Result classifies the Rio team for the Libertadores and leaves São Paulo depending on the champion of the Copa do Brasil
The reunion with coach Luis Zubeldía, fired for the hiring of and now coach of , was traumatic for . The Laranjeiras team beat the São Paulo team 6-0 at Maracanã, this Thursday, in a match from the 36th round of the tournament, now with two rounds to go.
The result leaves Fluminense in fifth place, with 58 points, and guaranteed at least in the pre-Libertadores next year. São Paulo is in eighth, with 48, and if they finish in this position, they need to hope that this Thursday’s tormentor or Cruzeiro are champions.
As usual in this final stretch of the championship, São Paulo went to the field dismantled by absences. The number of athletes handed over to the medical department reached 14, following new injuries suffered by Luciano and Ferreirinha, both starters. Furthermore, Crespo was without goalkeeper Rafael and defender Sabino, who were suspended.
Against what remained of the São Paulo squad, Fluminense had a great time, especially on the right side of the attack, where they exchanged passes with ease to invade the area. It was a cross from right-back Samuel Xavier that led to a penalty for a handball from Alan Franco. Cannobio converted and opened the scoring.
Before the 25th minute, Zubeldía’s team was already leading 3-0. Individual errors by São Paulo also contributed considerably to the score, such as Pablo Maia’s wrong pass which ended in a counterattack and a goal by Martinelli. Then, it was Ferraresi’s turn to miss a pass in the move that culminated in Rio’s third goal, scored by Nonato.
Fluminense goal! Pablo Maia misses an easy pass in the middle, the ball goes to Everaldo, who opens it for Canobbio to launch the counterattack. The Uruguayan makes a strong pass to Samuel Xavier who, with a cart, crosses. Everaldo heads, the ball explodes in Ferraresi and it’s left for Martinelli to shoot into the empty goal.
São Paulo failed to regain confidence in the second half and remained completely submissive to the home team, who only controlled the game. From the second half of the final stage, the Rio tricolors started to accelerate the pace, especially because Zubeldía made substitutions and players like John Kennedy, who scored the fourth goal with a crossed shot, came on with more intensity.
The fifth came from the feet of Cannobio, who received it behind the shattered São Paulo defense and crossed the ball to score the fifth. Serna closed the score.
FLUMINENSE 6-0 SÃO PAULO
FLUMINENSE: Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Thiago Silva (Ignacio), Freytes and Renê; Martinelli, Hércules (Nonato) and Lucho Acosta (Ganso); Serna, Everaldo (John Kennedy) and Cannobio (Soteldo). Coach: Luis Zubeldía.
SÃO PAULO: Young; Ferraresi, Alan Franco and Luiz Gustavo; Maik (Nicolas), Pablo Maia (Alisson), Bobadilla (Negrucci), Marcos Antônia and Lucca (Paulinho); Rigoni and Tapia (Rafael Tolói). Coach: Hernán Crespo.
GOALS: Cannobio, at seven, Martinelli, at 15, and Nonato, at 23 minutes of the first half. John Kennedy, at 24, Cannobio, at 31, and Serna, at 41 minutes of the second half.
REFEREE: Lucas Paulo Torezin (PR).
YELLOW CARDS: Cannobio.
LOCATION: Maracanã, in Rio.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
