A new thread for The Serie A of Brazil

Here are the teams in this years competition:


Atlético GO
Atlético Mineiro
Bahia
Botafogo
Corinthians
Coritiba
Cruzeiro
Figueirense
Flamengo
Fluminense
Grêmio
Internacional
Náutico
Palmeiras
Ponte Preta
Portuguesa
Santos
Sport Recife
Säo Paulo
Vasco de Gama

Corinthians won the title last season.

Who do you think will be the champions this time?

There are a few sides that could be in with a shout. Internacional are my pick. They are knocking on the door in most seasons and I think with just a little bit of luck they might go the extra yard and pinch it.
It's always a difficult title to win and Sao Pauli could always come back and start winning it again like they did in 2006 to 2008.

I'll add this news snippet on here:
Fluminense attacking star Frederico Chaves Guedes(commonly known as Fred) will miss the Final of the Carioca State Championship tonight(13th May) when the play against Botafogo. He will also miss the first leg of the Libertadores Cup Quarter -Final against Boca Juniors.

Here are the first weeks fixtures for Saturday 19th ans Sunday 20th May

Palmeiras – Portuguesa(sat)
Sport Recife – Flamengo
Figueirense – Náutico(sun)
Botafogo – Säo Paulo
Corinthians – Fluminense
Internacional – Coritiba
Ponte Preta –Atlético Mineiro
Vasco de Gama – Grêmio
Cruzeiro – Atlético GO
Bahia - Santos

Results for Week 1

Palmeiras 1-1 Portuguesa
Sport Recife 1-1 Flamengo
Figueirense 2-1 Nautico
Botafogo 4-2 Sao Paulo
Corinthians 0-1 Fluminense
Internacional 2-1 Coritiba
Ponte Preta 0-1 Atletico Mineira
Vasca de Gama 2-1 Gremio
Cruzeiro 0-0 Atletico GO
Bahia 0-0 Santos

Corinthians, last years Champions didn't get off on the right foot by losing their first game 1-0 by potential league winners Fluminense who are one of the favourites. Botafogo who finished last season very badly had the best win of the day by beatong a strong Sao Paulo side 4-2.

Fixtures for Week 2 Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th May

Flamengo - Internacional(Sat)
Portuguesa - Vasco de Gama
Atletico GO - Ponte Preta
Nautico - Cruzeiro(Sun)
Santos - Sport Recife
Sao Paulo - Bahia
Atletico Mineiro - Corinthians
Coritiba - Botafogo
Fluminense - Figueirense
Gremio - Palmeiras

I was very surprised that last seasons champions Corinthians lost their opening
game at home to Fluminense and that Sao Paulo went down 4-2 away at Botafogo!

Results - Week 2

Sat 26/05/12
Flamengo 3 - 3 Internacional
Portuguesa 0 - 1 Vasco da Gama
Atlético GO 1 - 1 Ponte Preta

Sun 27/05/12
Náutico 0 - 0 Cruzeiro
Santos 0 - 0 Sport Recife
São Paulo 1 - 0 Bahia
Atlético Mineiro 1 - 0 Corinthians
Coritiba 2 - 3 Botafogo
Fluminense 2 - 2 Figueirense
Grêmio 1 - 0 Palmeiras

Table

1 Botafogo 2 2 0 0 7 4 +3 6 W W
2 Vasco da Gama 2 2 0 0 3 1 +2 6 W W
3 Atlético Mineiro 2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 6 W W
4 Figueirense 2 1 1 0 4 3 +1 4 D W
5 Fluminense 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 4 D W
6 Internacional 2 1 1 0 5 3 +2 4 D W
7 Grêmio 2 1 0 1 2 2 +0 3 W L
8 São Paulo 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 3 W L
9 Sport Recife 2 0 2 0 1 1 +0 2 D D
10 Flamengo 2 0 2 0 4 4 +0 2 D D
11 Atlético GO 2 0 2 0 1 1 +0 2 D D
12 Cruzeiro 2 0 2 0 0 0 +0 2 D D
13 Santos 2 0 2 0 0 0 +0 2 D D
14 Palmeiras 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 L D
15 Portuguesa 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 L D
16 Bahia 2 0 1 1 0 1 -1 1 L D
17 Náutico 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 D L
18 Ponte Preta 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 D L
19 Corinthians 2 0 0 2 0 2 -2 0 L L
20 Coritiba 2 0 0 2 2 5 -3 0 L L

Corinthians lost their 2nd match in a row 1-0 away at Atletico Miniero whose coach Tite blamed their run in the Copa Libertadores for this latest defeat.

