The Corinthians have lived a week as champions, although it has been too long since they celebrated any title.
Certain victories have that magic, and just winning the Derby doesn’t exactly convey the feeling.
It needed to be a special classic, which meant taking a big step towards avoiding relegation and, moreover, reducing the rival’s chances of becoming three-time Brazilian champions.
It also had to be suffered, until it seemed impossible, as it seemed for 20, 30 minutes, in which Palmeiras crushed Corinthians and left more than 46 thousand fans in Itaquera with the feeling that the alviverde goal was imminent.
Then Palmeiras made a mistake, and Matheuzinho, a rare reader and rare reader, Matheuzinho!, on a great night, gave the pass to Rodrigo Garro to open the scoring.
Well, the rest of the story is more than known and it crowned a round in which everything went so well for those from Parque São Jorge that there are those who dream of at least a place in the Copa Sudamericana.
Prudence recommends keeping an eye on the escape from relegation, but recommend caution to the bunch of crazy people after the 2-0 over the rival.
Moderation is only up to Botafoguenses, because those bitten by snakes are afraid of sausages and calling them neurotic is redundant. Holy redundancy, because there are reasons!
Palmeiras’ defeat was followed by a categorical victory over Vasco, 3-0 away from home, in front of 32 thousand fans at the Nilton Santos stadium.
The Cruzmaltinos didn’t even give a start, and with just over ten minutes Glorioso was leading 2-0, with beautiful goals from Savarino and Luiz Henrique — and another eye-catching display from the team that plays the best football in Brazil .
The six points that separate the leader from the vice-leader guarantee the comfort, with six rounds remaining, that Botafogo can do without two of them — an admirable advantage in the final stretch of the championship.
It was really night to show that 2023 is part of the past and of trauma that has nothing to do with the current team.
From now on, in the national tournament, it will be enough to follow the same path, without having to force your hands, or your feet, on your fingertips.
If winning the Brasileirão is a feat to satisfy the season, in the case of the Rio de Janeiro black and white team it is a lot but it is little, because another higher value is raised, as Luís de Camões would say, that of the unprecedented victory of the Libertadores.
Just one game, against Atlético Mineiro, at the Monumental de Núñez, in Buenos Aires, on November 30th, at five in the afternoon, as Federico García Lorca would say.
It will be more difficult to win the continental trophy, as illogical as it may seem as it is a single game, than to manage the six games that remain in the Brazilian competition: Cuiabá, Vitória and São Paulo at home, Inter, Atlético Mineiro (again) and Palmeiras, away .
And why?
Because, in addition to having the best team and presenting the best football, Botafogo has a squad and regularity, enough ingredients to lift the domestic cup.
The final against Galo is unpredictable, there is no favourite, you win or lose in the details, in the unforeseen, an accident changes everything.
But this is also not the time to think about that.
The time is to enjoy the moment, enjoy the anticipation of the party, often even better than the party.
What if there’s no party?
Screw the party and long live Botafogo, the best team in America.
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