• Gabigol bags hatrick as five-star Flamengo thrash Bahia
  

  Flamengo raced to a thumping 5-0 victory over Bahia at Pituaçu on Sunday. Gabigol was the star with a hatrick on the day, while Pedro and Vitinho both came from the bench to complete the rout.

  Renato Gaucho secured his second victory in the Brazilian Championship after overseeing a 1-0 victory over Defensa y Justicia in his first game in charge last week.

  The visitors pressed aggressively from the start, while Bahia sat back in search of a counterattack, but struggled to defend.

  The game came alive in the 23rd minute, when Flamengo were awarded a penalty for a foul by Nino Paraba on Arrascaeta. Gabigol converted beautifully to put Flamengo ahead. The star forward grabbed his second after receiving an assist from Isla in the area in the 41st minute.

  Flamengo should have wrapped up the game easily in the first half, but Michael, Everton Ribeiro, Diego, and Isla all wasted clear-cut chances, leaving the game at 2 nil after 45 minutes.

  In the second half, Bahia got off to a flying start, with Gilberto missing two chances to reduce the deficit and Matheus Galdezani striking the crossbar.

  Gabigol, on the other hand, scored the visitor’s third goal in the 62nd minute, completing his hat trick.

  Matheus Peixoto made numerous additional saves, but he couldn’t stop Pedro’s effort, as the substitute who replaced Gabigol in the front scored the game’s fourth goal.

  Vitinho, who assisted on the fourth goal, made the transition from provider to scorer in the 85th minute, making it 5-0.

  

  In the next round, Bahia will face Atlético-MG at Mineiro on Sunday, while Flamengo will face Sao Paulo at Maracana.

  Rubro-Negro will then meet Argentina’s Defensa y Justicia for the second leg of their Libertadores round of 16 matchup at Maracana on Wednesday.

  O conteúdo Gabigol bags hatrick as five-star Flamengo thrash Bahia aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Preview: Brazil vs Germany – Olympic Games
  

  With the disappointment from the Copa America still fresh in their minds, can Brazil go all the way in the Olympics once again? Well, there is a positive chance they can do just that.

  Brazil come into this competition defending their crown, after winning the last edition played on home soil in Rio de Janeiro.

  To start their competition, they couldn’t have gotten a better opponent than Germany, the same team they beat on penalties to win the tournament back in 2016.

  Brazil already know what it is like to beat their opponents and they’ll surely be favorites ahead of this one. The crunch fixture is scheduled for Thursday at the International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama.

  Brazil are used to sending their best possible U-23 squad to the Olympics, something that explains the South American giants hold this competition in high regard.

  Brazil form

  They come into this game, having come from behind to beat the United Arab Emirates 5-2 in their last friendly before the competition proper. Taking that game into account, Brazil were not at their best, despite the scoreline. However, they were clinical enough when it mattered and boasting that attribute could come in handy in the course of the tournament. Matheus Cunha was the star of the day, having bagged a late brace.

  Prior to that game, they won Serbia via a 3-0 scoreline, with Pedro also grabbing a brace as well.

  Having won gold on home soil in Rio 2016, Brazil will be eager to defend their crown in Tokyo. They boast a squad featuring a host of talented names. Experience couldn’t have come better with the likes of Diego Carlos and Dani Alves as two of their over-aged players. The latter is the oldest player to play in the competition this time around and is easily the most experienced name across all teams.

  Elsewhere, the likes of Richarlison, Douglas Luiz, Gabriel Martinelli and Antony are also the squad that has so much talent and firepower on paper.

  O conteúdo Preview: Brazil vs Germany – Olympic Games aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Is Brazilian football getting outdated and overrated?
  

  Recently, the Brazilian team finished as runners-up at Copa América, losing to Argentina in the final. At the time, Tite, for the first time in history, suffered a defeat at home and precisely to his biggest rival.

  With the coach from Rio Grande do Sul, the team is not thrilled and has suffered a Neymar-dependence since 2011. However, in the tournament Lucas Paquetá was another name to stand out.

  In the game, tactically, Brazil were dominated. Their biggest rival executed the high mark, destabilizing the defensive moment of Brazil. The Argentine side took advantage of this, with Angèl Di Maria giving the goalkeeper no chance with a lob.

  Olympic team in the same direction?

  The Olympic team said goodbye to the preparatory friendlies, winning via a 5-2 scoreline, against the United Arab Emirates. Despite a brace from Matheus Cunha, the game showed difficulty during the first 45 minutes.

