Fluminense finally claimed the title in front of their ecstatic fans with a jittery 1-0 win against relegated Guarani.
Second placed Corinthians went into their game still hoping to clinch the championship but slipped up and only managed a draw against a Goias team that will be spending next season in Serie B. That meant that Cruzeiro’s home win against Palmeiras allowed them to leap-frog Corinthians to snatch the runners-up spot by one point.
Gremio’s emphatic defeat of Botafogo ensured fourth place and automatic entry into the Libertadores Cup. The big game at the bottom was between Vitoria at home to Atletico-GO both sides starting on 41 points. The home side needed to win to avoid the drop but the visitors only needed a draw to stay up by virtue of them having won more games - 11 to 9 - during the season. Atletico-GO went home happy – the score was 0-0.
The visitors, already safe from relegation, hardly turned up. Ilsinho opened the scoring in the 27th minute after the referee played a good advantage outside the box allowing him to get in a shot that easily beat Renan Ribeiro in the Atletico-MG goal.
Lucas scored the second four minutes later after he cut in from the left and beat the keeper with a shot from just outside the box that clipped the post on its way in. Ten minutes after that, with the away team defenders backing off, Marlos put the game out of reach with a crisp shot inside the right hand post.
The second half opened with a goal in the first minute from Renato Silva. From a corner on the right he rose unchallenged to head down past the keeper.
Corinthians needed to win to stand any chance of overtaking Fluminense at the top. Julio Cesar, in the visitors’ goal, started the rot in the 19th minute.
Attempting to clear up field from the edge of the box after a through ball, he scuffed the his clearance straight to Felipe Amorim who side-footed it in from 35 yards.
Dentinho brought Corinthians back into the game with an equalizer ten minutes later. Bad defending in the Goias box allowed him to stab the ball right footed to keeper Fabio’s left.
This middle of the table clash was almost meaningless except to confirm places in the Sulamericana. In the 31st minute Dede headed in from close range following a corner on the right to open the scoring.
Bruno Paulo completed the scoring to give Vasco a home win. The second goal was pure pinball. From a looping cross from the left, Ceara keeper Michel Alves dropped the ball, Bruno hit it goalwards, it hit the keeper again, then a defender and finally ended up in the net. Ceara’s Heleno was sent off for a foul on Allan, his second yellow of the game.
Veteran Paulo Baier clinched the game for the home team with a goal in the seventh minute. A long cross from the left allowed the striker to rise unmarked and head the ball back across the stranded Renan in the Avai goal. Seven yellow cards, four to the away side, were issued in a niggling game.
Palmeiras shocked the championship outsiders with a goal in the eighth minute of the second half. Victor ran through from virtually the half way line before hitting a shot that clipped Cruzeiro keeper Fabio before looping up for Rivaldo to nod home from one yard.
This woke up the home side who leveled ten minutes later. After neat work on the right, Henrique received the ball unmarked in the box and hit a low shot across Bruno in goal and just inside the post.
Wallyson won it for the home side after cutting in from the left and striking a fierce shot that Bruno got his hand to but could only push on to the post before it crossed the line.
Atletico-GO stay in Serie A with a draw, sending Vitoria down. Both end on 42 points but Vitoria lose their Serie A status because they have won only 9 games this season whereas Atletico-GO have 11 wins during this campaign.
Seven yellow cards were distributed, three for the home side, before Vitoria’s Gabriel Paulista was given a straight red for a violent foul on Anailson.
Gremio clinched a place in the Libertadores Cup comfortably beating a lame Botafogo. Jefferson, in the visitor’s goal, parried the ball to Andre Lima to open the scoring for the home side.
And it was the scorer in action again after 20 minutes when he laid the ball back for Jonas to fire in the second. In the eighth minute of the second half the unselfish striker drew Jefferson out of goal, after being put through, and slid the ball to Douglas who knocked it into an open goal.
Fluminense dominated the early exchanges but clearly nerves were getting the better of them. Several chances went begging leaving their fans frantic.
A win would bring them the title but they were making hard work of it. Finally, the deadlock was broken in the 16th minute of the second half. Carlinhos managed to squeeze his way to the line before getting his cross in from the left.
Washington nodded on and Emerson stabbed the ball home from close in through the legs of his namesake in the Guarani goal.
Rafael, in goal for Santos, and Paulo Victor his opposite number for Flamengo, could have started their holidays early they had so little to do. Most efforts were from long range and hardly troubled them anyway.
