Mirassol 1-2 Rio Claro
Portuguesa 1-0 São Caetano
Paulista 1-2 Prudente
Mogi Mirim 3-0 Ituano
Monte Azul 1-0 Sertãozinho
Santos 3-4 Palmeiras
São Paulo 2-1 Rio Branco
Corinthians 2-1 Santo André
Ponte Preta 4-3 Bragantino
Goals a plenty in the Paulista A1 this week as unbeaten records were broken and the race for "the Four" hots up. The round started with Botafogo SP getting back on the horse after a recent dodgy run. They had to come from behind against Oeste as well after Ricardo Bueno put the visitors ahead after 33 minutes. Ademir Sopa levelled for Botafogo SP on the hour and Oeste were cruelly denied a point when Rogerio put through his own net in the last minute. Rio Claro climbed out of the relegation zone after also coming from behing at Mirassol. Bruno Perone put Mirassol ahead after 13 minutes put Edu Sales levelled after half an hour. It was a second from Sales that won the game for Rio Claro eight minutes from time. Portuguesa jumped above São Caetano and into sixth after a slender single goal victory. Domingos with the only goal of the game after 28 minutes to give Portuguesa an outside chance of still making "the Four".
Prudente, after a poor start, are now comfortable in mid table after victory over a Paulista side destined for Série A2 next year. Tadeu put Prudente ahead after 26 minutes and Flavinho doubled the lead 20 minutes into the second half. Baiano pulled a goal back for Paulista ten minutes from time but it was too little too late. Mogi Mirim pulled further away from the relegation zone after a surprising 3-0 win over Ituano. Geovane was the hero for Mogi Mirim, he put them ahead in the 22nd minute and then completed his hat-trick with two further second half strikes. Monte Azul remain in the bottom 4 despite success in the 6-pointer against Sertãozinho. One goal seperated the teams and that came from Rafael Ueta four minutes before half time. It was only Monte Azul's second win of the season.
The big game of the weekend saw Santos lose their long unbeaten run at the hand of Palmeiras. It looked to be all going the way of Santos when they quickly took a two goal lead through Pará and Neymar. But Palmeiras were level by half time, two goal in two minutes from Robert ensured parity at half time. Diego Souza then stunned the Vila Belmiro after putting the Big Green ahead 10 minutes into the second half but Madson levelled ten minutes from time. But up popped Robert three minutes from time to complete his hat trick and win the game for Palmeiras. After victory in Asunción in midweek São Paulo continued their good run of State form with a 2-1 win over Rio Branco. Jorge Wágner put São Paulo ahead after 11 minutes, a lead they held til 9 minutes from time when Marcio levelled. São Paulo stole all three points though, when André Luís grabbed the winner in injury time.
With Santos losing, Santo André had the chance to go top but they came unstuck after a lighting start by Champions Corinthians. Dentinho followed his midweek Libertadores goal by opening the scoring after three minutes and Roberto Carlos opened up his account for the season doubling the lead seven minutes later. Ricardo Conceicao halved the defecit for Santo André three minutes before half time but that was a close as the visitors got, their cause not helped by the dismissal of Branquinho 10 minutes into the second half. Bragantino are still looking over their shoulders at the bottom four after coming off second best in a seven goal thriller at Ponte Preta. The home side raced into a three goal half time lead, Tinga put them ahead in the 12th minute and two goal in the final two minutes of the half from Finazzi and Otacilio Neto seemed to have put the game to bed. Bragantino came fighting back and reduced the defecit to one through Paulinho and Macedo but they were undone chasing the game and Leo Oliveira restored a two goal customer 7 minutes from time. Paulinho's second for Bragantino in injury time turned out to be nothing more than consolation.
Again the players get midweek off as we get to the business end of the season and the race for the Four. 5 games left and they line up like this...
Monte Azul x Portuguesa
Palmeiras x Ponte Preta
Sertãozinho x Mirassol
Santo André x Bragantino
Rio Claro x Rio Branco
São Caetano x Oeste
Prudente x Corinthians
São Paulo x Mogi Mirim
Santos x Ituano
Paulista x Botafogo SP
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