Birthplace league of the Worlds best Players! Too bad you are a Gremio fan...ughhh....thats nasty!! heheh.....Stick with Inter we are just sooo much nicer! I dont know of English site but maybe Google can help...on an article by article basis...after games...
TRUE! As oppsed to the Rich Spain, England < italy leagues where its always the same 2 or 3 teams. Like I said before Euro leagues are like Brazilian State Championships where you usually know who the 2 or 3 Favs are... I have a feeling this year in Brazil we will have a surprise club champion even though I root for Inter's 4th* * Should be 5th but we were robbed in 2005 ref scandal.
I support Timao and hope they win it and repeat the triumph of 2005, however my heart says Corinthians, my head says Botafogo.
Yea totally up in the air..unlike Euro leagues that alays the same 2 or 3 win... This year I think it will be a surprise smaller club...like Parana...or a less powerhouse club like Botafogo etc....
sempre flamengo!..but - too early to say i think. some of the clubes are hunting for players, others have to fear that main players leave to europe (ze roberto santos->bayern,..). as carioca clubes faced massive problems the last years let`s see if they can compete `07. in fact, you had fla dominate the 80ies, since the 90ies it is paulista (corinthians, santos, sao paulo e palmeiras) domination...
A chinese's view: The favourites should still be Sao Paulo, Corinthians, Santos, Palmeiras, Vasco, Botafogo, Gremio, etc Flamengo is a lovely side, but they are not strong enough to win the league title yet. They have been away from top 4 postions for too many years. Unfortunately, Cruzeiro is also in the lower position of the standing these days.
SE Palmeiras ...well, i do hope so! And Mengão86/SoccerScout is right; the Brasileirão is never boring since you can never know who's gonna take the prize
If Inter wins today against Santos...they will be making a statement....that they are a real threat after all.
I also agree that this is one of the funner leagues to follow. The top of the championship has the possibilty to change week in and week out. Unlike in Europe where it's always the same thing year after year. I mean think about it, who would've ever though that after game five, two Rio basesd clubs would be at the top with a third(Flu) right in the hunt. Although it's still early, I'd say the championship is up for grabs.
There is so much player moves in Brazil nowdays that it is hard to tell who will win the league. It is unfortunate that we don't see any dynasties anymore like Flamengo from the 80's or Inter from the late 70's. But then again it is fun to have that unpredictablness. It was exciting to see a team come up from nowhere like São Caetano in 2000 and come within a game of winning the title.
botafogo ran into a hot Santos squad i love the unpredictability of the brazil league....Bota better get DODO back Diaz isnt as good and they are missing him.....that sao paulo and Corithinins game was fantastic a real chess match...
its because Maracanã will be used for XV panamerican games and the flamengo team don't want to play in other ground, the games dates was changed and flamengo will need to play 21 games in 57 days.
São Paulo is the probably winner, but cruzeiro, santos, grêmio, botafogo and vasco could make this championship very hard to são paulo. i bet that 5 points advantage isn't real. and são paulo was helped by the refs in some games (paraná, cruzeiro and others).
Last year, o Mengão was campeão... This year... trying to escape rebaixamento... My, how one year makes such a big difference in the Brasileirão! haha
ah! but the Copa do Brasil is very different from the Brasileirão. Santo André and Paulista won the Copa do Brasil, and they were in the second division(I think).