Palmeiras defender Danilo could face jail time
Brazilian defender, Danilo, publicly admitted he spat and racially offended comrade Manoel (Atletico Paranaense) during the match they disputed the round of 8 of the Copa do Brazil.
Danilo held a press conference after the match in which he said "You do not spit on a man's face, and you do not offend a person the way I did."
However, the public apology was not enough for Manoel. After the match the defender along with a lawyer that represented Atletico Paranaense showed up in police station of Sao Paulo and denounced Danilo of a racial Insult. According to the STJD (Superior court of Athletic Justice) he could face a 22 day suspension, plus a one-three year jail time sentence for "xenophobic charges".
So what did really Danilo say to Manoel that cause such problem? The word "macaco" or Portuguese for monkey. "It is an expression that I use, I did not think about it. I could have used any word. I know it was a strong word, but at no time I did mean to use a racist remark" said Danilo.
Hopefully his actions will receive the proper punishment; this is the second racial remark in South America this week. Racial issues are not something new in Brazil; the black and white communities have always had problems, with whites criticizing the black community.
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Ronaldo gives up on Brazil return
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Veteran Brazil striker Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer at World Cup finals with 15 goals, admitted Friday he was not in the frame for a shock return to the national side.
Ronaldo, now 33 and plying his trade with Corinthians of Sao Paulo, has not played for the national team since the 2006 quarter-final loss to France, which brought him his 97th cap for 62 goals.
And while he would like to don the canary yellow shirt again and would answer the call from coach Dunga, the "Phenomenon" says realistically he won't be on the plane to South Africa.
"Given the few matches I have played this season I don't deserve to be in the Brazilian squad, that's clear. But I am still at the call of the coach - after all, it's my country," said Ronaldo, who said in February he would retire at the end of next year.
Copyright (c) 2010 AFP
Corinthians edge Sao Paulo 4-3 on a late own-goalDefending champion Corinthians got the benefit of Sao Paulo's injury-time own goal for a thrilling 4-3 win Sunday, keeping alive its chances of advancing to the semifinals of the state championship.
In the Rio de Janeiro tournament, strikers Adriano and Vagner Love scored in Flamengo's 2-1 win over America, while Vasco beat Fluminense 3-0.
Corinthians led 2-0 and 3-1 before allowing Sao Paulo to come back at Pacaembu stadium, but clinched the victory with an own goal by Sao Paulo defender Alex Silva two minutes into stoppage time.
The goal came after former Boca Juniors midfielder Yarley dribbled past two defenders on the left edge of the box and sent a powerful cross toward Silva, who headed the ball into his own net while trying to clear it.
Midfielder Elias opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 18th minute with a shot from the top of the area after a set up from striker Ronaldo, and playmaker Danilo added to the lead in the 34th with a well-placed right-footer from inside the box.
Defender Jean put Sao Paulo on the board in the 43rd with a shot from near the penalty spot before veteran left back Roberto Carlos made it 3-1 in the 53rd with a booming, low free kick that fooled Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni.
Midfielder Rodrigo Souto pulled Sao Paulo closer in the 75th with a goal from close range after Corinthians goalkeeper Rafael Santos failed to hold on to a free kick. And Souto netted again with a header in the 83rd after another mistake by Santos, who misplayed a cross from former AS Roma right back Cicinho.
Both teams played a man down from the 38th after Corinthians striker Dentinho and Sao Paulo forward Washington got into a scuffle following a heated ball dispute and were sent off.
The win moved Corinthians to fifth place in the 20-team competition with 29 points from 17 matches, while Sao Paulo dropped to fourth with 30 points. Gremio Prudente beat Portuguesa 2-1 in Sao Paulo to jump to third with 31 points. The top four will advance to the semifinal stage, which begins next month.
Leader Santos, which already has secured a semifinal spot with 41 points, routed Monte Azul 5-0 at Vila Belmiro stadium with midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso scoring twice.
Santos, which has scored 70 goals in 21 matches this season, played without striker Robinho because of a thigh injury.
Santo Andre, which also has clinched a semifinal berth, remains second with 36 points despite a 3-2 loss at Mogi Mirim.
