Cruzeiro too much for Botafogo

By: AJ | July 30th, 2007

10-men Cruzeiro proved to much for Botafogo, as the fox but out the fire. It wasn’t the greatest of games for Cruzeiro (up 3-0, then conceding two goals in the last 10 minutes), but in the end all that matters is getting the three points. Cruzeiro now take charge of 5th spot in the league after beating leaders Botafogo 3-2 on Sunday in Belo Horizonte. Cruzeiro didn’t seem to be at their best in this game, but the game was entertaining. Much credit to Fábio, our goalkeeper, who had a tremendous game. Beating the leaders should give Cruzeiro some confidence for their mid-week duel with Flamengo, a game that Cruzeiro will look to seek all three points in. Like I said before Cruzeiro is like a yo-yo: win one-lose two-draw one-lose one-win two… Hopefully though we can get a good performance against troubled Flamengo, get all three points, score some goals and increase our goal differential.

This game though served to prove a good point: Guilherme is a forward, not a midfielder. You see, DJ tries to play the Fab Four together at every chance he gets. But here’s the thing: 3/4 of the members of the Fab Four are forwards (Araújo, Roni, and Guilherme) so in order to compromise he makes Guilherme a midfielder. Since Araújo was out for this game, DJ put Guilherme up front where he belongs. Now when Araújo comes back he is going to want his striker role back from Guilherme, but Guilherme, only 18 years old, is one of the best strikers in the league and in the current moment better that 29-year-old Araújo. So with that said, I think the Fab Four should exclude Araújo and in his place put in Marcinho, a midfielder. The combination of Marcinho and Wagner (both midfielders) and Guilherme and Roni (both forwards) would work much better. BTW, Daniel, the guy that got a red card and made Cruzeiro play 50 minutes of this match with only 10 players, why was he playing to began with? Paulinho Dias, another one of Cruzeiro up-and-coming talents, should have taken his place. Paulinho Dias isn’t getting the credit he deserves, but he is a product of the Cruzeiro youth system and a great player. I don’t know why DJ doesn’t play him.

The Goals

The Game
Cruzeiro 3 x 2 Botafogo, Sunday, July 29, 2007, 6:10 ET - Mineirão, 15th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro 2007 – Attendance: 13,302 paid, 15,344 present – Profit: R$183,350.00 - Referee: Leonardo Gaciba da Silva (RS-Fifa) – Assistant Referees: Altemir Hausmann and Paulo Ricardo Silva (RS) - Yellow Card(s): Daniel, Charles, Guilherme (Cru) and Zé Roberto (Bot) – Red Card(s): Daniel (Cru) – Goals: Guilherme, 46, Wagner, 76, Guilherme, 80, André Lima, 86 and Renato Silva, 90 (+2) - Cruzeiro: Fábio; Jonathan, Emerson, Tiago Martinelli, Fernandinho; Charles, Ramires (Daniel); Marcinho (Maicosuel), Wagner; Roni (Nenê) and Guilherme. Manager: Dorival Júnior / Botafogo: Júlio César; Juninho, Alex (Zé Roberto), Renato Silva; Alessandro, Túlio, Lúcio Flavio, Joílson, Diguinho (Ricardinho); Jorge Henrique, André Lima. Manager: Cuca