Impeccable Botafogo on the right track – 10/08/2023 – Juca Kfouri

After three consecutive defeats to Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro and Corinthians, as well as a depressing draw, because at home, with one of the bottom teams, Goiás, Botafogo had the mission of facing Fluminense, Libertadores finalist, at Maracanã.

The tricolor didn’t know what it was like to lose at home this season.

Glorioso had fired Portuguese inventor Bruno Lage, who had left the Brazilian Championship’s top scorer, Tiquinho Soares, on the bench in the first half against Goiás, and chosen interim Flávio Lúcio, to respond to the squad’s requests.

It worked and how it worked!

The Botafogo team that Fluminense faced to represent the fans of Laranjeiras, Água Branca, Gávea, etc., had the same lightness and courage shown in the first round, when they were left in the group.

Before the middle of the first half they were already leading 2-0 and before the 30th minute they forced Fernando Diniz to replace a defender to balance the Classic Grandpa, the oldest in Brazil, since 1905.

The second goal, a great, through cover, was from Tiquinho, the one who had also scored the equalizer against Goiás and knocked down Lage.

The Glorioso collegiate, which a hurried journalist dubbed Democracia Botafoguense, prevailed, and had stepped into Maracanã knowing Flamengo’s 1-1 draw with Corinthians the night before, which kept their biggest rival away from them.

When I arrived at the dressing room, after defeating Fluminense, I learned that both Palmeiras and Grêmio had lost to Santos and Inter, respectively, by 2-1 and 3-2.

All that was left was for Bragantino to stumble at the Arena da Baixada against Athletico Paranaense, in a game at the beginning of the night and which the column, given the closing deadline, could not wait for.

In the worst case scenario for Botafogo, a victory for the São Paulo club, Botafogo’s advantage would remain at a comfortable seven points. In the best case, it would go up to ten, in the still very good case, the draw, it would be at nine.

Nothing, however, would change the 11 point advantage over Grêmio, Palmeiras and Flamengo.

Because no matter how complex, as Mano Menezes says, football is, there are certain things that are very simple.

One of them is not wanting to reinvent the wheel when the wheel is rolling smoothly along the paths of success.

Exactly as Cláudio Caçapa did when replacing fellow Lusitanian Luís Castro, who exchanged General Severiano for the petrodollars of the Saudi dictatorship.

Lage wanted to play Professor Pardal and it turned out badly, very badly.

With 12 rounds left until the end of the championship, only a series of catastrophes could take away from Botafogo the title sought since 1995.

Because when the entire country wanted to dry it out when they saw a key to reopening the championship, the Lone Star team closed the door with a silver key — the golden one will still take some time.

GOLD?

Gold is the color of Rebeca Andrade, black gold, gold of talent, gold of sympathy, of simplicity.

She found herself in front of Pelé from gymnastics, gave him a kiss on each cheek, wished him good luck and, distracted, beat her.

Once it is. But it was worth it all.

PARIS!

The volleyball pre-Olympic at Maracanãzinho went beyond just a sporting competition. It was worth an electrocardiogram.

The comeback against Italy, which earned them a place in Paris, after losing the third set 25-15, took the breath away.

And he gave birth to Darlan, a new national sports idol.

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