On Saturday, 2008 champion Palmeiras _ 10th in the standings _ drew Mirassol 1-1 at home to virtually end its hopes of reaching the semifinals. The result extended Palmeiras' winless streak in the tournament to three matches.
Palmeiras president Luiz Gonzaga Belluzzo, a renowned economist who worked for the Brazilian government in the late 1980s, said Saturday that he has been receiving death threats in the mail, with envelopes containing bullets.
In Rio de Janeiro, Vasco scored three second-half goals to beat rival Fluminense 3-0 and improve its chances of reaching the semifinals of the Rio Cup, the second stage of the Rio state title.
Defender Thiago Martinelli opened the scoring for Vasco at Maracana stadium in the 59th, substitute striker Dodo doubled the lead in the 84th and right back Fagner finished off in the 90th.
Fluminense played a man down from the 79th after midfielder Leandro Euzebio received his second yellow card for a hard foul on Dodo.
Vasco moved to second place in Group B with 12 points from seven matches, one point behind Botafogo.
Fluminense, which played without injured striker Fred, is second in Group A with 16 points, three behind Flamengo, which beat America 2-1 at Engenhao stadium.
Vagner Love scored a 65th-minute winner for Flamengo after midfielder Jones had put America ahead in the fifth and Adriano equalized with a penalty kick in the 24th.
America, which has Romario overseeing the team's football operations, played a man down from the 62nd after midfielder Jones was red carded for a hard foul. America also had defender Gerson sent off in the 84th.
The top two teams from each group will reach the Rio Cup semifinals after next Sunday's final round.
Botafogo, the defending Guanabara Cup champion, will play at Boavista on Monday. The Guanabara Cup champion faces the Rio Cup winner for the overall state title.
(c)2010 Taiwan News
Robinho-less Santos trounce Ituano
Neymar, who was suspended for the domestic match had played for a Santos reserve team in their friendly against Major League Soccer's NY Red Bulls in New Jersey on Saturday, while Robinho watched from the stands with a minor thigh problem.
Ituano, whose president and captain is former Middlesbrough, Atletico Madrid and Brazil midfielder Juninho, stung Santos by taking the lead through Joao Leonardo after two minutes.
Santos equalised through Andre 12 minutes later and after Ituano's Carlos Eduardo was sent off for a second yellow card offence, a tackle from behind on Paulo Henrique, in the 26th minute the floodgates opened.
In the final minutes, Ituano also had Luiz Eduardo and goalkeeper Saulo sent off. Saulo was shown a straight red card from bringing down Maikon Leite with Andre converting the penalty to complete the rout and notch a hat-trick.
"Even with two leading absentees, the team were extremely efficient, coming from behind in the score and playing a strong game," coach Dorival Junior said.
Santos lead the Paulista (Sao Paulo) state championship with 35 points from 15 matches.
In the Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) championship, Adriano salvaged a 2-2 draw for Brazilian champions Flamengo in the derby against Botafogo with both his team's goals, the second an injury-time header for the equaliser.
Brazil striker Adriano refused to talk to reporters after the match in protest at media reports of problems in his private life after he was dropped by Flamengo for missing a practice earlier this month.
Botafogo, who secured a place in the Carioca final by winning the first phase of the championship, scored both their goals through Argentine forward German Herrera, his first a penalty.
In the southern Gaucho championship, Gremio ran up an 11th consecutive victory beating Ypiranga 3-1 with two goals from striker Jonas.
Gremio's arch-rivals Internacional were held 2-2 by Pelotas to go four games without winning, including two Libertadores Cup matches.
Copyright (c) 2010 Yahoo! and Eurosport
Fred helps Fluminense rally past Botafogo
SAO PAULO -- Striker Fred scored in the second-half to help Fluminense rally to a 2-1 win over Botafogo on Sunday in the Rio Cup, the second stage of the Rio de Janeiro state tournament.
In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Santos' 10-match winning streak ended with a 1-1 draw with Portuguesa, while Sao Paulo beat Ponte Preta 2-0 and Corinthians edged Sao Caetano 1-0.
