WC2010: Whos Going? (Part 6)

World Cup is fast approaching, so here's some more info on some of the qualified nations. I hope to finish this quite soon, so hope you can find them interesting.

IVORY COAST

Since Pelé famously predicted an African nation would win the World Cup by the year 2000, the African qualifiers are always scrutinised before the World Cup and people speculate over whether an African team will finally take the trophy. This year, many supporters and pundits say that the best chance for an African victory lies with Les Éléphants of the Ivory Coast.

Never before has there been an African nation who can call upon so many well-known, top class footballers than this year's Ivory Coast squad. Boasting such household names as Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Didier Zokora and Salomon Kalou, they really have a lot of true strength all over the field. However as has been proven in football many times over the years, big names do not make a good football team. Ivory Coast have suffered from a lack of team spirit and a distinct laziness from some top players in recent times, and if this continues in South Africa then they will surely fail.

The introduction of Sven Goran-Eriksson as manager seems to be a good choice, but as he does not have much time to really unite the squad as a unit, Les Éléphants will need to rely on the influence and leadership of their captain Didier Drogba.

The Ivory Coast find themselves in the "Group of Death" that is Group G where they will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. Any nation would have a tough job of qualifying from that group, but with Brazil looking sure to finish first, and North Korea true underdogs, the Ivory Coast should look to single out Portugal as their main rival and attempt to overcome them to reach second place.

Star Man: Didier Drogba

One of the best centre-forwards in world football when playing with English champions Chelsea, Drogba takes on a considerably different role when he plays for his country. At Chelsea he is employed as a centre forward who is given good service from both wings and the team is led by captain John Terry and Frank Lampard. The difference for his national team is that Drogba is the one with the responsibility of leading the team.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a one-man team, but Drogba's leadership and world-class quality can grind out results even when the rest of the team isn't playing particularly well. He should end the World Cup as Ivory Coast's top goalscorer, and he will be hoping to lead them as far as he can.

Player to Watch: Gervinho

Gervais "Gervinho" Yao Kouassi, 22, has a nickname that sounds a little more suited to a player in the squad of their Group G opponents Brazil, but like captain Drogba, Gervinho embodies everything that you would expect from an Ivorian footballer. The Lille forward is staking his claim to start up front alongside the Chelsea striker, and in my opinion Sven Goran-Eriksson should grant him that spot.

Listing Drogba as his main influence and idol, Gervinho takes several talents from his captain’s game. From his bullish, almost superhuman strength on the ball, to his natural eye for goal and expert finishing, and even down to the hairstyle.

Keep an eye on him in this year's Finals, a really dangerous and exciting footballer.

Prediction: With Portugal looking a bit lacklustre, I expect the Ivorians to finish 2nd in Group G. However their last-16 tie would then more than likely be up against Spain, who look too strong for them. They have the squad to go far, but I fear their draw will see them leave in the last-16.

MEXICO

The Mexicans, in my opinion, always bring something exciting to the World Cup finals. I'm sure most of you remember their clash with the USA in 2002, also the fantastic second round match against Argentina in 2006. Whether it is a memorable match, or memorable individual performances like Cuauhtemoc Blanco's sublime skills in 1998 or Jorge Campos' eccentric goalkeeping and zany kits in 1994, Mexico always leave the supporters entertained.

This year we will be hoping for something similar when they open the Finals against hosts South Africa. Mexico are a team who have passed through a lot of ups and downs recently, and a few different managers. Now they seem to have found some stability with Javier Aguirre as boss. El Vasco ("The Basque") has brought a new found optimism to the Mexican fans, with many of them hopeful of a memorable World Cup appearance.

The squad itself is littered with gems but also flaws. For example they have a great young attacking pedigree with players like Giovani dos Santos, Andres Guardado, Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez, and alongside that they have strong experienced players like Rafael Marquez, Carlos Salcido and the aforementioned Cuauhtemoc Blanco still running the midfield at 37 years old. On the other hand they have some problematic positions on the field, with heavily criticised Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista struggling to impress in his midfield spot. This is a hard problem to solve, with the squad itself only having 5 recognised midfielders, something which could leave them struggling against teams who like to dominate in midfield.

Mexico are entered into Group A in the Finals this year, meaning they will face the hosts South Africa aswell as former world champions Uruguay and France. It is a tough group for el Tri, but if they can play well as a team they should qualify alongside either Uruguay or France.

