Archive for October, 2009

Let the fun and games begin in the Campeonato Brasil. I hope you remember what I wrote about two months ago when Mengao was lingering mid to lower table. I wrote that Rubro-Negro had to embark on a massive win steak and the sides at the top of the table needed to have a massive flame out. Do I have ESPN I mean ESP or what?  I wrote it. So I guess I’m an idiot I mean genius. I am just kidding.

Mengao has a two-match win streak. Rubro-Negro last loss was on August 23 to Avai. Mengao lost 3-1.

Since July 4, Mengao has won ten, lost five, and tied eight.

However, since September 5, Mengao has won five matches and tied three. Count them. Zero losses in the month of September and October so far. This is huge for each of the top five clubs has lost at least three matches a piece.

Verdao has gone into a solid nosedive since Labor Day. Palmeiras has won four, lost three, and tied one. Verdao is on a two-match slide.

Tricolor has won three matches since September 5. The Evil Empire has lost three and tied two. Sao Paulo has dropped two straight.

Atletico-MG has won five matches and lost three since September 5.

Do you see a trend here?

Mengao is getting hot at the right time. We are starting to kick some major butt but lets not get too over confident for Flamengo has a major derby match with Botafogo this Sunday October 25.

Fogao is currently in sixteenth place with 32 points. Botafogo is one step ahead of the heave hoe zone.

Sport and Nautico are nipping at Fogao’s heels with 29 points.

There is lots of stuff to play for so both sides will be at their best. Botafogo cannot afford to lose this baby. Neither can Flamengo for Mengao is now in the hunt for the Campeonato so it will be Katie bar the door. Flamengo would love to pick up their sixth Campeonato title. 

Both teams call Maracana their home so this should be a wild and crazy affair. Both clubs will have to watch out for fan violence. There should be added police protection for this baby.

 www.palau.org

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We have entered into the nut cutting time of the season. Every match counts from now on. After this weekend’s encounters, there will be eight, yes count em eight matches left in the Campeonato Brasil.

Sao Paulo had a chance to narrow the lead between them and first place Palmeiras to three points but Tricolor goes out and loses to third place Atletico-MG in of all places Morumbi 1-0 on Saturday.

The dagger to the heart came early in the match. Early is an understatement. It happened in the first minute of the match. Ricardinho took the ball straight to the rack. He was fouled thus giving Galo a free kick from just outside the box near the right end line. Ricardinho lifted the ball to right in front of the goal. Tardelli one timed the shot into the back of the net. Ceni never had a chance. Can you say, game, set, and match. It was over just like that.

Tricolor looked like they were going through the motions after that. This is the classic phoning the game in. They did.

This was a horrible display of futebol by Sao Paulo.

I think Tricolor lost their heart after the loss to Flamengo on October 10.

Sao Paulo can almost kiss their chance for a four-peat goodbye.

Is Gomes to blame for this mess? Yes. Gomes has guided Sao Paulo to eight wins, six draws, and two losses since he took over in mid-July. 

Sao Paulo has dropped two straight matches.

Tricolor looks like they were not prepared to play. They seem out of it.

Yet, there is still time to right the ship but I don’t think so.

In other Saturday matches, fifth place Goias lost to Avai 2-1.

Gremio Barueri and Santos tied zero-zero.

On to Sunday and get this Flamengo upset Palmeiras 2-0 in Verdao’s house. This was a huge win for us Flamenguistas. Petkovic scored twice for Mengao. The first goal came in the twenty-third minute. This was great give and go between Adriano and Petkovic. Petkovic fought his way through the Verdao “D”. He chipped an off balance shot. The ball sailed top shelf left. Goal.  Palmeiras keeper Marcos had cement shoes. Marcos never had a chance. This made it 1-0 Flamengo.

Rubro-Negro kept up the pressure. Sure, Verdao attempted to push the attack but they were thwarted each time by the Mengao “D”.

Mengao scored their insurance goal in the sixty-second minute. Angelim fired a low line drive corner kick to the near left post. Petkovic barely got his left boot on the ball and squeezed it between the keeper Marcos and the left post. Goal. This was all she wrote. Flamengo wins 2-0.

With the win, Mengao now has 48 points. This puts Rubro-Negro in fifth place.

Palmeiras is in first place with 54 points. Atletico-MG is in second with 50 points. Internacional and Sao Paulo have 49 points apiece.

