SPFC has never won this tournament. I would love it if 2023 were the year, but ours is a decent squad at best. With teams with Palmeiras and Flamengo in the shape they're at (despite Flamengo having had a few setbacks following their Libertadores triumph in 2022), it'll be a steep hill to climb, to put it modestly.
Palmeiras 4 x 2 Tombense - 1st Leg Menino scored a golaço and Tombense scored 2 golaços. But the second Tombense goal should have been disallowed as the initial cross was to a player who was offsides. He didn't touch the ball, but interfered with the play as the defender who was covering him cleared it. That's how I understand the rule. VAR also tried to take a Palmeiras goal away on supposed foul on the play build up which clearly wasn't. Not sure what these VAR clowns are trying to do. Still got a bad taste from being screwed in last year's CdB. Sao Paulo drew Ituano yesterday 0 x 0 and Fluminense continues its good run with a 3 x 0 win over Paysandu.
Another big result today was Athletico-PR losing 1x0 to CRB (away from home). They'll be favorite to come back in the second leg though.
Damn, they lost 2x0. Atl-MG won at home, with a PK to make it 2x1. Three matches tomorrow to close out this week of Copa do Brasil. Flamengo goes to Maringá. I'm not even sure who the interim coach is for now. Probably Mauricio de Souza? All the return matches will be played in 2 weeks - April 25, 26 and 27
Flamengo are down 2x0 to Maringá, less than 15 minutes into the second half. I'm listening to the match and Flamengo just can't cope with a fourth division team pressing them right now. Embarrassing. EDIT: Final score 2x0. People will be joking about Flamengo getting desperate enough to trigger JJ's release clause now rather than waiting. Would be especially cruel to Maringá if Flamengo brings in a new coach and wins the return leg but Copa do Brasil is worth a lot of money and Flamengo are almost certainly counting on a semi-final, if not final appearance in their budget.
JJ's release clause isn't that much from what I heard since he is near the end of his contract. The problem is that JJ doesn't want to leave Fenerbahçe right now out of principle since they have title aspirations in the next month and half. Bit of a dick move if he does. And I think he has a good relationship with the President there. The idea floating around was to wing it with an interim coach until JJ is free. Supposedly you'd think the team can get some results based on just talent. The loss today puts that idea in check because Flamengo will play I think 14 games before JJ is possibly available in a mix of Brasileirão, Libertadores, and CdB games. The people against the interim idea think that you might be digging yourself into a hole that compromises the rest of the season in one or more of those competitions. This loos probably pushes the pendulum more towards Sampaoli.
A number of big teams in trouble turned things around yesterday to move on to round 4: São Paulo won 1x0 over Ituano Cruzeiro won 2x0 over Náutico to win 2x1 on aggregate Athletico-PR beat CRB 2x1 to go to penalties and advanced Meanwhile Fluminense continue their great form and won 3x0 at home for a 6x0 overall. I don't want to jinx it, but with Flamengo up 3x0 in 30 minutes over Maringá right now it looks like the trend will continue tonight. Palmeiras also played tonight and a 1x1 draw was all they needed since they actually took care of business in the first leg.
I think in the end it's just what should happen against a 4th division team. I mean, we gave up 2 goals, 4 overall, that's a lot to give up against opponents at that level. Only a few minutes after I posted they made it 3x1 so I was worried I had jinxed it, until the 4x1 and the second-half piled more goals on. Inter lost today and had to go to penalties to qualify. Grêmio are down 1x0 to ABC but have a 2x0 lead from the first match. Kind of a reverse situation from yesterday though, this time the big teams that had a lead are struggling to hold on.
In the end, the oitavas of this year's Copa do Brasil will have mostly first division teams, with Sport joining the other 15: América-MG, Atlético- MG, Athletico, Bahia, Botafogo, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Grêmio, Internacional, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo, Sport
Didn't watch the match but by all accounts Flamengo were the better team for a good portion. But in the end it was 0x0 and with Fluminense down a man only 7 minutes into the second half, Flamengo fans will feel it was a missed opportunity. Fluminense were forced to take off Marcelo early due to injury. Seems like it was not serious though. The second leg is in two weeks and Felipe Melo will be out due to the red card. It's anyone's contest at this point. All the first legs of other round of 16 match-ups will be played tomorrow.