Star Man: Andres Guardado

Andres Guardado is one of the more experienced of Mexico's young attacking contingent. At 23 he has made 51 appearences for the national side, including a substitute appearance against Argentina in World Cup 2006. He plays on the left of midfield for Mexico and his club Deportivo La Coruna, and he is an automatic starter for both squads.

Truly Guardado is a player that the football world should really start to notice. One of the most energetic wingers I have seen in a long time, Guardado can run up and down the left flank for the full 90 minutes. At only 5’6” (169cm for our metric friends) he does have a slight figure, so you would be forgiven for thinking he would be knocked off the ball easily. However the reality is that Guardado has an ability, similar to that of fellow La Liga winger Lionel Messi, to throw his weight around so that it is near impossible to knock him down.

I can’t wait to see him in this year’s finals, as he is an exciting player to watch and has a huge future ahead of him. I truly believe he is one of the best young left wingers in the world just now and I expect big things in the future.

Player to Watch: Carlos Vela

Vela is a name many supporters will have heard of by now; he has been highly coveted by Arsenal for many years in their youth system, and has started to break into the first team with some impressive substitute performances. He is a real favourite in Mexico, with their support believing that he and his team-mate Giovani dos Santos will be two of the best forwards in the world in a few years time.

It is not at all guaranteed that Vela will start for el Tri, but with him held in such high regard by the fans and manager, he will surely get plenty of playing time. Vela brings a really raw attacking pedigree to the team, with great pace and fabulous dribbling skills. However, one thing about Vela’s play which will need to improve in time is in his decision making. Sometimes when he is in possession he doesn’t always know the right time to pass, or when it’s better to keep the ball than to give it away, though he is still young and hopefully he will develop this intelligence over time.

Prediction: They have a decent chance to qualify from Group A, and could find themselves with a really nice draw in the later stages. However I predict Mexico to exit in the group stage behind Uruguay and France.

NETHERLANDS

Regarded by many as one of the strongest teams in this year's Finals, Netherlands will be looking to try and finally win their first ever World Cup after many years of trying. Many would say that this year is one of their best chances since 1978, with their squad full of top class players and real danger in attack. The Dutch have their sights set on the Final, and will settle for nothing less.

Coach Bert van Marwijk will surely stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation that saw them qualify with a 100% record. It is an attacking, sometimes spectacular, but yet a secure system. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie link up to form a scintillating attacking force, while Mark van Bommel, Joris Mathijsen and Andre Ooijer keep the back door shut with a really strong defensive spine. Definitely one of the best squads in this years finals, if they can stay strong as a unit, their quality could take them far.

The Dutch are in Group E for this year's finals, there they will face Japan, Denmark and Cameroon. It's a tough group for sure, Denmark are currently one of the strongest underdogs in Europe, and I believe Cameroon to be the strongest African side in the draw. Holland will have enough to finish 1st in Group E, but they should be wary of their last 16/quarter final/semi final opponents, with possible opponents including Italy, Brazil and Spain.

Star Man: Wesley Sneijder

Holland and Inter Milan’s creative force Wesley Sneijder is certainly one of the top midfielders going to the World Cup this year. He has been an inspiration for both club and country recently, and he plays a particularly key role in the national team. A true team player, he links up so well with his team-mates, and is very energetic, always adopting a “pass and move” style of football.

Another great attribute of his is his set-pieces. Whether it be corners or free-kicks, Sneijder is one of the top set-piece takers in the world at the moment. He is deadly when shooting for goal, and he can pick out a perfect cross almost every time, all this with either his left or right foot.

For the Netherlands, he initiates most of their attacking moves. A player truly deserving of the number 10 jersey, expect him to shine in South Africa.

Player to Watch: Eljero Elia

As a young forward in this Netherlands squad, you may not expect him to feature much behind Robben, Kuyt, Huntelaar et al, but there is a buzz in Holland surrounding Eljero Elia that they haven’t seen for a long time. Since moving to Hamburg in 2009, Elia has been gathering admirers from around Europe, and is now featuring heavily in the Oranje national setup.

Playing as a winger or forward, Elia is expected to be used liberally as a substitute by van Marwijk. Scottish fans like myself may remember his name from our decisive World Cup qualifier against the Oranje, where Elia was the man who scored the only goal into our defence at Hampden.