Colorado is in third place based on a better goal difference than Tricolor. Internacional has a plus fifteen while Sao Paulo is a plus nine.

I am happy as punch that Rubro-Negro won. I really didn’t expect this. Mengao has a habit of stinking the joint out on the road.

This day was different.

Flamengo came out of the gate with a fire in their pants. Mengao kept up the pressure. Bruno was great in goal. Bruno made at least three match saving saves. He was a house of fire in the goal. Bruno stone cold stopped everything that was thrown his way.

Way to go garoto.

Petkovic had a great match as well too.

www.palau.org

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This was the day we were all looking forward to the end of the world cup qualifying so we can concentrate on the EPL and Brasileiros futebol.

Do you want to talk about a crazy day?  Can you say upset city baby. This is exactly what happened.  Chelsea goes down in flames to Aston Villa 2-1. Liverpool is bageled by Sunderland 1-0.

Ouch, this hurts.

But this is oh so cool.

The Blues swagger is now gone. Chelsea has to learn that you can’t turn on the MO on and off like a faucet. The Blues have to learn how to play full bore the entire match.

Drogba scored first. Drogba blast from thirty yards should have not been a goal. Aston Villa keeper Friedel had a massive brain fart. He completely missed played the ball. The bouncing ball went ker plunk over his head and into the net. It was 1-0 Chelsea after fifteen minutes.

Aston Villa didn’t quit. Richard Dunne’s header tied this baby up at one all after thirty-two minutes. Ashley Young set this goal up with a great corner kick dead center into the box.

Young was at it again in the fifty-second minute. Young fired a great crossing ball into the box. James Collins nailed the winner to give Aston Villa a 2-1 lead.

Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti blamed the loss on two set plays.

Wrong.

This goes back to bad coaching and poor match preparation. The Blues have a history of this. This trait began to rear its ugly head since the first match of the season. The Blues should have lost but scored two late goals to pull out the win.

This is how the Blues operate.

No dice coach.

Liverpool is now on a three match-losing streak. This is four losses in their first nine games. Can you say kiss your season good bye?  This is about to happen.

The match changer happened in the first five minutes. Darren Bent fired a shot right at Reds keeper Pepe Reina. Then the surreal happened. Flying out of the stands comes a red beach ball. The beach ball and the ball kiss. The ball bounds past the helpless keeper Reina. Goal. The place goes insane.

The refs have to award the goal.

Can you say turn out the lights the party’s over. Yep, this is exactly what happened.

Sunderland had at least five scoring chances. The Black Cats came up empty. Two of those were on a naked goal.

Liverpool deserved to lose. The Reds played like crap.

So far, two top-flight teams are playing garbage.

Do you see a trend here?

I do.

Manchester United minus Wayne Rooney beat Bolton 2-1.

Man U played well. The Red Devils had well over sixty percent of the touches.

The Red Devils drew first blood in the fifth minute. Michael Owens fired a header into the box. Bolton defender Zat Knight messed up the clearance. Instead of sweeping the ball safely away Knight fired the ball into his own net for a 1-0 Manchester United.

Valencia added the Red Devils second goal in the thirty-third minute. This was his first goal of the season for Manchester United.

Bolton added a late goal in the seventy-fifth minute to cut the gap to 2-1. Mathew Taylor’s header found the mark to make it close.

This win propelled Manchester United into first place in the EPL.

Arsenal had its way with Birmingham 3-1. This was one of those classic blowouts. This was like taking candy from a baby.

This match was over after the first eighteen minutes.

Robin Van Persie connected with the goal in the sixteenth minute. Van Persie’s move inside the box made the Birmingham “D” look stupid. He did a little shake and bake.  Van Persie popped the ball past the naked keeper Joe Hart. Van Persie went right then shifted the ball to his left. Can you say excuse me but here’s your jock back mister defender. Kiss this baby goodbye.

The term naked is giria for a defenseless keeper. 

Arsenal is up 1-0 after sixteen minutes. 

Two minutes later Abou Diaby added the match killer. Diaby’s smash of a shot went boom into the back of the net in the eighteenth minute to seal the deal at 2-0.

Arshavin added the final marker of the match in the eighty-fourth minute.

Manchester United sits a top the table with 22 points. Chelsea is second with 21 points.Spurs are third with 19 points. Arsenal is fourth with 18 points.

I will bet dollars to holes in a donut that the EPL title race will come down to the last week of the season.