Former world player of the Ronaldino was booed by his own Flamengo fans for a mistake that allowed Internacional to draw 3-3.

The highlight of the weekend was a spectacular bicycle kick by Vasco da Gama's striker Alecsandro in their 1-0 win away at Portuguesa.

Any comments?

A lot of fixtures for this coming week.
I will put down week 3 & 4 which starts on Wednesday 6th June, right through till Saturday 10th.

Sport Recife - Palmeiras(6/6)
Atletico GO - Gremio
Vasco de Gama - Nautico(7/6)
Atletico Mineiro - Bahia
Coritiba - Portuguesa
Santos - Fluminense
Internacional - Sao Paulo
Ponte Preta - Flamengo
Botafogo - Cruzeiro(8/6)
Corinthians - Figueirense
Flamengo - Coritiba(9/6)
Palmeiras - Atletico Mineira(10/6)
Portuguesa - Atletico GO
Fluminense - Internacional
Gremio - Corinthians
Bahia - Vasco de Gama
Sao Paulo - Santos
Cruzeiro - Sport Recife
Figueirense - Ponte Preta
Nautico - Botafofo

How will Flamengo do now that Ronaldinho has quit the club and will any other Brazilian teams give him a contract?

It's strange really the way Ronaldhino just went straight off the boil. At one time he was the star and there was always a murmur from the crowd whenever he got the ball. Then suddenly he just seemed to drop from the scene.He hit the top while he was with Barcelona and became a Spanish citizen in 2007. The following year he moved to Milan and that was when he was already struggling to hit his previous form. It was thought he would go back to Gremio but was signed by Flamengo. But I think his time had gone and none of his old form was showing. Whether he will go into management I don't know but his heart lies in Gremio and just might go back there.

Results from week 3 of the Brazilian League:

Sport Recife 2-1 Palmeiras
Athletico GO 0-1 Gremio
Vasco de Gama 4-2 Nautico
Athletico Mineira 1-1 Bahia
Coritiba 2-0 Portuguesa
Santos 1-1 Fluminense
Internacional 1-0 Sao Pauli
Ponte Preta 2-2 Flamengo
Botafogo 2-3 Cruzerio
Corinthians 1-1 Figueirense

A big shock was Botafogo losing at home 2-3 to Cruzeiro and have now dropped to 4th place. Vasco de Gama had an easy game, beating bottom club Nautico 4-2. They have had 3 straight wins and go to the top of the league but they still conceded 2 goals in this game. Athletico Mineiro should have won at home to a struggling Bahia but only managed a 1-1 draw.
Corinthians are still having problems when they failed, at home, to beat a good side Figueirense only making a 1-1 draw.

Brazil League Results Week 4 9th & 10th June

Flamengo 3-1 Coritiba
Palmeiras 0-1 Ath. Mineiro
Portuguesa 2-0 Ath. GO
Fluminense 0-0 Internacional
Gremio 2-0 Corinthians
Bahia 1-2 Vasco de Gama
Sao Pauli 1-0 Santos
Cruzeiro 1-0 Sport Recife
Figueirense 0-0 Ponte Preta
Nautico 3-2 Botafogo

The top 3 clubs all did themselves a power of good when they all won their games over the weekend. Top of the league Vasco de Gama had a narrow 2-1 win at lowly Bahia while Athletico Mineiro also had a struggle to beat 19th placed Palmeiras 1-0. Gremio had the best win by beating last season's Champions Corinthians 2-0. Corinthians are having, what must be, their worst start to a season ever, languishing at the bottom. Botafogo are on a slippery slope, when, only a couple of weeks ago were at the top of the table, are now down in 6th place after a 2-3 defeat at Nautico whe were joint bottom before this game.

