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'Special day' Vasco beats Sao Caetano 3-1 for Brazilian title
Updated: Thursday January 18, 2001 4:39 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Vasco stopped second-division giant-killer Sao Caetano 3-1 on Thursday to take the national championship and earn a berth in the Copa Libertadores. The game was a rematch of the final's second leg, which was suspended on Dec. 30 after 23 minutes when a perimeter fence at Vasco's overcrowded Sao Januario stadium collapsed, injuring more than 150 fans. The score was 0-0. The first leg in Sao Paulo had ended 1-1. Thursday's game was played in Rio's giant Maracana stadium. Sao Caetano pressured Vasco early in the game, firing 21 shots on goal to Vasco's six. But the Rio team knew how to capitalize on the counterattack, which often caught Sao Caetano's defense short. Former Middlesborough and Atletico Madrid midfielder Juninho scored Vasco's first goal in the 29th minute, off a feed from Romario, firing high and to the left of Sao Caetano's goalie Silivo Luiz. Sao Caetano came back with a goal in the 36th minute when Adaozinho fired a bomb from outside the area just to the right of Vasco goalie Helton. Three minutes later, Vasco was back in the lead when a pass from Romario found Jorginho right in front of the goal. He fired just as Silvio Luiz was leaving the goal. In the 52nd minute, Romario sealed the victory with his 20th goal of the season off a feed from Juninho. Juninho was carried from the pitch by jubilant fans at the end of the game. "It is incredible to come back to Brazil and find myself in two finals... I want to keep playing here," he said. The game dashed the dreams of Sao Caetano, a second division club that qualified for the championship through a legal loophole, but captured the imagination of the nation with its run to the finals. In the small city of Sao Caetano, just outside Sao Paulo, the mayor told businesses to close at 3:00 p.m. so everyone could watch the game. "It's a pity we didn't win, but for Sao Caetano it was a special day," said Elane Rodrigues, who watched the game at one of the overflowing local bars. Sao Caetano did take home a consolation prize, however, with its striker Adhemar scoring 22 goals in their run to finals, the most goals in the championship. He edged out Romario. Lineups: Vasco: Helton, Clebson, Odvan, Junior Baiano, Jorginho Paulista, Nasa, Jorginho (Henrique), Juninho (Paulo Miranda), Juninho Paulista (Pedrinho), Euller and Romario. Sao Caetano: Silvio Luiz, Japinha (Gilmar), Daniel, Serginho, Cesar, Claudecir, Adaozinho, Ailton (Leto), Esquerdinha (Zinho), Wagner and Adhemar.
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