End of season stuff. Santos claim a place in the Libertores Cup and Flamengo claim the last spot in the Sulamericana.
Gremio’s emphatic defeat of Botafogo ensured fourth place and automatic entry into the Libertadores Cup. The big game at the bottom was between Vitoria at home to Atletico-GO both sides starting on 41 points. The home side needed to win to avoid the drop but the visitors only needed a draw to stay up by virtue of them having won more games - 11 to 9 - during the season. Atletico-GO went home happy – the score was 0-0.
The visitors, already safe from relegation, hardly turned up. Ilsinho opened the scoring in the 27th minute after the referee played a good advantage outside the box allowing him to get in a shot that easily beat Renan Ribeiro in the Atletico-MG goal.
Lucas scored the second four minutes later after he cut in from the left and beat the keeper with a shot from just outside the box that clipped the post on its way in. Ten minutes after that, with the away team defenders backing off, Marlos put the game out of reach with a crisp shot inside the right hand post.
The second half opened with a goal in the first minute from Renato Silva. From a corner on the right he rose unchallenged to head down past the keeper.
Corinthians needed to win to stand any chance of overtaking Fluminense at the top. Julio Cesar, in the visitors’ goal, started the rot in the 19th minute.
Attempting to clear up field from the edge of the box after a through ball, he scuffed the his clearance straight to Felipe Amorim who side-footed it in from 35 yards.
Dentinho brought Corinthians back into the game with an equalizer ten minutes later. Bad defending in the Goias box allowed him to stab the ball right footed to keeper Fabio’s left.
This middle of the table clash was almost meaningless except to confirm places in the Sulamericana. In the 31st minute Dede headed in from close range following a corner on the right to open the scoring.
Bruno Paulo completed the scoring to give Vasco a home win. The second goal was pure pinball. From a looping cross from the left, Ceara keeper Michel Alves dropped the ball, Bruno hit it goalwards, it hit the keeper again, then a defender and finally ended up in the net. Ceara’s Heleno was sent off for a foul on Allan, his second yellow of the game.
Veteran Paulo Baier clinched the game for the home team with a goal in the seventh minute. A long cross from the left allowed the striker to rise unmarked and head the ball back across the stranded Renan in the Avai goal. Seven yellow cards, four to the away side, were issued in a niggling game.
Palmeiras shocked the championship outsiders with a goal in the eighth minute of the second half. Victor ran through from virtually the half way line before hitting a shot that clipped Cruzeiro keeper Fabio before looping up for Rivaldo to nod home from one yard.
This woke up the home side who leveled ten minutes later. After neat work on the right, Henrique received the ball unmarked in the box and hit a low shot across Bruno in goal and just inside the post.
Wallyson won it for the home side after cutting in from the left and striking a fierce shot that Bruno got his hand to but could only push on to the post before it crossed the line.
Atletico-GO stay in Serie A with a draw, sending Vitoria down. Both end on 42 points but Vitoria lose their Serie A status because they have won only 9 games this season whereas Atletico-GO have 11 wins during this campaign.
Seven yellow cards were distributed, three for the home side, before Vitoria’s Gabriel Paulista was given a straight red for a violent foul on Anailson.
Gremio clinched a place in the Libertadores Cup comfortably beating a lame Botafogo. Jefferson, in the visitor’s goal, parried the ball to Andre Lima to open the scoring for the home side.
And it was the scorer in action again after 20 minutes when he laid the ball back for Jonas to fire in the second. In the eighth minute of the second half the unselfish striker drew Jefferson out of goal, after being put through, and slid the ball to Douglas who knocked it into an open goal.
Fluminense dominated the early exchanges but clearly nerves were getting the better of them. Several chances went begging leaving their fans frantic.
A win would bring them the title but they were making hard work of it. Finally, the deadlock was broken in the 16th minute of the second half. Carlinhos managed to squeeze his way to the line before getting his cross in from the left.
Washington nodded on and Emerson stabbed the ball home from close in through the legs of his namesake in the Guarani goal.
Rafael, in goal for Santos, and Paulo Victor his opposite number for Flamengo, could have started their holidays early they had so little to do. Most efforts were from long range and hardly troubled them anyway.
End of season stuff. Santos claim a place in the Libertores Cup and Flamengo claim the last spot in the Sulamericana.