Elia’s best attributes lie in his speed and great dribbling abilities. He is relentless in attack, always happy to bomb forward and pressure his defender. He should perform well this year in South Africa, and I’m expecting a bright future from him.

Prediction: They should advance through their group easily enough, and they have the team to see off the best of opponents in the later rounds. I expect they will exit at the quarter finals, where they have a good chance of facing teams like Brazil or Spain.

NEW ZEALAND

Unfortunately, New Zealand are a nation that I do not know much about, so this report will come more from what I’ve read and the little bits of them that I have seen. But well, I don’t think many people know much about the Kiwis.

Traditionally a nation mad about rugby, the national football team (nicknamed “the All Whites”) have struggled to gain popularity thanks to some disappointing campaigns previously. This year is the second team the All Whites have qualified for the World Cup, the first time coming in 1982 in Spain where they lost all three group games against Brazil, the Soviet Union and Scotland.

New Zealand seem to have gained their success through a strong and stubborn defence, and a dangerous attacking partnership of Shane Smeltz and Chris Killen. Generally the squad is made up of players relatively unknown to most football fans, although team captain Ryan Nelsen, and aforementioned Chris Killen and Motherwell winger Michael McGlinchey may be recognisable to SPL followers.

Group F is New Zealand's group this year, where they face reigning champions Italy, as well as Paraguay and Slovakia. The Kiwis have a massive task ahead of them if they are thinking of qualifying, even defeating Slovakia looks like an unlikely prospect. They should have a great game against Italy, giving them the chance for a truly huge upset.

Star Man: Ryan Nelsen

Without a doubt the All Whites’ most important player, the Blackburn Rovers centre-half leads the resolute defensive line that has brought New Zealand to the finals. Nelsen, captain for both club and country, has fantastic determination and organises the All Whites defence expertly.

In a group where they will be on the back foot for most of the time, his leadership and quality will be absolutely imperative to the Kiwis.

Player to Watch: Shane Smeltz

New Zealand’s number 9 and main goal source, Shane Smeltz will have a big task ahead of him, trying to get past such stubborn defences as the Italians and the Slovakians. Playing for Gold Coast United in Australia’s A-League, he’s pretty much unknown to most of us here.

From what I have seen of him for the national team, he is a good finisher who links up well with target man Chris Killen. I’m not sure how he would fare against some of the World’s top defences, but looks an interesting player. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who follows the A-League so can’t really shed any more light on him.

Prediction: The squad and fans will have a great time in South Africa, and I'm sure a lot of neutrals will be cheering them on against Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia. However, sorry Kiwis, they're finishing fourth in Group F...

Champions League Preview

So this week, we have two of the biggest games of the footballing year so far. The greatest club competition in the world, the Champions League, has reached the semi-final stage, and this week sees the second legs of those ties, letting us know who will contest this year's Final in Madrid on May 22.

The first of the semi-finals is the one we have tonight, Lyon x Bayern at Stade Gerland. The first leg last week in Munich was an interesting encounter, Bayern coming out as 1-0 winners thanks to an Arjen Robben goal, but it wasn't all positive for the German giants. The sending off of Bayern's talisman Franck Ribery means he will be unavailable for selection this evening, along with winger Danijel Pranjic who reached the yellow cards limit in the first leg. If you add that to the injury to Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and fitness worries over Martín Demichelis, Daniel van Buyten and Diego Contento, we see Bayern with a depleted squad, and they will surely have to make a few changes from last week's game. However one big positive for Bayern's team selection is that they will welcome back Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel from suspension, and he will bring a lot to their midfield in such an important game.

OL have selection worries of their own, with Jeremy Toulalan suspended after his red card last week, and there are injury doubts over centre-half Cris and winger Michel Bastos. There are also worries over the fitness of Jean II Makoun and Lisandro López, but both should play. OL will be able to welcome back French international centre-half Jean-Alain Boumsong who is fit again after injury. Another worry for Lyon is the large amount of players who are only one yellow card away from being suspended for the Final, if they were to make it through. Six of their key players (Cissokho, Cris, Delgado, Gonalons, Kallstrom and Pjanic) all of whom are expected to start this evening, would miss the Final if they were yellow carded and OL progress.

