just put some polls on my blog about the title, libertadores places, and relegation, if anyone feels like voting

Not surprised to see 0% for Flamengo but still 0% for Grêmio! I suspect it may be a small sample so far.

My vote went to Palmeiras so at least I'm being consistent with the first post of this thread.

Some good news for Vasco at last. They've just won 4-2 at Goiás and gone up to 18th place. The hero was Edmundo who rarely plays outside Rio these days. He scored the first and, after Vasco had blown a 2-0 lead, made the third, then won and scored the penalty to wrap it up. Sheer class throughout but he didn't half look knackered at the end.

What a pleasant surprise as i didn't realise Vasco had played until I saw the goals on You Tube last night. Nice goal by Edmundo, cracking volley.

Sid, caught the last few minutes of the Vasco-Fla game on the website as you suggested. My Portugese doesn't extend beyond obrigado so some of the text updates were puzzling. Got the general idea of most of them though with the help of the video links. Will be trying it again for Vasco's next match.

Yeah, this week`s matches have been brought forward due to Sunday`s local elections. Vasco's next game is next Thursday - a six-pointer against Atlético PR.

And last night there was another surprise - a good performance from Flamengo in a 5-0 thrashing of Coritiba. Unfortunately for them, Grêmio and São Paulo both sneaked narrow wins. Saturday's most intriguing game sees relegation-threatened Fluminense take on Palmeiras.

Which site do you mean? Globo??

That's my personal recommendation.

Another round of matches just finished and things are no clearer either at the top or the bottom.

Five teams still in the title race and big wins for Cruzeiro, convincingly against Grêmio and São Paulo, fortuitously against Botafogo, mean that the top 4 are separated by just a point. Flamengo, a further 2 behind will be cursing their poor finishing in a 0-0 draw at Vítoria.

At the bottom, Ipatinga look doomed but any three of six teams could fill the other relegation places. Vasco blew it at home in their 6 pointer to Atlético PR and only a superb late equaliser from Madson saved them from a complete disaster. And Fluminense after their superb win over Palmeiras on Sunday were winning again at Figuierense when the lights went out after 15 minutes and they'll have to resume the game next Wednesday.

Weekend preview:

With the five title contenders, winning, drawing and losing matches midweek, the race for the 2008 Campeonato Brasileiro is wide open once again. Grêmio, São Paulo, Cruzeiro, Palmeiras and Flamengo are all separated by just six points with six rounds remaining.

Flamengo are the only of the top five in action tonight and the Rubro-Negro (The Scarlet-Black) will be confident of taking the full points as 14th placed Portuguesa visit the Maracanã. The evenings other two fixtures involves two of the current bottom four. After snatching a late point against Internacional midweek, Náutico (17th) play mid table Vitória in Pernambuco state whilst Ipatinga, who are looking increasingly likely to return to Série B after just one season in the top flight, take on Coritiba and their star striker Keirrison. With Ipatinga now six points away from safety, a defeat tonight would be another nail in the coffin of the Minas Gerais based side.

Tomorrow night, two of Rios biggest clubs meet in the Clássico de Gigantes as Fluminense meet Vasco as both clubs fight to secure their place in the Brasileirão. In Porto Alegre, current Brasileirão leaders Grêmio take on Figueirense on the back of Wednesdays embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Cruzeiro. Second placed São Paulo face an Inter side who are likely to be keeping a closer eye on their forthcoming Copa Sudamericana fixture with Boca Juniors whilst Cruzeiro, third, travel to 10th placed Goiás in what could be a tricky tie for La Raposa. In São Paulo state, rivals Santos, who have seemingly pulled away from the relegation battle play 4th placed Palmeiras at the Vila Belmiro.

In Curitiba, Atlético Paranaense continue their battle for points against Sport whilst Atlético-MG host sixth placed Botafogo with either side having little to play.

Colorado_Matt wrote:

QUOTE:
Which site do you mean? Globo??

That's my personal recommendation.

