Santos grabs last semifinal spot in Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO (AP) -Striker Kleber Pereira scored his third goal of the match with an 88th-minute penalty kick to help Santos beat Ponte Preta 3-2 and secure the last semifinal spot in the Sao Paulo state championship on Sunday.

In Rio de Janeiro, Vasco, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense reached the semifinals of the Rio Cup, the second stage of the state competition.

Santos will face defending champion Palmeiras, which beat Botafogo 2-1 to finish first in the 20-team standings and secure home-field advantage throughout the semifinals. Sao Paulo was second after drawing Sao Caetano 2-2 and will face Ronaldo's Corinthians, which drew Mirassol by the same score. Ronaldo was rested and didn't play.

Santos - the 2006 and 2007 champion - would have been eliminated if Kleber Pereira failed to score from the spot at Moises Lucarelli stadium in Campinas. The goal sent Santos through and kept Portuguesa from advancing despite a 2-1 win over Santo Andre.

Santos and Portuguesa entered the final round even on points, and Santos advanced on goal difference.

Mogi Mirim, whose president is former Brazil midfielder Rivaldo and whose biggest star is former Barcelona midfielder Giovanni, escaped relegation with a 5-2 routing of Noroeste in Bauru. But 1978 Brazilian champion Guarani couldn't avoid demotion after falling 1-0 to Bragantino in Braganca Paulista.

Guaratingueta, Marilia and Noroeste also will have to play in the second division next season.

In Rio de Janeiro, striker Emerson, making his debut, scored three minutes into injury time to give defending champion Flamengo a 1-1 draw against rival Fluminense at Maracana stadium. The result allowed Flamengo to finish first in Group B of the Rio Cup, the second stage of the Rio competition.

Botafogo, a 4-0 winner over host Resende, was second in the group and will face Vasco, which kept alive an eight-match winning streak with a 4-0 victory over Bangu at Sao Januario stadium, maintaining first place in Group A. Fluminense, with former Lyon striker Fred, finished second and will play Flamengo again in the semifinals.

Botafogo won the Guanabara Cup and has already guaranteed its spot in the Rio state title against the Rio Cup winner. It can clinch the state title automatically if it also wins the Rio Cup.