Everything was heading towards another Brazilian final in the Libertadores, at least in the minds of many of us, arrogant Brazilians who imagine ourselves to be the kings of the black cocada – also supported by the recent past, at least in America, when the Brazilian team tried to reestablish lost respect.
Flamengo and Palmeiras were the favorites to make the seventh continental final ours, very ours.
The first was between São Paulo and Athletico Paranaense, in 2005, exactly 20 years ago.
In 2006, Inter and São Paulo decided.
For the 2020 cup, Palmeiras and Santos, a decision in addition to Brazilian, São Paulo, to start a three-year series, with Palmeiras and Flamengo and Flamengo and Athletico Paranaense.
Finally, last year, Botafogo and Atlético Mineiro.
Let’s go back.
Flamengo and Palmeiras were the favorites to decide this year and they are no longer.
This does not necessarily mean that we will not have a Brazilian champion, as has happened since 2019, but only due to the miracle of heroic overcoming will he have the colors green and white.
Because Palmeiras experienced a disastrous night in the altitude of Quito, Ecuador, against LDU.
Reversing the 3-0 is not impossible because nothing is impossible in football, and 90 minutes, as Abel Ferreira states and reaffirms, is enough time for the team to turn things around.
Councilor Acácio would say that, if LDU made it 3-0 in 47 minutes, in fact in 31, Palmeiras can do it too. And it could even make it 6-0, or 7-1 (forget it…).
But it’s the same as always, it’s one thing to score naturally. Another is needing to score three goals, and Stephen Curry doesn’t play for Palmeiras, nor football, where there is no goal worth three.
Hence the snooker in which the Alviverde found themselves looking more like Corinthians in Libertadores on the terrible night at the Casa Blanca stadium.
In the green house it will be necessary to have a perfect journey, cold but very hot, against an opponent who looks at Brazilian rivals as if they were Ecuadorians — and beats them.
And there’s Flamengo.
To say that he is favorite in El Cilindro against the thirsty Racing would be yet another demonstration of arrogance that is left to the arrogant.
On the other hand, granting favoritism to the Argentines would be muttism, because the red and black is winning 1-0 and is better than the opponent.
It was also against Estudiantes and suffered barbarities, on the ball, to leave La Plata as a semi-finalist.
That he has learned his lesson and is prepared to, without Pedro, know how to exploit Argentina’s need to discount the disadvantage of a team that will also be missing the lion Santiago Sosa.
Pedro fractured his arm, and Sosa, his jaw.
More than 50 thousand crazed hinchas will fill the stadium and exert more pressure than the more than 70 thousand at Maracanã for the simple fact that the architecture in Avellaneda is more intimidating than that of the new Maracanã.
Pacheco, who writes the column, is skeptically rooting for the national final and will be frustrated if it is between Argentines and Ecuadorians.
If it’s between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, you’ll root for what the state you were born in prefers…
Long live NBA
The NBA is back at a crazy pace: on the first night, with two games, one went into double overtime.
In the third, with two more games, both went, one also with two more extensions.
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