This match in São Paulo state’s second city, Campinas, was definitely watched by literally 65 million people and could have been watched by several other million. The 32 million Corinthians fans and 33 million Flamengo fans all over the nation had their eyes glued on their nearest TV sets. No matter if they were in the corner bars around São Paulo’s bohemian west side drinking chopps (São Paulo-style almost watered-down draft beer), along Rio de Janeiro’s favelas with tiny television sets placed up on top of old Volkswagen vans in front of multitudes of people like fruit set up on top of an altar by indigenous devotees to their gods, or even Brazilians abroad, say in Miami or Tokyo glued to satellite channel Rede Globo International or in Brazilian-themed restaurants and Churrascarias, or perhaps even at home on frustrating static-ridden online streams.
One of 2009 Brasileirão’s before-to-last round’s match between Brazil’s two largest teams, was made into the most important match of the round – round 37. Also playing, were title-hopefuls São Paulo and Goiás in Goiânia’s Serra Dourada Stadium – if São Paulo won by any result, they’d be ever-closer to being Brazilian champions for the seventh time, regardless of Flamengo’s result.
But this is the Brasileirão. The unthinkable happened. Goiás, headed by striker Fernandão, saw themselves opening up a can of sensational footballing rarely-shown that year on the then 1st-placed Tricolor Paulista, beating them by 4×2. Devastation took ahold and the only way São Paulo could still hope for a chance at winning the title was if infamous and forever-hated worst rivals Corinthians beat their amicable Rio rivals, Flamengo.
At Campinas’ 2nd division club Guarani FC’s home, Brinco de Ouro Stadium, an already qualified for the upcoming year’s Copa Libertadores and without any Brasileirão title aspirations whatsoever (in 10th-place), Corinthians played as if their minds were already far gone on where they were going to spend their end-of-the-year-vacations and of course (obvious for some, unthinkable for others, as a sign of bad football. So much so that the Brazilian Football Confederation has scheduled rivalry games in the season’s last round, in order to prevent these “friendly gestures”) to give Flamengo a little “hand” so they could end up in 1st-place, taking São Paulo out of the equation.
Regardless of Corinthians’ “help”, Flamengo who were without their main player Adriano (suspended for the match), played like champions. The goals came from midfielder Zé Roberto in the first half and winger Léo Moura with one minute left in the match, off a penalty kick which will forever remain immortalized – did Corinthians GK Felipe not even go for the ball on purpose, or did he not? That’s for you to decide.
Final result: Corinthians 0, Flamengo 2, and November 29th, Campinas and Rio de Janeiro was painted black & red.
For the first time in the season, Flamengo were Brasileirão leaders, with only one round left until the end, São Paulo dropped to 4th-place and southern giants Internacional, who won their match in Recife against Sport by 2×1, moved up to 2nd-place, still hoping for a chance of winning the title, that was only if Flamengo lost to Internacional’s worst enemies in this planet, Grêmio, in the next and final round of the 2009 Brasileirão.
The last round, well, you can guess what happened…
Rio de Janeiro remained black & red, and after seventeen years, Flamengo were finally champions of the Brasileirão once again, for the 6th time. The Rubro-Negros beat an all-reserve Grêmio squad in a sold-out Maracanã Stadium (78.639), by 2×1 after being down 1×0, crushing Internacional’s title chances – who bashed Santo André by 4×1 and putting season top-goalscorer, Adriano (now at Corinthians) back in his throne, this time as “Emperor” of Rio de Janeiro.
0x2
Corinthians: Felipe; Jucilei, Chicão, Paulo André, Escudero (Dodô); Edu (Moradei), Elias, Boquita, Defederico; Jorge Henrique & Ronaldo (Souza) – Coach: Mano Menezes
Flamengo: Bruno; Léo Moura, Álvaro, Ronaldo Angelim, Juan; Aírton, Toró, Willians, Petkovic (Fierro); Zé Roberto, Bruno Mezenga (Denis Marques) – Coach: Andrade
Tournament: 2009 Brasileirão – Round 37 match
Date: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Place: Brinco de Ouro Stadium (Campinas, SP)
Goals: 26′ Zé Roberto (FLA), 90’+ Léo Moura (FLA)
Attendance: 25.775
______________________________
4×2
Goiás: Harlei; Rafael Toloi, Ernando, Leandro Euzébio; Vítor, Rithelly (Amaral), Fernando, Léo Lima, Douglas (Julio Cesar); Iarley & Fernandão (Romerito) – Coach: Hélio dos Anjos
São Paulo: Rogério Ceni; Renato Silva, André Dias, Rodrigo (Marlos); Jean, Arouca (Henrique), Hernanes, Jorge Wagner (Oscar), Junior Cesar; Hugo & Washington – Coach: Ricardo Gomes
Tournament: 2009 Brasileirão – Round 37 match
Date: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Place: Serra Dourada Stadium (Goiânia, GO)
Goals: 15′, 70′ Washington (SPO), 21′ Vítor (GOI), 37′ Rithelly (GOI), 66′ Fernandão (GOI), 71′ Léo Lima (GOI)
Attendance: 28.574
-F.M.
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