Sport takes on Santa Cruz, at Santa, in a game that could decide the first stage's champion. Sport has a five point lead on Santa Cruz with three games remaining (including today's). A Sport win will guarantee the championship for Sport, any other result will leave Santa with an outside chance. Over 40,000 are expected to be at the stadium to watch the game.
Santa Cruz is still learning how to play together, and when the players do know one another they will probably be a good team by Série D standards. They have no business beating Sport, but games like this are always unpredictable.
Sidny will, again, not dress for Sport. Neither will Jonas, who has also been unimpressive in his best moments. Paulo Baier will play on the right side, and Sport will switch to a 3-5-2 to allow him to play more offensively than he would in a 4-4-2. He has played well in midfield, not yet dominating games, but looking better than any Sport midfielder had in years. Now on the right side he may have less influence on the game. Santa Cruz, however, has its own Sidny in the left fullback Juca, so the move to right fullback may be a wise move on Nelsinho's part. Ciro will start on the bench, with Weldon starting in his place.
domingo, 8 de fevereiro de 2009
terça-feira, 3 de fevereiro de 2009
A Word on the Lovers' Classic and the State Championship
The Lovers' Classic was a decent game between two works in progress. Santa Cruz created a few more chances, but the game was even and fairly well played. It was certainly more interesting than Sport's easy win the day before. Náutico is putting together a team that will, when it is finally in place, be vastly superior to last year's edition, and Santa Cruz has a proven goalscorer in Marcelo Ramos -- and he alone should guarantee a better showing for Santa in this year's inaugural Série D than last year's Série C debacle.
Since Sport won the Campeonato Pernambucano* in 2006 the championship has lacked emotion. That year Sport and Santa were evenly matched, but the following two years Sport outclassed the competition (a good case can be made that the opposition simply rolled over for a mediocre Sport, at least in 2007) and won with ease. This year is different.
Sport has all but won the first stage (the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1817 Trophy). If Santa Cruz can beat Sport in Sunday's Clássico das Multidões (Classic of the Multitudes) then Santa will be two points behind Sport and will still need to win the remaining games while hoping that Sport loses to Náutico (O Clássico dos Clássicos -- the Classic of the Classics) in the last game of the first stage. That is an unlikely outcome, but Santa can still hope. The second stage promises to be the most interesting two months since 2006. Náutico and Santa will both have more settled teams while the clearly superior Sport will be focused on the Copa Libertadores. Two weeks before the championship catches fire.
*It has become fashionable for states in the south to refer to their championships with the -ão suffix now that "Brasileirão" has become the name of the Série A (and I always wondered if that mean that the Série B was the "Brasileiro" and the Série C the "Brasileirinho"). The Campeonato Paulista is the Paulistão, the Campeonato Carioca is the Cariocão, and the Campeonato Gaúcho is the Gauchão. So what can we call the Campeonato Pernambucano? The Pernambucanão? Not so good -- anão is Portuguese for dwarf. The Pernambucão? Cão is Portuguese for dog, which makes the Cariocão kind of funny, too. The Pernambucanozão? That's just ridiculous. I think the FPF should advertise the Campeonato Pernambucano with a slogan like "The Campeonato Pernambucano: It's too damn good to nickname."
Since Sport won the Campeonato Pernambucano* in 2006 the championship has lacked emotion. That year Sport and Santa were evenly matched, but the following two years Sport outclassed the competition (a good case can be made that the opposition simply rolled over for a mediocre Sport, at least in 2007) and won with ease. This year is different.
Sport has all but won the first stage (the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1817 Trophy). If Santa Cruz can beat Sport in Sunday's Clássico das Multidões (Classic of the Multitudes) then Santa will be two points behind Sport and will still need to win the remaining games while hoping that Sport loses to Náutico (O Clássico dos Clássicos -- the Classic of the Classics) in the last game of the first stage. That is an unlikely outcome, but Santa can still hope. The second stage promises to be the most interesting two months since 2006. Náutico and Santa will both have more settled teams while the clearly superior Sport will be focused on the Copa Libertadores. Two weeks before the championship catches fire.
*It has become fashionable for states in the south to refer to their championships with the -ão suffix now that "Brasileirão" has become the name of the Série A (and I always wondered if that mean that the Série B was the "Brasileiro" and the Série C the "Brasileirinho"). The Campeonato Paulista is the Paulistão, the Campeonato Carioca is the Cariocão, and the Campeonato Gaúcho is the Gauchão. So what can we call the Campeonato Pernambucano? The Pernambucanão? Not so good -- anão is Portuguese for dwarf. The Pernambucão? Cão is Portuguese for dog, which makes the Cariocão kind of funny, too. The Pernambucanozão? That's just ridiculous. I think the FPF should advertise the Campeonato Pernambucano with a slogan like "The Campeonato Pernambucano: It's too damn good to nickname."
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