One thing is for certain you can almost stick a fork in Liverpool’s chances of winning the title.

www.palau.org

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We have some huge match ups this weekend in Campeonato Brasil. On Saturday second place Sao Paulo has a huge fight on their hands with Atletico-MG. Both clubs will duke it out with Palmeiras for the Campeonato Brasil.

Two points separate fourth place Galo and second place Tricolor. Seven points separate the top four clubs Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, Internacional, and Atletico-MG.

A tie will do neither Sao Paulo nor Atletico-MG any good. I hate to say this Palmeiras has a good shot at beating my team Flamengo on Sunday. Mengao plays like crap on the road.

Tricolor should have the advantage over Galo. The match takes place in Sao Paulo’s house Morumbi. The last time Galo and Tricolor met was July 16 and Atletico-MG whitewashed em 2-0 in Galo’s house Mineiro.

Sao Paulo’s problems lie with the fact that Tricolor can’t score. They have scored forty goals in twenty-nine games. This is down right an abomination. Last year at this time, the evil empire had forty-seven goals.

This year’s goal total of forty is the worst in the past six years.

You cannot win matches without putting the ball into the back of the net.

Tricolor’s “D” is pretty good. Sao Paulo has only given up thirty goals in 29 games. This is not too shabby. But upon further review, many of these goals were soft. This means the Sao Paulo’s keepers Rogerio Ceni and Fabiano have given up easy goals. Easy goals are defined as either from a lapse on the defensive end or ball that comes rebounding out off the keeper and this results in an easy goal or the keeper lets in a goal that should have no chance in hell to score.

I would guess that of the thirty goals given up ten of these were of this variety. These goals will kill a team. This happened in the evil empires loss to my Flamengo last weekend.  Mengao had well over seventy percent of the touches. When this happens you lose.

This begs the question. Who is to blame for this? The coach. The blame rests squarely on Gomes’s shoulders. This has to do with a teams match preparation. If the preparation is bad, the team will perform like crap.

Sao Paulo can’t afford to have any more brain farts from this point on. There are only nine games left in the season.

This is what I call getting down to nut cutting time.

From this point on all these suckers count so you better, come away with the maximum amount of points. This translated into wins baby. 

This goes for my guys at Mengao. Flamengo can’t afford to get blown out by Verdao in Palmeiras’s house.

We need to win baby.

Rubro-Negro needs to leave it all on the pitch, The Emperor and his buddies need to come firing on all cylinders. 

It’s goals baby and lots of “D”.

www.palau.org

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The hoop lá and the shouting have died down. The final tabulations are in. We basically know who will be invited to the big dance next year in South Africa. Brasil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile all have the free pass to the 2010 World Cup.

Way to go garoto.

And you can sure bet your sweet bippie that the nation of Argentina was sweating bullets on Wednesday night until the final tally was  annouced over the national media airwaves a 1-0 Argentina win over Uruguay.

The entire nation breathed a collective sight of relief.

What will be next for the once mighty Argentina? Only God knows and He isn’t telling us right now. If I had my way, I would fire Maradona and bring in a real futebol coach.

This is a good idea. My question is this. How many futebol coaches would want to put themselves through the insanity of having to work with AFA Prez Grondona and his crazy minions? 

I sure as hell wouldn’t want work with this crazy group.

Enough said on this subject.

Now it’s back to the regular season.

Palmeiras is in first place in the Campeonato Brasil. Verdao has 54 points. Sao Paulo is in second place with 49. Internacional is third with 48. My Rubro-Negro is in sixth place with 45 points.

Verdao, Tricolor, and Colorado had a chance to make some huge moves last week but they all blew it.  Nautico blew out Verdao 3-0. Yes, Flamengo took it to the evil empire Sao Paulo (a term I borrowed from a Flamengo buds at left wing blog) 2-1. Internacional tied with lowly Atletico-PR one all.

There are some really huge match ups this weekend in the Campeonato Brasil. On Saturday, Sao Paulo battles fourth place Atletico-MG. Flamengo takes on top seeded Palmeiras on Sunday. This should be a wild and wooly affair. Rubro-Negro travels to Palmeiras’s house. Mengao has a habit of not playing well on the road. The last time Flamengo barely tied with Vitoria three all. Ze-Roberto scored in injury time to allow Mengao to escape with the draw. By all rights, Flamengo should have lost.

