Opinion – Juca Kfouri: A miraculous night in Buenos Aires

I write before the games between Palmeiras and Flamengo on Wednesday night (6), but I have no doubt that Palmeiras will continue to qualify for the quarterfinals of Libertadores — as I will be very surprised if Flamengo are not there either. to face Tolima, in Maracanã.

Hence writing convinced that of the eight finalists at least five will be Brazilians, which is a lot.

Especially for those who, like me, bet that at most three would survive, and the usual three: Atlético Mineiro, Flamengo and Palmeiras.

Galo suffered, but only passed Emelec 1-0, and because, this time, at Mineirão, Hulk scored a penalty.

Now he will have to deal with Palmeiras in the quarterfinals and will need to play more than he has been playing to return to the semifinals, like last year, exactly against alviverde who eliminated him undefeated.

Athletico Paranaense did not let it go, drew 1-1 in stoppage time at Defensores del Chaco with Libertad and got a brilliant classification to face either Estudiantes or Fortaleza – and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were favorites against either of them.

My doubts were great if Hurricane would stay alive, as they are greater in relation to Fortaleza this Thursday (7), in La Plata, against Estudiantes.

But the suspicion was enormous about what Corinthians could do, all broken up at Bombonera, as only a miracle would make him return to São Paulo as one of the eight finalists.

Fidelino, for example, that Corinthians native who lives in Itaquera, and has only been to the stadium once so far because he is still happy to have money so he doesn’t go hungry, called to say he was angry with me, because he doesn’t admit lack of faith and that “this is Corinthians!”, he said before laughing and hanging up.

Well, the miracle happened.

By the way, not the miracle, the miracles.

The miracles that prevented Benedetto, who has a bad memory for the Palmeiras, from opening the scoring with a penalty kick in the first half; that made him kick over the top by covering for Cassio towards the end of the second; who insisted on making him miss another penalty after 0-0 in a harrowing 100 minutes of the ball running in normal time, if what happened at Bombonera on Bombonerazo night can be called normal; and that allowed Cássio to catch two penalties and for black Gil to silence the pulsating stadium — and home to a few racists who entered screaming and left silent.

Mute too, I confess, I was, who do not believe, perplexed before the miracles in profusion in the unforgettable noche de mi Buenos Aires dear.

Fidelino is right: that was Corinthians, as so many times in its more than 110 years of history.

And no one can doubt it, not even the most seasoned journalists, no matter how rational they need to be by duty.

That handful of players more black than white, in such hostile terrain, without seven starters, with two angry injuries at the end of the opening 45 minutes and at the beginning of the final 45, which in fact were 50 and 50, maybe I didn’t even know it, but incarnated Neco, Idário, Zé Maria, symbols of the Corinthian race (sorry, review, with the same h), in an epic journey, one of those worth ten cups, in which playing football is the least thing and giving your life on the lawn is never too much.

Go Corinthians!