Argentine striker German Herrera gave Botafogo the lead at Maracana stadium with a penalty in the 36th minute before Fred equalized with a wonderful volley shot from inside the area in the 60th.
Right back Mariano gave Fluminense the victory with a close-range shot after a cross by midfielder Wellington Silva in the 84th.
Fluminense had Argentine midfielder Dario Conca sent off for a hard tackle in the 68th minute, and Herrera was sent off in the 78th after receiving his second yellow card.
Fluminense now shares the Group A lead with Flamengo on nine points after three matches. Botafogo dropped to second place in Group B, behind Vasco. The top two teams in each group will reach the semifinals.
Vasco beat Boavista 1-0 with a penalty goal by former Werder Bremen midfielder Carlos Alberto in the 71st at Sao Januario stadium.
Botafogo won the Guanabara Cup, the first stage of the Rio tournament, and can automatically win the state title if it also wins the Rio Cup. If it doesn't, the club will face the Rio Cup winner for the state title.
On Saturday, defending Rio champion Flamengo picked up its third win in a row with a 4-0 thrashing of Resende in Volta Redonda. Vagner Love scored his tournament-leading 10th goal in the second half.
Flamengo played without Adriano, who is temporarily out of the team because of personal problems. The Brazil striker did not show up for practice on Friday, and local media widely reported that he got into an altercation with his girlfriend at a party in a shantytown.
Flamengo director Marcos Braz told a local radio station Sunday that the striker has a drinking problem.
In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Santos drew 1-1 with Portuguesa to end its 10-match winning streak. Brazil striker Robinho played from the start at Caninde stadium in Sao Paulo, but was held scoreless.
Santos remains ahead in the 20-team tournament despite the draw. The two-time national champion has 32 points from 13 matches, two points ahead of Santo Andre, which defeated fifth-place Botafogo 4-1 in Santo Andre.
The top four teams will advance to the semifinal stage, which begins in April.
Sao Paulo moved to third place with a 2-0 win over Ponte Preta in Campinas with goals by striker Washington. Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni saved a penalty in the first half when the score was 1-0.
The match marked the return of Sao Paulo coach Ricardo Gomes, who missed three matches because of a minor stroke.
Defending champion Corinthians jumped to fourth in the standings by beating Sao Caetano 1-0 with an 86th-minute header by substitute striker Dentinho. It was the team's first win in three matches in the state tournament.
Corinthians was without striker Ronaldo, who was rested for the team's Copa Libertadores match against Independiente Medellin in Colombia on Wednesday.
The match between 11th-place Palmeiras and last place Sertaozinho was moved from Saturday to Monday because heavy rains in Sao Paulo damaged the pitch at Palestra Italia stadium.
In Americana, Bolivia striker Pablo Escobar scored a goal to help visiting Mirassol draw Rio Branco 2-2.
Copyright (c) 2010 Time Inc
Robinho scores in Santos' 3-2 win over Paulista in Sao Paulo state championshipSAO PAULO, Brazil -- Robinho scored his fourth goal since returning to Brazilian football on Thursday, helping Santos defeat Paulista 3-2 to win its 10th in a row and maintain a comfortable lead in the Sao Paulo state championship.
Robinho, on a six-month loan from Manchester City, came off the bench to score Santos' winner in the 70th minute, clearing two defenders inside the area before firing into the top of the net.
It was Robinho's fourth goal in six matches since his return to Santos in late January. He nearly scored another goal in the 77th, but his close-range shot struck the crossbar.
Robinho started on the bench because he had just returned from Brazil's 2-0 win over Ireland in a friendly in London on Tuesday, when he scored a goal and helped set up the other.
"This is what happens when you are playing with happiness," Robinho said. "Even though I'm tired I was able to play well."
Paulista opened the scoring just two minutes into the match through Barbosa, but Santos replied via Wesley in the 26th and went ahead through Paulo Henrique in the 53rd. Julinho equalized for Paulista in the 56th.
Thursday's victory gives Santos 31 points from 12 matches, four points ahead of second-place Santo Andre and nine points clear of third-placed Botafogo. The top four clubs will reach the semifinal stage, which will begin in April.
