Game of the Week: Santos 2×0 Vasco

Upon choosing which game to feature in this Game of the Week section, I am more often than not left with a tricky decision. Each week I intend to cover the most ‘significant’ match, but with so many exciting games going on, naturally some decent candidates get ignored. What I prefer to do with these weekly articles is to cover a particular team(s)’s system, and to do so in a match which showcases the qualities and/or flaws of said system. The best examples of that are from October 15th when I covered Atlético Goianiense in their demolition of São Paulo, and just last week when I took a close look at Grêmio in their 4×2 victory over Flamengo. Following on in that style this week, I decided to study Santos’ home win against Vasco, and to delve in to the inner tactical workings of the 2011 Copa Libertadores champions.

Game of the Week: Internacional 1×1 Corinthians

Internacional and Corinthians have both yet to feature on Game of the Week, but these are two huge teams with equally huge followings, and matches between them have always delivered grand spectacles. Internacional – from the southern city of Porto Alegre – and Corinthians – one of the city of São Paulo’s three giants – have met in a few momentous games in Brazilian football history, most famously the Campeonato Brasileiro final of 1976, when the great Paulo Roberto Falcão’s Inter disposed of Corinthians and clinched their second national championship.

Game of the Week: Atlético Goianiense 3×0 São Paulo

So far in this Game of the Week feature, I have only really focussed on big clubs. This week, for a change, I decided to look away from the giants of Rio and São Paulo, and towards one of the league’s most intriguing underdogs.

Atlético Goianiense’s presence in Brazil’s top flight is rather bewildering when you consider that they were disputing the Série C in 2008 – Brazil’s third tier. However it is all the more mind-blowing when you consider that only six years ago in 2005, Atlético weren’t even playing in a national league, instead they were contesting the second division in Goiânia’s state championships.

Inactivity? Never!

You may have been wondering why the site hasn’t been updated over the past few days, and do not worry, I haven’t given up on it!

On Friday I was composing my fortnightly column for the Mirror Football website (which you should totally check out by the way…), and over the weekend I was helping a friend by writing some betting previews for this weekend’s Brasileirão matches.

So, Game of the Week should be back tomorrow, and on Friday/over the weekend there should be something else going up, whether that be another Twenty to Watch player profile or something different entirely.

Which reminds me, if anyone is still interested in getting involved and submitting one of these profiles, you are most welcome to do so and you should check out this post here.

Abraços!

Game of the Week: Flamengo 3×2 Fluminense

Game of the Week returns today with ANOTHER five-goal thriller in the Campeonato Brasileiro 2011. We were really spoiled for choice this week in South America, in Brazil alone we had a bizarre 3×3 between Cruzeiro and Santos, Botafogo and Bahia drew 2×2, and leaders Vasco were humbled 3×0 away to Internacional. In Argentina, the clásico de Avellaneda finished 1×1 between Racing and Independiente, and we had some fascinating World Cup qualifiers to keep us busy on Friday. This week however, our attention turns to another riveting edition of the Flamengo x Fluminense derby in Rio de Janeiro.

Game of the Week: Fluminense 3×2 Santos

The Campeonato Brasileiro is renowned for being one of the most competitive leagues in world football. With Brazil’s recent economic boom allowing their top sides to pay astronomical wages for players, the league’s quality has never been better. When you combine this quality with the naturally competitive style of the league, you get one of the most exciting editions of the Brasileirão in a long time.

The league table has seen countless permutations since the start of the season, and even now in October with ten rounds left to play, we still have no idea who will end the season as champions. With an abundance of attacking talent up and down the league, we have seen some really thrilling matches, and it has got to the stage that this week’s five-goal thriller between Fluminense and Santos is almost a regular occurence.

Game of the Week: Botafogo 2×2 São Paulo

Good afternoon and welcome to the all-new Game of the Week feature on I Like Football Me. The premise is simple, I take a close look at a top-level match from the week passed and provide some of my own analysis. This time it is a game from the Campeonato Brasileiro but who knows, in future I may take a look at one in the Argentine Primera, or a midweek Copa Libertadores clash, or even a good old international match. Now, this may become a regular once a week feature, it may not, it depends on how it is received. So if you like it/don’t like it or if you have any suggestions, leave a comment at the bottom.

“Football is a game of two halves”

                                        Countless football-enthusiastic pedants since 1980

It is one of the most excruciatingly overused football clichés available, but its relevance has never ringed truer than it did on Sunday afternoon at the Engenhão. A 2×2 draw between two exciting and energetic sides like Botafogo and São Paulo sounds like a real classic spectacle, end-to-end, and with the momentum to-ing and fro-ing constantly throughout the ninety minutes. In fact, what we got was two distinct forty-five-minute periods of startlingly one-sided football.