The last time these two clubs met was on July 15 and Palmeiras beat Mengao 2-1 in Maracana.

Lets hope Rubro-Negro can right the ship and beat em in Parque Antarctica, Palmeiras’s house. This is what we need.

If this happens, Flamengo will cut league leaders Verdao’s lead to seven points.

www.palau.org

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God shined again on Argentina. Argentina defeated Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo Wednesday night. Mario Bolatti scored off a great combo free kick by Messi. Messi fired the ball to Veron. Vernon one timed the shot. The ball rattled around in the box. Bolatti knocked home the bouncing ball to give Argentina the win that will send them to the 2010 World Cup.

The match changer happened in the eighty-fourth minute.

I was listening to Brasil battle to a zero-zero draw with Venezuela when the Brasilian announcers started screaming Goal for Argentina. The Brasilian announcers kept on stating they don’t how Argentina scored. Argentina wasn’t doing anything all match long.

Even though Uruguay lost, they will advance to the play in game against the fourth place CONCACAF team Costa Rica. The winner of this home at home series will advance to the 2010 World Cup.

Costa Rica was leading the USA 2-0 late in the second half. Costa Rica relaxed for they thought they had the automatic spot tied up. Not! USA scored twice to tie this baby up at two all. The final goal came in the dying moments of the match. Jonathan Bornstein knocked home the goal off a great corner kick. The ball was placed right at the goalmouths doorstep.

Bornstein’s goal knocked Costa Rica out of the automatic spot.

This tie sent Costa Rica to the World Cup play in game against Uruguay.

Honduras defeated El Salvador 1-0 to secure the final automatic spot.

Honduras won the third spot on a better goal difference. Honduras was plus six while Costa Rica was zero. Both teams had sixteen points.

The USA and Mexico are already in.

I am happy that Argentina won and they will now play in the 2010 World Cup. Now for God’s sakes please get a real coach. Fire Maradona and get someone who understands how to coach the game.

If this style of play continues Argentina will get their clocks cleaned at the World Cup.

Get rid of both Grondona and Maradona.

It is as simple as that.

Maradona can say what he wants but the sad truth is that he sucks as a coach. Maradona is very fortunate and lucky that Argentina won.

This win snapped a thirty-three match-losing streak against Uruguay in Montevideo. 

Will the AFA man up and make a bold decision and fire both Grondona and Maradona? Or will the AFA chicken out and wait for the train wreck of a World Cup for Argentina?

The AFA will do nothing.

www.palau.org

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Martin Palermo saved Maradona’s bacon with his last second goal on a rain soaked pitch in Buenos Aires on Saturday night. It may have saved Argentina’s lingering hopes of making the 2010 World Cup as well too.

Argentina’s hopes of making it to the 2010 World Cup play in game or the automatic berth were on life support. Peru scored the tying goal in the ninetieth minute that almost sent Argentina’s dreams crashing down on their heads but a hero was born. Palermo stepped up and nailed the winner in the dying moments of the match to set up the winner take all match against Uruguay on Wednesday.

I am not going to go down the path that many have taken but I will say this Maradona was a great player. As a coach, he sucks. Maradona has no clue on strategy. He doesn’t understand player rotation or how to develop chemistry and trust among his players. Yet, God has continued to throw him a lifeline. This lifeline was in the form of an aging star Martin Palermo this time.

Who says there isn’t a God?

Have the miracles run out?

We will find out on Wednesday.

For me personally Maradona is a loveable Damon Runyon character in Guys and Dolls but that is about it.

He was a great player. He is character but I would never trust him to run my futebol team.

Where does the blame for this mess rest?

The blame for this fiasco squarely rests on the Grondona’s shoulders. Grondona hired Maradona after Basile quit. Instead of finding a coach who at least managed a club for more than a minute, Grondona hired a  coach who coached for all of twenty games. He lost more than he won.

This is the kicker Chile and Paraguay coaches are Argentine.

This is an in your face move Grondona. We took your best coaches and kicked your butts using them against you.

It will be sad day if Argentina does not make to the 2010 World Cup. Part of me is happy but a large part of me is sad. The AFA was once a huge force in international and South American futebol but now clubs like River Plate and Boca Juniors are laugh stockings in most futebol circles.

This is sad for these two clubs have well over 95 domestic and Internacional titles between.

Now they stink to high heaven.

Get rid of Grondona.

No one wants to listen to me.