That's the one Matt, watched the Vasco-Atletico game on it this week. If Flu-Vasco is not on SportX I will be on the site again this weekend.

On another note who is Vasco's keeper? From what I have seen this season he looks awful. Was at fault again against Atletico, how bad is the number two keeper?

The keeper against Atlético was Rafael who started the season as third choice and just come into the team. He has actually been doing quite well, certainly in comparison to Tiago and Roberto, both of whom had an unfortunate habit of getting sent off (and letting in soft goals). Tiago now seems to be third choice, which is a pity because he's a free-kick and penalty taking specialist - last season he scored 13 for Portuguesa.

Sunday's game really is a must-win for Vasco. If they lose, Flu will be out of sight and it'll be 4 out of the bottom 5 for relegation. Hopefully, Edmundo will be fit, but Flu are on a roll at the moment and I reckon the best Vasco can hope for is a draw (clássicos end in draws with remarkable frequency - 9 out of the last 12 for Flu v Vasco).

Oh my God - they're going to do it again. São Paulo go top for the first time this season with a 3-0 win over a weakened Internacional. They were helped by slip ups from Flamengo, Cruzeiro and Grêmio and only Palmeiras kept pace with a last minute winner at Santos.

At the bottom things are even more confused. Vasco confounded my prediction with a vital win against Flu. Ipatinga are bottom but just two points separate the next 6 teams.

Well, if anyone's still following this, here's an update.

First of all the bottom because Jon and Chasbão will be delighted to know that 10 points out of the last 12 have rocketed Vasco out of the bottom 4. The latest win over Santos at a packed São Januario came courtesy of a very dodgy Edmundo penalty, which prompted Santos striker Kléber Perreira to claim that the ref had been paid. How could he suggest such a thing in Brazil? A win tomorrow night at Atlético MG could just about seal an unlikely escape. Fluminense are fifth bottom and the four relegation places are now occupied by the four
'smallest' clubs. Conspiracy, anyone?

At the top, the most significant result was Grêmio's big 1-0 win at Palmeiras while São Paulo had yet another fortunate win at Portuguesa. It looks increasingly like the title will go to one of these less than attractive teams.

In yet another awful clássico, Flamengo overcame Vasco in a tale of two penalties, one denied for Botafogo and the other scored by Flamengo, though the fans feared the worst when Kléberson stepped up to take it. He scored - just. Botafogo continue their recent pattern of suffering poor refereeing decisions and then completely losing discipline. This time it was, to the surprise of nobody, Carlos Alberto who saw red.

Flamengo continue to play poorly but hang on in there. In fact, the title race may be exciting and competitive but no-one is suggesting that any of the top 5 teams possess any great quality.

Yes!! I said when I saw the Flu Vasco game at the Maracana game earlier on in the season that both teams were too good to go down. I don't like it when my footballing nous deserts me but I was starting to believe I'd lost my touch.

Serie B news. Well, Corinthians are walking it and I'm also hoping that Barueri (currently 5th) might squeeze a promotion place, simply because I've been there.

Some more good news for you Jon. Barueri are now fourth, having won 3-2 away at Vila Nova and swapped places with them. With two easy looking home games to come and Vila Nova away at Corinthians next, they must be strong favourites. I'm not sure whether the locals appreciate their success yet - last night the cameras picked out precisely five travelling fans.

Also last night, Avaí clinched promotion and return to Serie A for the first time in 29 years.

In between the game you saw and the last four games, believe me, Vasco were every bit bad enough to go down but the appointment of Renato Gaúcho does eventually seem to have turned things around.

Vasco's recent recovery has left me too stunned to post on the thread.

The penalty against Santos was outrageous so i'm not surprised by Pereira's comments. Will he be punished or are the Brazil FA more liberal when it comes to player's comments?

Another question, i saw a bit of Portuguesa-Sao Paulo on TV and the whole ground seemed to be supporting Sao Paulo. How many Portuguesa fans were there?