Sao Paulo Vs. Corinthians, Brasileirao: Hosts Dominate, But Can’t Score In 0-0 Draw

On Wednesday night at the Morumbi, Sao Paulo did everything right but put the ball in the back of the net. They were superior to their visitors throughout the match and created more than enough chances to find a goal. However, thanks to some bad luck and some excellent play by Julio Cesar, they were only able to manage one point in a 0-0 draw with Corinthians.

Due to the way that they played, Corinthians will be happy to walk away with a road point. Until Vasco de Gama play on Thursday, the teams are tied at the top of the table with Vasco, with both having a superior goal differential.

Sao Paulo have been excellent in the first half of their clash with Corinthians, but they’re yet to find a goal to show for it. Their midfield has been so good and their strikers so active that they’re not overmatched in midfield by Corinthians’ 4-3-3/Christmas tree hybrid formation, and they’ve created a great number more chances than the visitors. Despite those chances, the score is tied up at 0-0 at halftime.

Young starlet Casemiro had the best chance of the half, hitting a fantastic header off of the post on a free kick. Dagoberto has had a number of decent chances, while Wellington had a shot saved after a mind-blowing, streetball-type move to go past his defender and get one-on-one with Julio Cesar.

Because of Brazil’s growing economy, the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A - better known as just the Brasileirao - might be the most rapidly improving league in the world. Star players stick around longer, while players who don’t stick with their first club in Europe are often coming back. This phenomenon seems to have affected a number of clubs equally, so it hasn’t made for any kind of stabilization or regularity in the league’s table.

Sao Paulo and Corinthians are two of the biggest sides in Brazil, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re competing for a title once again. They currently sit second and third in the table, just one point back of first place. Their fortunes haven’t changed, but the contenders sure have.