Now as I mentioned, Bayern are leading the tie 1-0 going into tonight's game thanks to Arjen Robben's goal last week in the Allianz Arena. Last week's game was a little slow at times, OL playing defensively without taking many risks going forward, meaning they were hard for Bayern to break down, but also that Lyon did not threaten their German hosts half as much as they needed to. Expect Lyon to really go for it tonight, as they know they need to score at least twice to win the tie.

I'm looking forward to a really open game tonight, with goals and both teams going forward for the win. The smart money would be on Bayern to qualify tonight, as you would expect them to score at least once during the game, and if they do, OL would then have to score three times to progress. However it would be unwise to write off Lyon, they have a really strong team this year, and you will remember they recently went to the Bernabeu and defeated Real Madrid to advance to this stage. OL have some great attacking players, Lisandro López being the pick of the bunch, a really dangerous centre-forward, who is athletic and strong, and has a great eye for goal. If OL really go for it tonight, creating chances and asking questions of the Bayern defense, then I believe they have a good chance to get the goals they need.

As we know, Bayern are fantastic going forward. Dutch winger Arjen Robben is in unbelievable form, scoring and creating goals. However their defense has been much less convincing, with the worst defensive record out of the four remaining teams, conceding 13 goals so far in this year's tournament. With a question over the fitness of centre-halfs Demichelis and van Buyten, Bayern will more than likely field an unfamiliar back four, and they will be hoping it doesn't affect them too much. If Bayern's defence is anything but solid, OL can really take advantage and score goals into their German opponents. Bayern are aware of this though, with Mark van Bommel saying that it isn't a problem if they leak goals, because even "if we [Bayern] concede six goals, but score five, we're through". Doesn't really make the most sense, but it seems he believes Bayern's attacking strength will compensate for their defensive frailties.

My prediction for tonight, similar to what van Bommel was saying, is 2-1 to OL. I believe Lyon will really go for it, and will find gaps in Bayern's defense, but Bayern are too good going forward right now, and I expect them to score at some point in tonight's game and seal their place in this year's Final. So there is about an hour left before the game, if you are a betting person and looking for some quick tips before the game, I'd go for my 2-1 prediction, and for most likely scorers, its got to be Lisandro and Arjen Robben.

I'll be back either later tonight or the same time tomorrow to preview the other big semi-final, Barca-Inter. So look out for that.

Enjoy the game!

Who's Number One? (Part 2: Wayne Rooney)

Now the second part of my 3-part series on the best players on Earth right now. Last time was Messi, this time I'll talk about the reason England have a decent chance in World Cup 2010...

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United & England)
Date of Birth: 24 October 1985 (age 24)
Place of Birth: Croxteth, England
Position: Striker

Ever since he scored the winner for Everton against Arsenal in 2002, five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney has been tipped for big things. What followed was a £25.6 million transfer to Manchester United, then 6 amazing seasons at Old Trafford, and Wayne Rooney is widely accepted as one of the most dangerous players in the world.

Similar to Messi, Rooney is in one of the best places in the world to play football being at Manchester United. This season he leads the offensive line, finding great success linking up with Antonio Valencia and Nani on the wings. In his time at Man Utd he has had some fantastic players to play alongside, Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Ruud van Nistelrooy but to name a few. Despite competing with some big egos and a lot of quality, Rooney has always been the first name on the teamsheet, and shows his quality in every game.

The reason why Rooney always seems to play well is that without a doubt he is the most determined player in the world. No matter how United are playing, no matter how tired he may be, Rooney will put 120% into every tackle, sprint the full length of the field at top speed, and put the ball into the goal with amazing power.

There isn't much point going through all of Rooney's best attributes, because he is the closest to a "complete footballer" I have ever seen. He has amazing stamina and determination, he is unbelievably fast, he has great balance and strength, his shooting skills are amazing, and his positioning and heading is now up among the best. He is even a pretty good tackler.

Rooney has all of these skills at 24 years old, when he has his best games he is capable of single-handedly defeating teams, he is the reason that England have a real chance at the World Cup this summer. I mentioned his age there, most forwards will reach their peak between 27 and 31, so that would suggest Rooney still has some time to develop (yes I know, he might get even better), and with his mentality and determination he really could improve even more.

On my Leo Messi post, I posted a really long video with all of his best skills and moments of genius, but for Rooney, I think this video is more appropriate. It is a compilation of all of his goals in this seasons Champions League. There is only five goals there, and we all know he has scored better quality goals, but these show some of his best striking attributes, and his value to the Manchester United team.