  Tactically, Brazil had a solid defense and pressed well but their passing fell short on a number of occasions.

  Nervousness or not, the players missed fundamentals and André Jardine’s squad proved ineffective. Whether or not Brazil will win the Tokyo Olympics is another story. However, the difficulty of imposing both the main team and the base is a matter of concern.

  Brazilian football needs to review a few pages and understand that some things that worked in the past, today they don’t work anymore.

  Brazil will compete in the Olympic group stage with Germany, Côte d’Ivoire and Saudi Arabia. The first match is against Germany this Thursday (22), in the rematch of the Maracanã final of the last Olympic Games. That game will to an extent show Brazil’s intent in the competition.

  O conteúdo Is Brazilian football getting outdated and overrated? aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Gremio grab their first league win of the season against Fluminense
  

  A late penalty goal against Fluminense away from home, saw Grêmio win back-to-back games for the first time in 11 games on Saturday night.  It was also the first league win for Tricolor in what has been a difficult campaign so far.

  Pinares scored the match-winning goal in the 90th minute after it appeared that Calegari had knocked Alisson down. Despite the fact that the initial contact happened outside of the Flu goal area, the spot kick was granted after consultation with the VAR, giving the visitors a 1-0 victory.

  For the first 45 minutes, goalkeepers Muriel and Gabriel Chapecó were mostly bystanders. Grêmio, more concerned with defending, gave the ball possession to Fluminense and retreated. As a result, the hosts dominated possession but lacked inventiveness in attack.

  Diego Souza had a wonderful chance to put his team ahead just before the break when he leaped higher than the Flu defenders following a corner kick, but his effort went wide.

  Kannemann was issued a yellow card a few seconds after the break for pulling down Calegari. Not long after, Vanderson’s powerful attempt in the 55th minute hit the crossbar for Grêmio. Four minutes later, Luccas Claro responded as he stamped Gabriel Chapecó’s post following a corner kick.

  The game moved slowly, with numerous fouls and overhead balls, culminating with Calegari pulling down Alisson in the penalty box in the 90th minute following a defensive blunder.

  The referee however, ruled a foul outside the area, but upon consulting the VAR, reversed his decision and awarded the penalty which resulted to Grêmio winning their second game in a row under new management of Scolari.

  Under the new veteran manager, the club has looked better in their last two games and signs of progress have been evident, which could come as a relief for the club and fans alike.

  For their next outing, Grêmio will take to the pitch for another league game, hosting América-MG at the Arena on Saturday. Flu will also take on Palmeiras at Allianz Parque on the same day.

  O conteúdo Gremio grab their first league win of the season against Fluminense aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Matheus Cunha shines in Brazil’s final friendly before the Olympics
  

  The 5-2 score line may not accurately reflect the game, but Brazil fought hard to defeat the UAE in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Wednesday. Matheus Cunha’s quick-fire brace help put the game beyond doubt for Brazil in the seven-goal thriller.

  André Jardine’s team fell behind to an own goal by Nino in the 21st minute of their final friendly match before getting back level with Diego Carlos’s header just before halftime.

  The second half was a rollercoaster, with UAE regaining the lead 22 minutes in. In the span of six minutes, Brazil then scored three goals, before completing the rout late in the game.

  Reinier, Cunha (who scored a brace), and Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli all scored goals for Brazil. UAE’s second goal was scored by Abdulla Alnaqbi.

  The Olympic team will fly to Tokyo on Friday morning. Richarlison and Douglas Luiz, who played for Brazil in the Copa América, joined the Olympic group on Thursday but did not participate in the match. So far, only Malcolm has remained silent. On the 18th, the Zenit striker will arrive in the Olympic city after being granted a last-minute release.

  Brazil will compete in the Olympic group stage against Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, and Saudi Arabia. The first match is against Germany on Thursday, in a rematch of the Maracana final from the last Olympic Games.

  Brazil Olympic Games Fixture list

  Thursday, July 22nd – Brazil vs. Germany – 8:30 a.m. (Brasilia) – Yokohama Stadium,

  Sunday, July 25 – Ivory Coast vs. Brazil – 5:30 a.m. – Yokohama Stadium – Brazil vs. Saudi Arabia,

  Wednesday, July 28 – Brazil vs. Saudi Arabia – 5 a.m. Saitama Stadium, Japan (Miyagi).

  O conteúdo Matheus Cunha shines in Brazil’s final friendly before the Olympics aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Can Pia Sundhage lead Brazil women to an Olympic gold medal?
  