I may not be one of those huge futebol pundits but I know sports. My insights are more right than wrong. Try a ninety percent clip being right.

You want to change a team’s direction. Fire management, fire the coach, and bring in people who can work together for a common goal. It is called teamwork.

Brasil did this after the disastrous 2006 World Cup. The powers that be brought in Dunga. All you have to do is look at the results.

www.palau.org

http://www2.hillsong.com/tv/home.asp

This is really getting nuts in Campeonato Brasil. The bottom feeder teams are cleaning the top clubs clocks. I think this is really cool and funny as all get out. Palmeiras had a chance to get more separation from second place Tricolor and third place Internacional but no such luck. Verdao goes out and loses to eighteenth place Nautico 3-0 in Recife.

Yes, it was as bad as it looked.  

Nautico struck in the sixth minute. Irenio wove his way through Palmeiras “D”. He fired a low shot that rebounded off the keeper and into the waiting feet of Luiz Claudio. Claudio knock home the winner low left to give Nautico a 1-0 lead. Marcus was as helpless as a little baby on this puppy.

Three minutes before half Carlinhos Bala took it to the rack. He deeked right and laid off a perfect pass to teammate Bruno Mineiro. Verdao’s keeper Marcos hands Mineiro his jock and says you need this more than me. Bam. Mineiro’s walk in goal gives Timbu a 2-0 lead after forty-two minutes.

Timbu puts the icing on the cake in the fifty-second minute. Irenio was at again. This time he weaved his way inside the box. Irenio let fly with a great pass to Bruno Mineiro. Mineiro out leaped the Verdao defenders and noodles home the winner for a 3-0 Nautico lead.

Turn out the lights the party’s over Palmeiras gets their lunch handed to them by lowly Nautico.

Timbu completely outplayed Verdao the entire match. Can you say Palmeiras phoned in the match. Yep. That’s what happened. This is why they got their butts cleaned out.

Goias had chance to move up the table as well but they failed miserably. Goias and Sport tied one all.

Atletico-MG could have leaped frogged into second place but no these clowns lost to Cruzeiro 1-0.

Botafogo may have saved their season with a two all tie with Avai.

Santos and Vitoria fought to a zero-zero tie.

This is getting to be really ridiculous. Palmeiras could have been eight points up on second place  Tricolor and nine points on Internacional but now Verdao is hanging on to a five point lead over Sao Paulo and six points over third place Internacional. Atletico-MG is fourth place with 47 points. Goias is in fifth place with 46.

Rubro-Negro is in sixth place with 45 points.

Mengao is nine points off the pace. There is hope that Flamengo can continue this run up the table.

Do you remember what I wrote maybe three weeks ago outlining how the top teams must go into a huge tailspin and if this happens and Rubro-Negro goes on a hot streak Mengao can sneak into the Campeonato race. I hate to say this but I told you so. This is exactly what is happening. I must have ESPN I mean ESP.

Way to go garoto.

Botafogo is now three points clear of the drop zone. Fogao is currently in sixteenth place with 32 points. Santo Andre is in seventeenth place 29 points. You can almost stick a fork in Fluminense and Sport chances of climbing out of the I am outta here zone. Both clubs had 25 points apiece. Not good.

www.palau.org

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I don’t care what anyone in the press writes or reports it is harder than hell to play futebol or for that fact play any sport at eleven to twelve thousand feet. I know I have tried. Brasil lost to Bolivia in La Paz 2-1.

Considering these conditions the results could have been worse. Try 6-0 or something like that. Oh Yeah, that’s right Argentina was murdered by Bolivia 6-0 about two months ago.

Brasil has already clinched a spot in the 2010 World Cup so Dunga decided to look at some different players. Dunga started Daniel Alves, Adriano, Nilmar, Miranda, and Diego Sousa.

How’s that for being right.

Dunga got a very good look at Sousa, Nilmar, Miranda, and Adriano.

Nilmar rewarded Dunga with a goal in the 70^th minute. Maicon fired a great crossing ball into the box. Nilmar poked it home with his head, Bolivian keeper Suarez never had a snowballs chances in hell to stop the header.

This was Brasil’s first loss in a World Cup qualifying match since June 15^th 2008.

Even with all these facts, the Brasileiro pundits and media idiots are calling this a bad showing. Come on give me a break. You guys are a bunch of clowns. This is a chance for Dunga to take a look at some players to see how they will perform in harsh conditions.

