The beautiful defeat of Corinthians – 05/21/2023 – Juca Kfouri

In the so-called Clássico do Povo, Flamengo gave, as expected.

Maracanã crowded by 65,000 fans, the expectation given the recent history of the two teams was even a rout.

It was not what was seen. A slim 1-0 victory, snatched away in stoppage time by Léo Pereira because Vanderlei Luxemburgo insisted on bringing Romero on at the end of the game and he assisted Cebolinha’s cross to the top scorer.

Punishment that not even the Corinthian coach deserved for having chosen the best possible formation with Bruno Méndez on the side, Paulinho at the wheel and Adson in the corridor.

In fact, Corinthians created more chances to score and goalkeeper Santos worked much harder than Cássio, also because the Paulistas were lucky enough that Dom Arrascaeta was injured in the warm-up and was out of the game, to the enormous detriment of Rio’s creativity.

Against a slow and unimaginative Flamengo, Corinthians, who had gone to Rio in search of defending themselves and finding a ball, soon realized that the animal was not so ugly and gave more work than it had.

The alvinegra permanence in the relegation zone was sung stone and the team’s situation is so miserable that, incredible as it may seem, the simple fact of having played minimally presentable football serves as encouragement for the next classic, against Fluminense, in Itaquera.

What about Argentinos Juniors for Libertadores?

Let’s be realistic: better to forget both the continental tournament and the Copa do Brasil and concentrate on avoiding the second relegation.

How good it will also be to forget Romero, who has already done what he could at Corinthians. And it’s been a while.

MAKE JUSTICE

It’s not fair to treat the 0-0 between Santos and Palmeiras just as a sleepy classic.

Before the game, even in Vila Belmiro, the least expected was a quiet victory for alviverde, for obvious reasons.

The haughty way in which Santos behaved, with respect, but without fear, deserves to be praised as a lesson to those who cower in front of the strongest.

Morally, Santos won.

Oh man, what a disappointment!

Since no reporter had the courage to ask, it didn’t cost Abel Ferreira, a staunch critic, almost always rightly, of the Brazilian arbitration, to say, at his own risk, that the penalty scored by Rony against Fortaleza was absurd.

It would only strengthen your grievances and set you apart from other whiners. Silence kept him even.

It was bad, oh man!

CITY AT TIME G

Three consecutive champions, five times champion in the last six years, nine times English champion, seven already in the Premier League, Manchester City still has the gigantic mission of beating the biggest rival United, in the FA Cup, and Inter Milan, in the Champions , to win the Triple Crown.

Manchester United is the only English club that has the Triple Crown and, even currently inferior, will sweat blood to prevent the conquest, in Wembley, on Saturday, June 3rd.

And Inter, three-time European champions, will do the impossible to keep City without the dreamed and unprecedented Ear, on the 10th, in Istanbul.

END OF CYCLE?

Apparently, and hopefully not, 2023 will mark the decline of three players who were number 1 in their sports: Croatian Luka Modric, in 2018, Frenchman Karim Benzema, in 2022 and American LeBron James in 2009/10 /12 and 13.

With that only left to say, we are all very grateful to the three phenomenal athletes.

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