  Brazil arrives at the Tokyo Olympic Games with real chances for a medal in both men’s and women’s football. Only once in history have the two teams been on the podium at the same Olympics. This was in Beijing 2008, when the men won silver and the women won bronze. At Rio 2016, men were champions, and women were fourth.

  The Olympic cycle for the women’s team was one of ups and downs, with changes in coaches and a ninth place in the World Cup after an overtime elimination for France, which hosted the host. At the moment, optimism hovers in the selection, especially after the arrival of Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, who boats a lot of experience with three Olympic medals.

  Taking the results of the Olympic cycle, the American team again appears as the favorite, followed closely by three very strong European teams: Sweden, Great Britain and Holland. Brazil appears in the fight for the medals. In recent months, Brazil faced the USA, lost 2-0, but showed good football in the victories over Canada (2-0) and a 3-0 win over Russia.

  Is the women’s soccer team favorite? No. But of course there are real chances for the podium and even gold, mainly due to the talent of the players and the obedience and tactical confidence of the team in the coach.

  The biggest decision made by Sundhage was perhaps the one to leave out veteran forward Cristiane from her squad. This will be the first time since 2004 that the trio Marta, Formiga and Cristiane will not be together on the field at the Olympic Games. Regardless, the women’s team can still fancy their chances of winning.

  Brazil are trying, for the second time in history, to go to the podium twice in the same football Olympics. Only time will tell what becomes of those ambitions.

  O conteúdo Can Pia Sundhage lead Brazil women to an Olympic gold medal? aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Positives to take from Renato Gaucho’s debut game as Flamengo beat Defensa
  

  Renato Gaucho won his first game for Flamengo in the Libertadores’ round of 16. The club defeated Defensa y Justicia by 1-0 in the first game under the new coach’s guidance on Wednesday in Argentina. Michael’s fantastic strike from outside the goal area secured the victory.

  The coach who has managed Grêmio over the last four years has already shown that he will follow Ceni’s squad structure, but he has already made improvements, with the players appearing more “relaxed.”

  However, there are some positives to take from his first game in charge.

  Renato made few changes to the team’s structure in his debut, which had already been without Arao, Rodrigo Caio, Diego, and Bruno Henrique. Michael earned a spot on the team and played on the left flank with Arrascaeta at the center in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, the game was played in a way that was very different from what had previously been witnessed.

  Flamengo, who are generally more active up front, watched as Defensa controlled the game and created great chances, but they were quick to capitalize on a misplaced pass and score the game’s first goal. The Argentine side attacked more in the second half, with Diego Alves shining with at least three brilliant stops to seal the victory for the red-blacks.

  Pedro was left as a reserve because Fla prohibited him from participating in the Tokyo Olympics. One of the most prominent criticisms of Rogério Ceni’s work among flamenguists is his failure to include the double-top scorer “Pedro-Gabigol.”

  After the choice to prioritize Michael, a young man who graduated from Gávea, the anxieties vanished.

  Renato Gaucho’s tenacity was impressive, as the new coach demonstrated off the field in his first game in charge. He led the players in a timely manner. In the last stage, he made substitutions to help protect the team, such as putting in Bruno Viana in place of Arrascaeta.

  Flamengo will return to the field on Sunday before meeting Defensa y Justicia once more. The team will meet Bahia in the Brazilian Championship at the Pituaçu stadium.

  O conteúdo Positives to take from Renato Gaucho’s debut game as Flamengo beat Defensa aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Kaio Jorge seals crucial win for Santos in the Libertadores
  

  Santos won the first leg of the quarter finals in the Libertadores against Independiente thanks to a 69th-minute strike from Kaio Jorge. The Peixe clearly dominated the first half, but found it difficult to overcome Independiente late on Thursday in Vila Belmiro.

  Peixe could have scored more after dominating for much of the game, but was denied by goalkeeper Sosa’s brilliance. Independiente, on the other hand, had a goal disallowed for offside, and had it not been for Joao Paulo’s save of Silvio Romero’s free-kick in injury time, the saints would have been forced to settle for a draw.

  Santos had a strong first-half performance, with more ball possession and seven shots, three of which were on target.

  Despite their dominance, the hosts lacked attacking zeal with Marinho and Marcos Guilherme. Kaio Jorge returned to the attack after missing three games and helped the attack in a new dimension. The forward got a chance a few minutes into the half, but the goalkeeper was up to the task.

  Marcos Guilherme had a chance to score first as well, but Sosa was up to the task. Independiente bet on counterattacks and long balls for top scorer Silvio Romero, but he only got one opportunity in the first half.