That's everything for Rooney just now. Tomorrow he plays in the Manchester derby against Man City, a hugely important game for Man Utd's title hopes, and at WilliamHill.com, Rooney is even money to score at any time in tomorrow's game.

The next and final post in this three part series will talk about one of Wayne Rooney's former team-mates, another candidate for number one in the world.

Brazilian Football: 2010 So Far..

Now as a few of you will know, I am currently residing in São Paulo, Brasil for the next month or so, and following on from my previous post about Brazilian football, I thought I would post a bit of an update on the current 2010 Brazilian football season.

As is mentioned in that previous post, the Brazilian football season starts in January with the State Championships, which run until May, when teams get prepared for the National Championship, the Brasileirão. So what I'm going to do here is give a little recap of where we stand currently in the major state championships, and any important cup competitions.

We'll start with arguably the biggest of the Campeonatos Estaduais, the Paulistão of São Paulo state.

Campeonato Paulista

The Campeonato Paulista, or Paulistão as it is popularly known, is the State Championship for the state of São Paulo. The top division is made up of 20 teams from the state. Each team plays eachother once during the campaign, after all games have been played, the four best-placed teams enter into the final knockout stage to compete for the trophy.

Generally speaking, the top four is usually made up of the G-4 clubs in São Paulo state; São Paulo, Palmeiras, Corinthians and Santos. This year has been a little different though, with only São Paulo and Santos progressing to the final stage.

Of the two that missed out on the top-four places, Palmeiras had by far the more disappointing campaign. The Verdão finished in an embarassing 11th position, with 6 losses and 11 points behind fourth place. This recent disappointment is just another in a series of disappointments for Palmeiras fans, and they will be fearing what may happen if the team does not improve quickly with the 2010 Brasileirão approaching soon. Palmeiras' main rivals Corinthians were the other G-4 side to miss out on a top-four place. Unlike Palmeiras, Timão came very close to qualification, only missing out by one point.

Now enough about the teams that failed to make it, let's go over the four semi-finalists. First of all, the most impressive team of the tournament this year, Santos. Finishing 10 points clear of their nearest challengers, Santos dominated this year's Paulistão, beating teams by four or five goals on a regular basis, even recording a 9-1 victory over Ituano. Santos are a team in a great position, with the loan signing of Robinho, and great performances from young stars like Neymar, Paulo Henrique Ganso and André, they are truly a great team to watch.

The next two qualifiers are the surprise finalists, Santo André and Grêmio Prudente. Both sides had solid campaigns, with both finishing on 37 points. Arguably, they would not have qualified if São Paulo, Corinthians and Palmeiras played to their potential, but with the poor performances of the other G-4 teams, the hard work and perserverance of Santo André and Grêmio has paid off with a semi-final place.

The last semi-final place went to São Paulo, despite having a fairly disappointing season by their standards. The Tricolor finished with 36 points, with 5 losses, just managing to outmuscle their rivals Corinthians and reach fourth place. The four finalists will now compete in two-legged semi-finals (Santos x São Paulo and Santo André x Grêmio) to compete for a place in the two-legged 2010 Paulistão final.

Here is the final league table and the schedule for the semi-finals of the 2010 Paulistão. Note that the times are in Brazilian time (UTC-3). The semi-finals will most likely be available to watch this Sunday on the free bet365.com Live Streaming service.

(tables taken from globoesporte.globo.com)



Campeonato Carioca

The Campeonato Carioca is the State Championship for the state of Rio de Janeiro. The format is a bit different from the Paulistão, as the Carioca is split into three phases, the Taça Guanabara, the Taça Rio and the Finals. In the Taça Guanabara, the 16 teams in the top division are split into two groups of 8. The G-4 of Rio de Janeiro (Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco) are seeded so they are split equally into the two groups. The teams then play every team in their group once, and the top two from each group progress to the knockout stage to determine the winner. This year, Botafogo became the champions of the 2010 Taça Guanabara, defeating Vasco 2x0 in the final.