Fourth-placed Sao Paulo was held by Oeste to a 0-0 draw in Araraquara on Wednesday in a match marked by three ejections. Oeste played a man down from the 31st after a reckless tackle by striker Fernandinho, while Sao Paulo had former Atletico Madrid midfielder Cleber Santana red carded for a hard foul in the 70th and had defender Wellington sent off just a few minutes before the final whistle for a hand ball.
Sao Paulo coach Ricardo Gomes has fully recovered from a minor stroke suffered two weeks ago and is expected to command the team on Sunday against Ponte Preta in Campinas.
Corinthians, sixth in the standings, was held to a 1-1 draw against Botafogo at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo despite the presence of striker Ronaldo from the start. The result extended Corinthians' winless streak in the Sao Paulo tournament to three matches.
Palmeiras fell 3-1 at home to Santo Andre on Wednesday, losing its second in a row and dropping to 10th in the standings. Players carried a Chilean flag onto the field in honour of the earthquake victims in that country. Palmeiras right back Luis Pedro Figueroa has relatives in the city of Concepcion, which was hard-hit by the quake.
In the Rio Cup, the second stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship, Botafogo beat Duque de Caxias 2-1 at Engenhao stadium with two goals by striker German Herrera.
Forward Marcelo gave Duque de Caxias the lead in the 10th, but Herrera converted penalties in the 38th and 53rd minutes. The Argentine also missed a penalty in the 49th.
Botafogo, which won the Guanabara Cup, the tournament's first stage, will play for the state title against the Rio Cup winner. Led by former South Africa coach Joel Santana, Botafogo can automatically clinch the regional title if it also wins the Rio Cup.
Fluminense defeated Resende 3-0 at Engenhao stadium, with goals from striker Fred, midfielder Everton and Argentine playmaker Dario Conca.
On Wednesday, defending state champion Flamengo got past Madureira 2-0 at Maracana with goals by midfielder Fernando and former CSKA Moscow striker Vagner Love, the competition's leading scorer with nine goals.
Flamengo played without midfielder Kleberson and forward Adriano, who also were in London for Brazil's friendly against Ireland.
Also Wednesday, Vasco de Gama edged Bangu 2-0.
Copyright (c) 2010 The Canadian Press
No Palmeiras move for Egypt goalkeeper El Hadary
Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary will not be joining Brazilian giants Palmeiras after he reported on his website that the protracted transfer has broken down. And confusion remains about the authenticity of the offers as the stopper's current club Ismaily have claimed the supposed bids were fraudulent.
El Hadary, who played for Egypt throughout the Pharaohs' successful 2010 African Nations Cup campaign, claimed that Palmeiras had failed to agree to the transfer fee demanded by current club Ismaily.
But details about the transfer have brought confusion as the Egyptian club have claimed that the faxed bids they received for the player were false and that the entire saga was a fraud.
El Hadary published a letter on his website, apparently sent by Palmeiras to Ismaily chairman Nasr Aboul Hassan, informing him they were no longer interested in signing the goalkeeper.
"We are professional people who work with all countries in the world and we don't feel that your club is serious," the letter said. "Your club refused our offer and asked for 50% more plus 30% of the next contract (if Palmeiras sell him to another club).
"Your club also broke their word and we cannot accept to be treated like that, so we are sorry to tell you that we have cancelled the deal."
Palmeiras were believed to have initially offered around GBP325,000 for El Hadary but Ismaily rebuffed both that approach, and a secondary offer of GBP650,000, as the Egyptian outfur were believed to be holding out for GBP1 million.
But Ismaily's football director Ihab Galal has cast doubt over the whole transfer, claiming that the faxes that the coastal club supposedly received from Palmeiras were all false. He claims that they were faxed by an anonymous sender with the obvious intention of deceiving Ismaily.
"We verified that all these faxes weren't sent by Palmeiras," he told Nile Sports. "Mohmad Youssef, who was representing Palmeiras in the negotiations, is not really an agent. The whole thing is clearly a fraud.
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