Late Goal Lifts Grêmio Past Fluminense

Herrera scored in the final minute to lift Grêmio past Fluminense, 2-1, and keep them on track for a Libertadores Cup berth. Grêmio (55 pts) remained in fourth place but now has a 5 point lead over fifth place Vasco (50 pts). The top five teams will play in next year's Libertadores Cup. Fluminense (35 pts) remained in 16th place, dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Although Grêmio got the victory, the game was not without its problems. First the Tricolor had to deal with the absence of their headman as Mano Menezes was banned from the sideline by the STJD for 30 days. Watching the game from the stands, he communicated instructions to his assistant, Sidnei Lobo, by cell phone. Secondly, the absences of Hugo (suspended) and Tcheco (kidney problems) in the midfield left Grêmio struggling on offense. Finally, Galatto left in the 75th minute after hitting his head violently on the turf and was taken to a hospital. The injury was reminiscent of the concussion he suffered back in March when he collided with a Veranópolis player.

Fortunately, Fluminense showed why it is fighting to escape relegation. Despite playing at home, Flu managed only one shot at goal in the first half. In the 8th, Thiago Silva received a cross inside the area but shot over the crossbar. Luck also played a part as Grêmio’s first goal came almost by accident. One minute after Lucas blew the best opportunity of the game up to that point, Rafinha took a free kick intending to cross it into the area. Instead, it hit the wall, glanced off the head of Marcão, and made its way into the back of the net in the 31st: Grêmio, 1-0.

Fluminense, who had shown nothing in the first half, came out on fire in the second. Now fielding three strikers, the Cariocas pressured until the got a goal. In the 13th, Pedrinho took a corner kick, Lucas and Jeovânio bumped heads trying to clear it, causing the ball to bounce off Evaldo for an own goal: 1-1. Immediately, Mano pulled Ramón and Alessandro for Herrera and Sandro, respectively. Grêmio dominated until Galatto’s injury in the 30th. The incident had a negative affect on the players as the final 15 minutes belonged to Fluminense. But Lady Luck struck again in the 47th. Just when it seemed like Grêmio was going to be fortunately to escape Rio with a tie, Cássio blasted a goal kick to the other end of the field that took an odd bounce and went over the Flu defenders. Every the opportunist, Herrera was there to head the ball past Fernando Henrique and give Grêmio the improbable win: Grêmio, 2-1.

Fluminense (1)	Grêmio (2)
Evaldo (58' OG)	Rafinha (31') Herrera (92+')
Juliano (12') Romeu (44') Juninho (60')	Bruno Teles (2') Herrera (63')
Venue:  Raulino de Oliveira Stadium, Volta Redonda (RJ)
Fluminense: Fernando Henrique; Thiago Silva, Marcão and Gabriel Santos; Neto, Romeu, Bruno (Juninho, HT), Juliano (Lenny, HT), Pedrinho (Evando, 67') and Marcelo; Tuta. Coach: Paulo César Gusmão	Grêmio: Galatto (Cássio, 75'); Patrício, William, Evaldo and Bruno Teles; Jeovânio, Lucas, Alessandro (Sandro, 64'), Ramón (Herrera, 62') and Rafinha; Rômulo. Coach: Mano Menezes