Fortaleza are one of the teams I could see complicating things for Palmeiras, but today it was a solid 3x0 win for Abel's team at home, which might make the return leg a formality. Gremio x Cruzeiro and Santos x Bahia were draws. Sao Paulo beat Sport, in Recife, so the last second division team left will probably not make it to the next round. 3 other games left, all being played right now.
6 out of 8 match-ups concluded today. Fortaleza beat Palmeiras, but only 1x0, so Palmeiras continue (3x1 overall). Bahia and Santos tied again, so they went to PKs, and Bahia won at home. Grêmio went to Cruzeiro and won 1x0. 2x1 overall. Those were the early games. The three night-time games all went to PKs, with the home team having to win to force PKs. Botafogo beat Atl-PR 1x0 to come back from 2x3 defeat away. But They lost on PKs. Athletico with an H move on. The other two home teams did better on PKs. Corinthians won 2x0 to tie overall, and then won the shootout, eliminating Atl-MG (Hulk missed their opening PK). Inter won 3x1 to tie 3x3 overall. The shootout looks like it was a bit wild. Alemão had his PK (Inter's second) saved, but VAR brought it back and he scored. Then the 3rd shooter for Inter scored, but the goal did not count because he double-tapped the ball, apparently. America-MG hit all their PKs to win and move on. The last two matches will be tomorrow: Fla x Flu (0x0 in the first match) and São Paulo x Sport (SP won 2x0 away).
São Paulo almost threw away their first leg advantage! They scored first, but Sport won 3x1 in SP. Luckily for Dorival's team SP won on penalties. Flamengo beat Fluminense 2x0 at the Maracanã. Huge result for Sampaoli. Fluminense had a ton of possession, but Flamengo seemed to have the chances. Draw for the next round will be next week. Matches will be in the first two weeks of July. The eight remaining teams are: Palmeiras Grêmio Bahia Athletico-PR Corinthians América-MG São Paulo Flamengo
I saw the possession stat at HT . It was 72 / 28 % fro Fluminense . Crazy . But possession doesn’t win games .
Quarter finals and the path to the final are set. Flamengo x Athletico-PR Bahia x Grêmio on the other side, all 3 remaining SP clubs: São Paulo x Palmeiras América-MG x Corinthians
Grêmio got a late goal to tie Bahia 1x1 in Salvador. They play again next Wednesday, July 12. All 3 other matches this week are tomorrow.
1st Leg - São Paulo 1 x 0 Palmeiras Thought we did well for the first 30 mins but gradually São Paulo took over the game. Not sure how much of it was us backing off. The 2nd half was all São Paulo and the goal came late in the half from a good shot from Rafinha that was aided by a deflection from Luan. Endrick started but was mostly invisible except for one good run in the 1st half from midfield. But can't blame him when the balls to him were all long balls.
Flamengo playing with 5 midfielders. I decided to sticky the thread. Even though it doesn't get much attention, it's quarter-finals now, and these final stages will be good. Unlike Palmeiras, Flamengo are playing at home tonight. Can't afford to lose here and go back to PR with a deficit.
In the other late match América-MG opened the scoring against Corinthians, 1x0 at 31 mins. First half is almost over now.
Flamengo up 2x1 at 26mins of the second half. Pedro converted a PK 10mins in and Bruno Henrique scored the go ahead goal. 2x1 going into PR is a world of difference of course, but there's still time to score more... or concede.
Flamengo won 2x1 América won 1x0 São Paulo won earlier 1x0, which means all the home teams won tonight. Bahia only tied 1x1, the only home team not to win. Return matches are next week. Grêmio x Bahia and Athletico x Flamengo on Wednesday Palmeiras x São Paulo Thursday Corinthians x América-MG on the weekend due to Sulamericana playoffs.