04 May 2009
by Jerrad Peters
Corinthians win 26th Paulista
Andre Santos erased all thought of a Santos comeback when he canceled Kleber Pereira's penalty in the 34th minute at Estadio do Pacaembu on Sunday. His tally was the final goal of the 2009 Paulista and sealed the Sao Paulo state championship for Corinthians.
The 1-1 draw at home to Santos—a 4-2 victory on aggregate—comes just 17 months after Corinthians were relegated from the top flight of the Brasileiro. But after dominating Brazil's second division and going undefeated throughout the Paulista, the former world champions appear well on their way to re-establishing themselves as a force in Brazilian football.
Of course, it doesn't hurt when one of the most potent strikers in football history is carrying his part of the goalscoring burden. After signing for Corinthians in December—two months after his 32nd birthday—Ronaldo proceeded to lead the team with 8 goals, two of which came in the first leg of the Paulista final at Santos. And while he'll entertain offers from European clubs throughout the summer, he's already been an integral part of the rejuvination at the Pacaembu.
Mano Menezes has been another. After guiding Gremio to the final of the Copa Libertadores in 2007, the 43-year-old took the reigns at Corinthians and promptly brought them out of Serie B. In going unbeaten in 23 Paulista matches since January, he emphasized a responsible commitment to team defense while relying on the goalscoring prowess of Ronaldo and Chicao.
Menezes will now take Corinthians into the top flight of the Brasileiro. There will be little time to rest. After a Copa do Brasil match on Wednesday, the open their league campaign at home to Internacional on Sunday.
Flamengo claim third successive Carioca
While Corinthians all but won the Paulista with a 3-1 victory at Santos in the first leg of the Sao Paulo state championship, Flamengo required penalties to dispatch Botafogo in the Campeonato Carioca.
Despite entering the interval with a two-goal advantage through first-half strikes from Ronaldo Angelim and Kleber, Flamengo's lead evaporated in a matter of minutes as Juninho and Tulio Souza equalized just after the hour-mark. The visistors were further encouraged when Fabio Luciano was ejected in the 90th minute. Flamengo held fast to the draw, however, and emerged victorious after Bruno's penalty heroics.
The Flamengo goalkeeper stopped spot-kicks from both Juninho and Leondro Guerreiro, helping the Rio de Janeiro side to a 31st state championship. They will open their Brasileiro campaign on Sunday at Cruzeiro.
Deschamps tipped for Marseille vacancy
Olympique Marseille president Pape Diouf has admitted that Didier Deschamps is among the two or three candidates to replace manager Eric Gerets at the end of the season. Gerets, 54, will be out of a contract when his current deal expires in June and last week expressed his intention to leave the club.
Given that Marseille are currently atop Ligue 1 with 68 points, he may well do so as the club's first title-winning manager since fellow Belgian Raymond Goethals guided the side to a fourth consecutive championship in 1992.
Deschamps, needless to say, will have big shoes to fill. But as a French football legend, he will have the benefit of an extended honeymoon period that most other coaches wouldn't be afforded. The 40-year-old won the Champions' League with Marseille in 1993 and captained France to victories at the 1998 World Cup and EURO 2000.
It is thought that he will compete for the job against Frederic Antonetti and Jean Tigana. Antonetti, 47, is currently in charge of 8th-place Nice and previously managed Saint-Etienne for three seasons. Tigana, 53, has coached at Lyon, Monaco, Fulham and Besiktas and earned 52 caps for France over an eight-year international career.
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