  Santos’ dominance grew in the second half, as they crushed Independiente and created a flurry of scoring opportunities. After a magnificent shot, Gabriel Pirani had an opportunity but couldn’t convert. Kaiky came close with a header and Pirani tried again, but his effort was deflected off. Marinho even attempted a bicycle kick that went over the bar.

  The dominance finally paid off as they took the 1-0 lead in the 69th minute when Kaio Jorge took advantage of the rebound, after Sosa saved Marcos Guilherme shot. After the goal, Peixe then relaxed, allowing Independiente to make their own attempts, which they squandered as well. In the end, the Brazilian side claimed a crucial win.

  Before travelling to Argentina, Santos will play Red Bull Bragantino in the 12th round of the Brazilian Championship on Sunday, at Bragança Paulista.

  O conteúdo Kaio Jorge seals crucial win for Santos in the Libertadores aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Gremio and Athletico claim narrow victories in the Copa Sudamericana
  

  The Copa Sudamericana is back in full swing and two Brazilian sides in the competition claimed wins in the first leg of the round of 16.

  Athletico overcame América de Cali away from home at the Estadio Hernan Ramirez Villegas in Pereira, Colombia, with Niko, an attacking midfielder, scoring the game-winning goal from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute. The win gives the Hurricane the luxury of a draw in the return leg at Baixada next Tuesday. If the aggregate score is 1-1, penalties will be applied, and the team will be ousted from the competition if there are any more mishaps.

  Grêmio, on the other hand, beat LDU away from home, at Casablanca Stadium in Quito, after going nine games without winning.

  Even though the team had to suffer throughout the game for a hard-fought win, Léo Pereira scored the game’s only goal, giving his side the advantage going into the second leg.

  

  Athletico improved their performance in the second half of the game, shutting down the Colombians and allowing only one shot on target in the entire game while taking three of their own. Despite having better possession of the ball, América de Cali was unable to penetrate the opponent’s defence.

  

  LDU on the other hand, were unlucky not to win because they had complete control of the game but were unable to get the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. Grêmio only managed three shots in the entire game, one of which was the game’s only goal, despite having only 24 percent ball control.

  Athletico will face Ceará in the Brazilian Championship’s 12th round on Saturday at Arena Castelao, before returning for the second leg of the Sudamericana Cup on Tuesday. Santos and Abner will be with the Olympic team.

  Grêmio will seek to keep the momentum going on Saturday when they meet Fluminense at Maracana in the Brazilian Championship, ahead of the second leg of the Sudamericana next Tuesday.

  O conteúdo Gremio and Athletico claim narrow victories in the Copa Sudamericana aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

• Brazilian sides avoid defeat in the Libertadores round of 16 first leg
  

  With two draws and a 2-0 away win, all Brazilian teams fared well in the round of 16 of the Libertadores Cup. Fluminense is the only Brazilian team so far with a comfortable lead heading into the second leg next week, while Sao Paulo will have to go above and beyond to advance after conceding an away goal. Atlético-MG did not score in the first leg and will be looking for a win in the return leg next week.

  The encounter between Fluminense and Cerro Porteño was the most compelling of the three fixtures. Despite finding it tough to adjust quickly in the first half at the La Nueva Olla Stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, and the Paraguayan side having had a goal disallowed due to offside, Fluminense came out firing in the second half and scored two goals through Nenê and Egidio, with Caio Paulista assisting both goals.

  Fluminense have proven to be a difficult opponent for the home teams in the Libertadores.

  They have drawn one game (1-1 with Junior Barranquilla in Colombia) and won three: 2-1 against Santa Fe in Colombia, 3-1 against River Plate in Argentina, and 2-0 against Cerro Porteo in Paraguay.

  Sao Paulo, on the other hand, got off to a good start and snatched the lead in the 35th minute thanks to substitute Vitor Bueno, who scored just seven minutes after coming on.

  However, at the stroke of halftime, Enzo Copetti scored to square the Argentine club on aggregate, securing a crucial away goal going into the second leg.

  Atlético-MG did not score a single goal in their game against Boca Juniors. They were the only Brazilian team that did not score, but both teams received six yellow cards during the game. The Brazilian team will have to battle it out in the second leg next week when they face the Argentine side, which might go in their favour or against them.

  Cerro Porteo and Boca Juniors will be hosted by Fluminense and Atlético-MG, respectively, while Racing Club will host Sao Paulo in the second leg on Tuesday.

  O conteúdo Brazilian sides avoid defeat in the Libertadores round of 16 first leg aparece primeiro em Sambafoot.

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