The cup to make the year majestic – 08/13/2023 – PVC

Corinthians reaches the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil with eleven unbeaten games. Achieving that streak seemed unlikely three months ago: “A draw against Internacional would be celebrated and we are currently sorry to concede the goal at the end,” said Vanderlei Luxemburgo after last week’s 2-2 win against Beira Rio.

Even the midfield diamond he wore when he was recognized as the best coach in the country is back in fashion. Last year, with Dorival Júnior, at Flamengo. This weekend at Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. After losing Benzema to Al Ittihad, from Saudi Arabia, the probable future coach of the national team assembled his team “in rombo”, as they say in Italy.

Bellingham as a creative midfielder, Rodrygo and Vinicius Júnior in attack.

The 25th mata mata of São Paulo x Corinthians is reminiscent of the 1998 state final, because a former São Paulo idol returns to Morumbi, between the first and second elimination matches. 25 years ago, Raí landed from Paris two days before scoring the first goal in the 3-1 triumph in São Paulo, which turned the match won a week earlier by Corinthians by 2-1.

It’s almost all the same. Corinthians played the first mata mata in white, São Paulo in tricolor, the score was repeated, an idol returned to Morumbi between the two matches.

Impossible to say if Lucas will be decisive like Raí.

His colleagues trust and received him with immense joy. “It’s much better than playing with Wellington Rato”, joked one of those who frequent the locker room at the Barra Funda Training Center.

Dorival Júnior no longer uses the diamond with which he won Libertadores with Flamengo last year. Due to the characteristics of the squad, he draws Rodrigo Nestor as a midfielder, on the left, freeing up the corridor for Caio Paulista to explore. Nestor was not seen as the possible point guard. His performance increased a lot, to the point of being unanimously named best on the field against San Lorenzo, for the Copa Sudamericana.

Before that, management wanted a midfielder who could do, in São Paulo, what Raphael Veiga does for Palmeiras. He helped the team move from defense to attack and provided goals and passes. James Rodriguez arrives with this vision, although there is no way to say that he will play at the level he saw in the 2014 World Cup.

It’s been a long time and he only played 55% of the games for Olympiacos in Greece.

São Paulo trusts the two stars that arrive, Corinthians tries to maintain the sequence without Roger Guedes. Renato Augusto will be the driver, probably free in front of three workers – Moscardo, Ruan Oliveira and Maycon – to make the ball reach Yuri Alberto and Matías Rojas.

If the newcomer from Paraguay is unable to perform at a good level, as he recovers from an ankle injury, it will be up to Renato Augusto to be the freest man and supply Yuri Alberto, along with Ádson.

Like against Coritiba.

São Paulo has more players capable of deciding the classic, will play at Morumbi, in front of more than 50 thousand supporters. It seems capable of reaching the second round in the two cups that it prioritizes. But Corinthians is more organized and has the best player on the field: Renato Augusto.

The Copa do Brasil will save the year for Corinthians or São Paulo.

THE RECORD

For those who spent the last ten years debating the supposed Spanishization of Brazilian football, Botafogo’s record, best champion in the first round of all points accrued, is an answer. The team endured the absence of Tiquinho and coach Luís Castro. As a zebra, he became favorite for the title.

RISK GAME

Palmeiras works to win six points against Cruzeiro and Cuiabá and follow Botafogo. He didn’t give up on the Brazilian. The mission is not simple, neither for Abel Ferreira nor for the Military Police. The sub-prefecture of Lapa cannot contain street vendors, nor the supermarket that sells beer bottles.

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