Fixtures for Week 5 Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th June

Internacional - Botafogo
Cruzeiro - Figueirense
Fluminense - Portuguesa
Flamengo - Santos
Palmeiras - Vasco de Gama
Sao Paulo - Ath. Mineiro
Bahia - Sport Recife
Ponte Preta - Corinthians
Coritiba - Athletico GO
Nautico - Gremio

Latest Table after week 4. All clubs have played 4 games.

pos__pts__name
01___12___Vasco de Gama
02___10___Atletico Mineiro
03___09___Gremio
04___08___Internacional
05___08___Cruzeiro
06___06___Botafogo
07___06___Figueirense
08___06___Fluminense
09___06___Flamengo
10___06___Sao Paulo
11___05___Sport Recife
12___04___Portuguesa
13___04___Nautico
14___03___Coritiba
15___03___Ponte Preta
16___03___Santos
17___02___Bahia
18___02___Atletico GO
19___01___Palmeiras
20___01___Corinthians

I'm sure the reason for Corinthians poor start is because they are sill in the Copa Libertadores.

Its looks the decision by Ronaldinho to join Atletico Mineiro has already had a positive effect with them up to 2nd in the table!

Results from Week 5 of Serie A of Brazil Sat & Sun 16th & 17th June.

Internacional 1-2 Botafogo
Cruzeiro 1-0 Figueirense
Fluminense 4-1 Portuguesa
Flamengo 1-0 Santos
Palmeiras 1-1 Vasco de Gama
Sao Paulo 1-0 Atletico Mineiro
Bahia 2-1 Sport Recife
Ponte Preta 1-0 Corinthians
Coritiba 3-1 Atletico GO
Nautico 1-0 Gremio

Top of the league Vasco de Gama could only make a 1-1 draw against Palmeiras who were 2nd from bottom but now jump up to 3rd from bottom. After 2 defeats Botafogo got back to winning ways with a good 2-1 win at Internacional while Cruzeiro kept up the pressure at the top of the league with a narrow 1-0 at home to Figueirense. Fluminense had the best win of the weekend with a cracking 4-1 win at home to Portuguesa and Coritiba also had an easy 3-0 win against second bottom club Atletico GO. Corinthians lost again, this time by only 1-0 at Ponte Preta. Looking at the bottom half of the table if Corinthians were to win just two matches they would move up to half way in the table. There was really only one shock result and that was Atletico Mineiro, who were 2nd, lost 1-0 to Sao Paulo.

Fixtures for Week 6
Vasco de Gama - Cruzeiro
Portuguesa - Sao Paulo
Atletico Mineiro - Nautico
Corinthians - Palmeiras
Gremio - Flamengo
Figueirense - Bahia
Botafogo - Ponte Preta
Santos - Coritiba
Sport Recife - Internacional
Atletico GO - Fluminense

Corinthians will never have a better chance of picking up some points than next week when they are at home to 3rd bottom Palmeiras.

There is a fantastic game on ESPN tonight(Sat 23/June) starting at 10.30pm. The game is between Vasco de Gama (1st) and Cruzeiro (2nd).

Results from The Brazil League Week 6

Vasco de Gama 1-3 Cruzeiro
Portuguesa 1-0 Sao Paulo
At. Mineiro 5-1 Nautico
Corinthians 2-1 Palmeiras
Gremio 2-0 Flamengo
Figueirense 1-1 Bahia
Botafogo 1-2 Ponte Preta
Santos 2-2 Coritiba
Sp. Recife 0-2 Internacional
Atletic GO 1-4 Fluminense

Corinthians finaly got a win under their belt by beating a struggling Palmeiras by just 2 goals to 1. The game of the weekend must certainly have been the battle for top of the league between Vasco de Gama & Cruzeiro which went in favour of Cruzeiro by 3-1 putting them on top of the league. Vasco moved down to 3rd because of Atletico Mineiro good 5-1 win against Nautico. The funny thing about that was Nautico went and beat high-flying Gremio last week 1-0. Gremio themselves got back to winning ways by beating Flamengo 2-0. Bottom club Atletico GO showed why they are bottom of the league by getting wupped 4-1 by Fluminense.