Grêmio Routed Again on the Road

Grêmio was unable to shake the stigma of being a poor road team after yet another blowout loss away from the confines of Olímpico. Fielding just three starters, Mano Menezes’ team was routed 3-0 by Botafogo at Maracanã in the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship. The loss snapped the Tricolor’s four-game winning streak and dropped them to the middle of the standings. Grêmio (6 pts) is now in 9th place, while Botafogo (10 pts) is now the new league leader.

As expected, Mano Menezes saved his starters for Wednesday’s Libertadores Cup semifinal against Santos. Only Saja, Diego Souza and Tuta saw action against Botafogo, with the latter leaving the game in the 16th after suffering an injury. He is doubtful for Wednesday’s game.

Looking to compete for the Brazilian title, Botafogo did not blow the opportunity to capture three points against a team with its mind on other things. In the first 15 minutes alone, Saja was forced to make two difficult saves. In the 19th, he was unable to avoid the inevitable, with Juninho hitting the left corner with perfection: Botafogo, 1-0. Despite being dominated, the Tricolor had a chance to tie the game in the 35th when Douglas was taken down by Júlio César. The latter, however, easily defended Amoroso’s poorly taken penalty kick.

Grêmio played better in the second half and created several scoring opportunities. In the 10th, Douglas found himself with the ball inside the area following some miscommunication between the Botafogo defenders but shot right into the hands of the keeper. In the 27th, Diego Souza took the ball from the Grêmio side of the field and was only stopped after being taken down just outside the area. He took the ensuing free kick and hit the crossbar.

A minute later, however, everything fell apart. Schiavi committed a hard tackle just outside the area and was sent off. Luciano Almeida’s free kick was redirected by the wall and into the goal: Botafogo, 2-0. Dodô put the icing on the cake in the 42nd after breaking free into the area and beating Saja to the corner. Final score: Botafogo, 3-0.

Grêmio will now turn all of its attentions to Wednesday’s critical match against Santos. Riding high after its 2-0 win in the first leg, the Tricolor must now be a little worried after its poor showing against Botafogo. A repeat performance against Santos would see the Tricolor eliminated from the Libertadores Cup. In order to reach the finals, Grêmio must play well on the road, something it has not done in a long time. Since its last road victory in March, the Tricolor has accumulated seven losses and one tie. But even a loss could be a good result against Santos provided it isn’t by more than two goals and Grêmio is able to score. But there’s the key. Its 3-3 tie with Juventude aside, Grêmio has been shut out in its last six road games. Grêmio must find a way to get the ball into the net if it hopes to leave Vila Belmiro with the finals berth in hand.

Botafogo (3)	Grêmio (0)
Juninho (19') Luciano Almeida (80') Dodô (87')
Juninho (46') Asprilla (70')	Schiavi (73') Diego Souza (78')
Venue:  Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Botafogo: Julio César (Max, 44'), Joílson, Renato Silva (Asprilla, 57'), Juninho and Luciano Almeida; Leandro Guerreiro, Túlio, Lúcio Flávio (Diguinho, 66') and Adriano Felício; Jorge Henrique and Dodô. Coach: Cuca	Grêmio: Saja; Nunes, Schiavi, Pereira and Bruno Teles; Edmílson, Lucas (William Magrão, 63'), Diego Souza and Ramón (Éverton, 71'); Amoroso and Tuta (Douglas, 18'). Coach: Mano Menezes