Next comes the Taça Rio, it's format is very similar, with the 16 teams kept in the same groups as the Taça Guanabara, but this time they play each team from the other group once. Then, same as the Taça Guanabara, the top two sides from each group progress to the knockout phase to find the winner. The winner of the Taça Rio will then play the winner of the Taça Guanabara in a two-legged final to determine the winner of the Campeonato Carioca (unless of course the same team wins both the Taça Guanabara and Taça Rio, then they are automatically crowned champions).

This year's Taça Rio saw Flamengo and Fluminense cruise to victory in Group A, and Botafogo and Vasco progressing from Group B, Vasco only qualifying by one point. This weekend will see the semi-finals of Botafogo x Fluminense and Flamengo x Vasco. The winner of the Taça Rio will then play Botafogo over two legs to decide the Campeonato Carioca (unless of course Botafogo win the Taça Rio as well). The Final will be played at the Maracanã on the 26th April and the second leg on the 2nd May. Once again, there is a good chance these games will be shown on bet365.com's free Live Streaming service.

Campeonato Gaúcho

Now, just a quick review of some of the other major state championships. The Campeonato Gaúcho is contested in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, home to the two big sides from Porto Alegre; Internacional and Grêmio. The format is somewhat similar to the Carioca, with 18 sides contesting two seperate cups (this time the Taça Fernando Carvalho and Taça Fábio Koff) with the winners of each playing a two-legged final for the Campeonato Gaúcho title. One difference from the Carioca, is that in each cup, the top four from each group progress to the knockout phase, as opposed to just the top two teams in the Carioca.

The 2010 Gaúcho has so far seen Grêmio win the Taça Fernando Carvalho, beating Novo Hamburgo 1x0 in the Final. Currently, the Taça Fábio Koff is in the quarter-final stage, Internacional and Ypiranga booking their places in the semi-finals against eachother, after beating Novo Hamburgo and Caxias respectively. In the other quarter finals, São José eliminated Inter de Santa Maria through penalties for a place in the semi-finals where they will face Pelotas, who surprisingly outclassed Grêmio to win 2x1 in the fourth quarter-final.

Inter will now be desperate to win the Taça Fábio Koff, to set up the grand final against bitter rivals Grêmio, and they will be highly favoured to do just that. The semi-finals will be played this weekend and may well be available on the bet365.com Live Streaming service.


Campeonato Mineiro

The last of the Campeonatos Estaduais I'll review is the Campeonato Mineiro of Minas Gerais state. Minas Gerais is the second most populous state in Brasil behind São Paulo state. It contains the urban centre of Belo Horizonte, home to the two big sides in the Mineiro; Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. The Mineiro has a simple and straightforward format, there are 12 teams in the top level, throughout the campaign each team plays one another only once. Then the 8 best-placed sides advance to the knockout stage to decide the champion.

At the moment, the 2010 Mineiro is in the semi-finals stage, Cruzeiro facing Ipatinga and Atlético Mineiro being drawn against Democrata-GV. The first legs of these semis will take place this weekend, with the second legs played one week later. Generally a Atlético x Cruzeiro final is expected, but after the solid league display of Democrata-GV, Atlético may have a tougher time making the final than they first thought.

Copa do Brasil

Copa do Brasil is Brasil's top domestic cup competition, held in high regard in clubs throughout Brasil with the 2011 Copa Libertadores place at stake for the winner a huge incentive for success.

The tournament itself has a straight two-legged knockout format with 64 teams entered (they qualify either through their 2009 State Championship performances, or by CBF rankings). Teams that are qualified for the 2010 Copa Libertadores are not entered into the competition due to scheduling conflicts, so that means that reigning champions Corinthians and Flamengo, Internacional, São Paulo and Cruzeiro were not entered.

Currently we are in the last-16 stage of the tournament, and only two Série A teams have thus far been eliminated, Botafogo and newly promoted Ceará. The last-16 ties include four all-Série A clashes and the first legs are played on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th April, with the second legs one week later. The complete list of last-16 ties are as follows:

Corinthians-PR x Vasco de Gama
Goiás x Vitória
Santa Cruz x Atlético-GO
Palmeiras x Atlético-PR
Fluminense x Portuguesa
Grêmio x Avaí
Santos x Guarani
Atlético-MG x Sport

Now, that's it for this post. I do recommend you have a look out for these upcoming games, the State Championships get quite tense, and with local pride at stake in every game, expect some really intense encounters. I'll post a final review of these competitions in May, just linking back to this post letting you know how it all turns out...