Another 4-3 for history – 11/04/2023 – Juca Kfouri

4-3 is never just any score, for the simple reason that seven goals in a single game is always remarkable.

But there are 4 to 3 and 4 to 3.

Two of them, until Palmeiras’ epic comeback over Botafogo, are remembered by older or younger alviverdes without joy: the one in 1971, with Corinthians, and the one in 2000, with Vasco.

The first for the Campeonato Paulista, in Morumbi, with 66 thousand fans.

Then the overwhelming favorite, Palmeiras took the lead with two goals from César Maluco, at 35 seconds and 9 minutes, and attempted a rout by the great team of Leão, Luís Pereira, Dudu, Ademir da Guia, Héctor Silva and Leivinha, as well as César .

More chances of goals followed for the team led by Rubens Minelli, until, at 5 minutes into the second half, Mirandinha decreased and Adãozinho, a young man who seemed to be new to Rivellino, at 22, hit a shot from the middle of the street and tied 2-2 .

The Corinthians couldn’t even celebrate the surprising equality.
Immediately, given his departure, at 25, Leivinha tried to put his team back ahead.

The response was also immediate, after the new exit, by Tião, who crossed half the field until equalizing at 3-3, at 26.

Then, the game that did not appear to be of greater importance, except for the Derby tradition, took on the air of a battle that no one wanted to lose.

Leivinha and Rivellino had a disagreement, were sent off, and Mirandinha, at 43, in fits and starts, scored the winning goal for the Black and Whites.

São Paulo ended up champion with 36 points, Palmeiras was runner-up with 33 and Corinthians finished third with 28, the same score as Santos and Portuguesa.

In 2000 the meaning was different.

At Palestra Itália, in the Mercosul Cup decision, Palmeiras hosted Vasco and, at half-time, were winning 3-0: Arce in the 36th minute, with a penalty, Magrão in the 37th minute and Tuta, in the 45th minute, scored the goals and went to the locker room acclaimed as champions by 30 thousand fans.

Only not. In the final stage, little Romário’s Vasco went crazy.

He scored twice from penalties, in the 14th and 23rd minutes; Juninho Paulista, who had suffered both penalties, tied 3-3 at 40, and the same Romário tried to give Cruzmaltino the title, at 48.

It’s difficult to say which was bigger: the celebration in Rio or the perplexity in São Paulo, among other reasons because Vasco’s Júnior Baiano had been sent off in the 32nd minute of the second half.

The 4-3 that hurt Palmeiras lasted another 23 years, but was rewarded at the Nilton Santos stadium, with 35 thousand fans.

Yes, the same 3-0 in the first half in which Palmeiras didn’t see the ball and could have conceded two more goals.

Abel Ferreira’s tough words in the locker room: “We won’t do any worse than we did in the second half and we’ll win it,” he said, keeping the same team and 1-0, 2-0 in the second half.

It seems that the players didn’t understand well, they thought the Portuguese wanted to win the game, not just the last 45 minutes.

And the boy Endrick asked them to give him the ball. And they did. And how they did.

And he made it 1-2, and he made it 2-2, and he crossed for 3-3 and, in his honor, Murilo made it 4-3 which makes Palmeiras the new favorite for the title, for the second championship.

It will be 4 to 3 bigger and more unforgettable than the other two.

What a swimming Adam! What a Romario!

Endrick is the hotshot!

4 to 3 so you never die.

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