Grêmio Knocks Off Corinthians in Brazilian League Opener

In a matchup between the reigning Brazilian Série A and B champions, Grêmio defeated Corinthians 2-0 at Olímpico Stadium to return in style to the nation’s football elite. The win was Grêmio’s first Série A victory since a 6-1 triumph over Ponte Preta on November 13th, 2004. After one round, the Tricolor leads the Brazilian Championship by virtue of its goal differential (+2). Corinthians (-2) is last in the standings.

Earlier in the week, Corinthians’ coach Ademar Braga had criticized Mano Menezes for his practice of not revealing his lineup until game time. Perhaps he should have spent more time preparing and less time complaining as he was thoroughly out-coached. Mano Menezes defensive game plan stymied the high octane Corinthians offense. Braga’s team spent the majority of the first half trading passes on its own side of the field, unable to find a way to get the ball to its offense. Grêmio, on the other hand, opted for quick strikes and created four scoring chances. The first, in the 10th minute, came about when Marcelo Costa found Ramón in between two defenders. The midfielder broke into the area but shot right at goalkeeper Johnny Herrera.

In the 31st, Ricardinho had an unbelievable miss when the ball landed at his feet after a Wellington shot deflected off a defender. From inside the small area, he somehow put his shot wide. Corinthians responded a minute later when Carlos Teves found a wide open Coelho down the right side. The striker’s shot gave Marcelo Grohe a scare but went wide of the goal. In the 40th, Grêmio struck again when Pereira got a header on a Wellington corner kick and forced Johnny Herrera to make a miracle save. Four minutes later Wellington, following a Corinthians corner kick, advanced the ball and sent a long pass upfield to Ricardinho. The striker headed the ball inside the area to Alessandro, who finally got the Tricolor on the board just before the half: Grêmio, 1-0.

Despite an ineffective first half, Ademar Braga maintained his formation for the second. It wasn’t until the 17th, when he replaced Roger with Rafael Moura, that he finally adjusted to Mano’s defensive scheme. But Grêmio slammed the door shut on any idea of a comeback just a minute later. After another Wellington corner kick, Pereira’s header was saved at the goal line by Coelho. The ball hung in the air and Evaldo, coming hard from outside the area, blasted a shot into the net: Grêmio, 2-0. Desperate, Corinthians went on an all-out offensive but managed only one serious scoring threat when Nilmar intercepted an attempted back pass by Evaldo, but Marcelo Grohe preserved the shutout.

After one round of play, Grêmio is in first place in the Brazilian Championship. Granted it is only one game into a very long season, but who would have thought only two weeks ago that the Tricolor would dominate the defending champions and lead the standings? Despite having a less talented team, Mano Menezes has out-coached his counterparts and achieved results far above the talent level of his players. While I’m not saying that Grêmio will compete for the Brazilian title, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that the Tricolor can obtain a South American Cup berth. Here’s to hoping for a successful Brazilian Championship campaign.

Grêmio (2)	Corinthians (0)
Alessandro (45') Evaldo (64')
Jeovânio (3') Pereira (54') Ricardinho (71')	Marcelo Mattos (2') Mascherano (56') Marcus Vinícius (64')
Venue: Olímpico Stadium, Porto Alegre (RS)
Grêmio: Marcelo Grohe; Patrício, Evaldo, Pereira and Wellington; Jeovânio, Lucas, Marcelo Costa, Alessandro (Nunes, 73') and Ramón (Paulo Ramos, 80'); Ricardinho (Pedro Júnior, 80'). Coach: Mano Menezes	Corinthians: Herrera; Coelho, Betão, Marcus Vinícius and Gustavo Nery; Marcelo Mattos (Renato, 71'), Mascherano, Ricardinho and Roger (Rafael Moura, 62'); Tevez and Nilmar. Coach: Ademar Braga