Opinion – Juca Kfouri: A Majestic Innocuous

To São Paulo, the tie in the classic served only to keep the writing of not losing to the rival in Morumbi. The discomfort of proximity to the relegation zone remains, just five points above it.

To Corinthians meant leaving the G4 for the first time in 26 rounds of the Brazilian Championship.

It’s true that it brought a certain boost to the presence of Renato Augusto and Fagner in the second half, especially the first, right names for the return game of the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil against Fluminense, in Itaquera, on Thursday (15).

The Majestoso had a reasonable progress, with the alvinegro better in the first 15 minutes, until opening the score, and with the superior tricolor to tie in the first half.

The final half had the presence of Renato Augusto to bring undisputed superiority to Corinthians, much closer to making it 2-1 than the hosts.

The classic, after all, did not rain or get wet in the cold São Paulo afternoon of 14°C and, with 46 thousand fans, it was far from the epic atmosphere that surrounded the tricolor classification to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana.

The drought is such in São Paulo that there was almost an Olympic comeback after the elimination of the weak Atlético Goianiense, as if it were a feat.

Let’s agree how glorious it will be if São Paulo eliminate Flamengo this Wednesday (14), at Maracanã, and overcome the disadvantage of two goals.

But the fans are not interested in the size of the conquests, so much desire to see the team champion again, whatever the tournament.

The Corinthians player, on the other hand, knows that reaching the final of the Copa do Brasil seems to be the best, even more because in two games.

Anxiety defeated

It was essential for the leader Palmeiras to score the three points played at home with the lantern Juventude.

In a way, facing the last place seemed ideal if the challenge was seen only through the eyes of rationality.

Anyone who enjoys football knows that rationality bypasses events on the lawn, whether natural or artificial.

Often the weak opponent, the one who must be defeated, becomes the most difficult.

Imagine, if the victory didn’t happen, the size of the fear aroused in the Palmeiras fans and the tone of the criticism.

That’s why the 2-1 victory was fundamental to show that the trauma of the Libertadores elimination is over, that maybe it wasn’t exactly a trauma, but something to be seen as normal, of life and its roughness.

The anxiety was so marked that the first half should have ended with, at least, 2-0, and ended without goals.

The relief before the first minute of the second half, always with Rony, worthy of a statue in Parque Antárctica, didn’t last long with the surprising and accidental gaucho draw.

Which, thanks to alviverde, lasted even less, thanks to the winning goal four minutes later.

Palmeiras marches imposingly for the Brazilian title, for many more important than the continental.

For those who sign these lines, inclusive.

Convocation

The best news from Tite was not even calling Pedro, a stone sung in such a phase of the Flamengo striker.

The reason for celebration is the absence of Daniel Alves, an absence that fills a gap.

Gabriel Jesus’, also a great moment at Arsenal, seems more like a guarantee that he will be in Qatar than a doubt about the coach.