São Paulo towards the unprecedented World Cup – 09/17/2023 – Juca Kfouri

Maracanã with more than 67 thousand fans, almost all white because the ticket prices were exclusive, did not scare São Paulo, even with a terrible record as a visitor in the Brazilian Championship — and a great one in the Copa do Brasil, let Palmeiras say so.

The first half started with the Tricolores being more aggressive than Flamengo and ended with a providential, and deserved, goal from Calleri. Without the red-and-blacks having even kicked against Rafael once.

The second half saw the Cariocas more lively, although well managed by the São Paulo players, with their heads on straight all the time, except for an almost fatal mistake by Gabi, luckily for him on the clumsy feet of Everton Cebolinha.

Is the unprecedented World Cup on the cards? Goodbye fifth championship for Flamengo? Will Sunday (24) be a party in Morumbi?

Nothing is guaranteed; everything indicates yes.

It is difficult for the experienced Gávea cast to be scared by the atmosphere of the São Paulo house.

It’s easy to predict how it will serve as fuel for Dorival Júnior’s men.

From now until the return game, São Paulo will live a honeymoon with its people, while Flamengo will have to lie down on the couch in search of a solution that is not envisaged in this horrible campaign in the 2023 season.

São Paulo has been able to beat itself in the Copa do Brasil.

Flamengo, on the contrary, loses to itself.

ETERNAL CRYING

Leader Botafogo, less of a leader today than yesterday, travels to Belo Horizonte, faces Atlético Mineiro on a still pitiful pitch at Terreirão do Galo, puts on a terrible performance without even taking a shot at Éverson’s goal, and then the fans hear from the director of football, and the coach, the unjustifiable crying for the correct cancellation of the goal that would have been the equalizer in the 1-0 defeat.

It will not be with such a common, habitual and widespread resource that Botafogo will overcome the worrying moment they are going through in their search for the Brazilian title, hidden in the distant year of 1995.

Botafogo did not know how to take advantage of the FIFA Data break, they seemed traumatized by having lost their unbeaten record at Nilton Santos, to rival Flamengo, and need to put their boots on the ground again if they want to beat the sad Corinthians, in Itaquera, on Friday. fair (22).

The current seven points advantage over vice-leader Palmeiras is, in Alviverdes’ accounts, just four, because the two will still face each other, in Rio, in the second round.

THE DRIBLE, 10

Ten years ago, Sérgio Rodrigues delivered to Brazilian literature the best novel about football written in Portuguese.

From the move in which King Pelé dribbles past goalkeeper Mazurkiewicz, without touching the ball in the 1970 World Cup, and loses, as Rodrigues writes, the challenge made to God, a sensitive photograph unfolds of the best and worst of Brazil, from son to father and from father to son.

If that weren’t enough, the anniversary commemorative edition, now launched by Companhia das Letras with a hard cover, is luxuriously enriched by three unmissable texts: the presentation by Fernanda Torres, who writes as well as she acts, one by the author himself and one by Fábio de Souza Andrade, professor of Literature Theory and Comparative Literature at USP, in a precious reflection on the best that has been written in the country about football.

Ten years of the masterpiece, worthy of King Pelé’s number ten shirt and a note from the most demanding readers.

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