Bolivia scored first. Olivares headed home a perfect ball that flat out beat the keeper Cesar in the tenth minute. This was set up by a great corner kick. Cesar never had a prayer to stop the shot.

Bolivia’s Marcelo Moreno fired a shot that curled through the Brasilian defender Luizano  to beat Cesar in the thirtieth minute for a 2-0 Bolivian lead.

For what its worth Brasil played well.

Brasil and Paraguay are tied for first place with 33 points.

Both teams have their tickets punched to the 2010 World Cup.

This is a win-win situation for Brasil.

Wednesday October 14 will be for all the marbles when Argentina takes on Uruguay. Win and you are in. Lose and we will see you next year.

Chile and Ecuador have an important date as well.

If Argentina losses and Ecuador wins Argentina is the odd man out.

Uruguay will get the fourth spot. Ecuador will advance to the play in round.

I can’t wait until Wednesday.

www.palau.org

http://www2.hillsong.com/tv/home.asp

Mengao is playing in their house Maracana on Saturday. Flamengo has started out like a house on fire but Rubro-Negro has nothing to show for it.

Flamengo has had most of the touches in the first half. Mengao has had four great scoring chances but Rubro-Negro has come up empty. Wham bam just like that Sao Paulo’s counter attack resulted in a quick goal for Tricolor.

A great thread the seam in the defense pass found Hernanes alone in front of the goal. He juked right and went left. Here is your jock Bruno. Hernanes  ticked the twines to give Tricolor a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes.

Mengao has fallen asleep. This pass spilt the Flamengo “D” right down the middle.

Mengao is applying lots of pressure but they can’t find the back of the net.

We need goals. Mengao cannot afford to lose this puppy.

Flamengo continues to apply lots of pressure. The Sao Paulo goal looks like a shooting gallery. Finally, this pressure has paid off. This pressure forced a Sao Paulo defender to tackle Petkovic just inside of the box right. Petkovic missed the first PK but he was awarded a second try when Sao Paulo keeper Ceni stepped off his line to stop the shot. Petkovic calmly knocked home the winner to tie this baby up at one all after sixty-five minutes 

Mengao has kept up the pressure. Petkovic threaded the needle to teammate Ze-Roberto. Ze took it straight to the goal. He popped a shot. Goal! Ze-Roberto’s shot lower left for a 2-1 Flamengo lead after eighty minutes.

Ceni was hung out to dry by this two-man game between Petkovic and Ze-Roberto.

Finally, Rubro-Negro is finishing their scoring chances. You can’t leave these babies on the table. They will kill you if you don’t score.

Flamengo picked up a huge win over second place Tricolor. Sao Paulo’s loss may have definitely killed their chances for a four peat.

This was huge win for us Flamenguistas.

I was worried when Mengao fell behind 1-0. Rubro-Negro had eighty to ninety percent of the touches but could not pull the trigger until the foul was called inside the box. This call changed the match. 

This was a good call.

The win gives Rubro-Negro 45 points.

Sao Paulo is in second place for now with 49 points.

Internacional and Atletico-PR tied at one all. Internacional stays in third place with 48 points.

This has not been a good day at Black Rock for Sao Paulo and Internacional but it was a good one for all of us Flamenguistas.

Palmeiras battles Nautico on Monday due to the national team encounter with Bolivia in a World Cup qualifying match on Sunday. This is the same for Atletico-MG-Cruzeiro and Goias- Sport matches.  

Argentina pulled out a 2-1 win over Peru. Argentina was ahead through out most of the match before Peru found the equalizer in the 89^th minute. Martin Palermo booted home the winner in final moments of the match to let Argentina live another day.

Chile defeated Colombia 4-2. Uruguay upset Ecuador 2-1.

Chile clinched a spot in 2010 World Cup with today’s win.

The battle for the last remaining spot looks likes this after Saturday’s matches.
Oh, baby this is nut cutting time.

Argentina moves into the fourth spot with 25 points. Uruguay is in fifth spot with 24 points. Ecuador is the odd man out with 23 points.

This was a huge win for Argentina. Argentinos almost blew it but Palermo saved their bacon. Maradona and Grondona are idiots but Argentina lives to fight another day.

I was cheering when Peru scored the equalizer and I cheered when Palermo knocked home the butt saving goal for Argentina.

I like to be wrong.

Even with this win, Maradona needs to go.

This is too close.

www.palau.org

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