A Return to Winning (New Blog Included)

Inspired by Matt's Inter blog, I've wanted to start this for a while now. The only problem was that Sport just wouldn't cooperate. Since the 5-0 win against Figueirense (which would have been 8-0 if Sport had competent forwards) had gone eight games without a victory. It wouldn't do to start a new blog with a post about a disappointing 2-2 result against a pathetic Vasco team, would it? Today's game, a 2-1 victory over Goiás, wasn't anything to get excited about, but at least the result was positive. September 14 was the last time anyone has been able to say that.

Sport dominated the first thirty minutes of the first half, with César scoring in the 22nd minute and Roger in the 25th, and it looked like we were going to have a party in the stands. And then the team lost its edge, stopped passing with any sense of purpose, and Goiás worked their way back into the game. Goiás never looked likely to score a second goal, but neither did Sport look likely to score a third until the last ten minutes of the game.

I wish I could celebrate the glorious victory, but Sport hasn't given me anything to celebrate since that 5-0 win over Figueirense. I should have celebrated the stylish manner in which Sport dispatched Vasco to the Série B, but Sport gave Vasco two goals and may have helped Vasco stay in the first division. I should have celebrated an easy win over Náutico, but Roger missed three easy chances in the first half, and Sport only got one point. Looking back over the last few months, Sport hasn't given me much to celebrate since winning the Copa do Brasil, but maybe I have become jaded by the experience.

On their day Sport can beat any team in Brazil, and probably any team in South America. On their off day, Sport can lose to any team, anywhere. Today Sport showed maybe 40% of what they can do. Sadly, that's more than anyone has seen from them in a long time.

Lineup: Magrão; Igor, César, Durval; Sidny, Junior Maranhão, Andrade (Sandro Goiano), Fumagalli (Fábio Gomes), Dutra; Carlinhos Bala (Enílton), Roger