Grêmio Routes Santa Cruz, 4-2

Grêmio extended its winning streak to three after routing Santa Cruz 4-2 at Arruda Stadium, in Recife. The result leaves Grêmio (26 pts) in 8th place and just two points out of the Libertadores Cup qualifying zone. Santa Cruz, meanwhile, dropped into last place with just 16 points won.

Grêmio’s first trip back to Recife since its epic 1-0 win over Náutico in the final game of last year’s Série B was one of the Tricolor’s better offensive performances this season. The Tricolor was clearly superior to the 2005 Série B runner-up, dominating the game from the start. Nevertheless, it was the Coral Snakes that got on the board first. On a corner kick in the 27th minute, Marcelo Grohe came out too far from the goal and Wilson Surubim out-leaped the defense to net the first goal of the game: Santa Cruz, 1-0. Despite the score, Grêmio continued to control the game, but the lack of finishing that has plagued the Tricolor all season prevented them from tying the game before halftime.

For the second half, Mano Menezes went with a more offensive formation, pulling Rafinha and opting for a second forward in Herrera. The tying score was not long in coming. In the 6th, Rômulo beat the defense to a corner kick and sent a header past Guto and into the net: 1-1. Six minutes later, Lucas was taken down by Nenê inside the area. Tcheco converted the penalty kick to give the Tricolor the lead: Grêmio, 2-1.

After taking the lead, Grêmio relaxed a little and allowed Santa Cruz to regroup and get back into a rhythm. In the 34th, Evaldo’s poor clearance gave Santa Cruz possession in Grêmio territory. Júnior Maranhão received a pass just outside the area and blasted the ball into the back of the net, tying the game once again: 2-2. But Grêmio was not to be denied. Determined to get the full three points, the Tricolor continued to pressure the Santa Cruz defense. In the 42nd, Grêmio retook the lead for good after Tcheco’s free kick glanced off the wall and Herrera redirected the ball into the goal: Grêmio, 3-2. Desperate, Santa Cruz went on an all-out offensive in hopes of salvaging a tie. This left their defense vulnerable and resulted in another Grêmio score. In the 49th, Léo Lima and Herrera broke away on a counter-attack and found themselves on a two-on-one situation against Guto. Léo Lima goaded the goalkeeper out of his net and put an exclamation point to an impressive win. Final score: Grêmio, 4-2.

Santa Cruz (2)	Grêmio (4)
Wilson Surubim (26') Júnior Maranhão (79')	Rômulo (51') Tcheco (57' PK) Herrera (87') Léo Lima (94+')
Nenê (56') Mirandinha (80') Augusto Recife (86') Zada (89')	Jeovânio (11') Evaldo (38')
Venue:  Arruda Stadium, Recife (PE)
Santa Cruz: Guto; Valença, Wilson Surubim (Mirandinha, 63') and Márcio Alemão; Osmar, Augusto Recife, Júnior Maranhão, Washington (Zada, 75') and Cássio; Edson Di (Nenê, 55') and Márcio Mexerica. Coach: Maurício Simões	Grêmio: Marcelo Grohe; Patrício, William, Evaldo and Wellington; Jeovânio, Lucas, Tcheco, Hugo (Leo Lima, 64') and Rafinha (Herrera, HT); Rômulo (Ramón, 81'). Coach: Mano Menezes