Soccer

WILL YOU GIVE IT? REFEREE OF THE SEMIFINAL FLAMENGO VS GRÊMIO GENERATED CONTROVERSY IN THE WORLD CUP

Judge also starred in the fateful FLA X FLU with five expulsions

Raphael Claus in FLA X FLU / Photo: Marcelo Cortes
Raphael Claus in FLA X FLU / Photo: Marcelo Cortes

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The referee responsible for the first leg between Grêmio and Flamengo for the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil has already been defined. The judge has a career full of controversies. Among them are a World Cup game between England and Iran and a classic carioca with five sendings off.


Raphael Claus will be the referee of the match between Grêmio and Flamengo next Thursday (27). The first leg will take place in the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil and will be in Porto Alegre. Information about the refereeing team was reported by 'TNT Sports' and has already raised concerns among Internet users.


Judge Raphael is known in the sports world for some of the controversies in which he has been involved. The first to be mentioned is about his dubious performance at the Qatar World Cup in 2022. At the time, he was responsible for refereeing the match between the England and Iran teams. The referee awarded a penalty to the Persian team in the 54th minute of the second half. The very fact of reaching 54' of the second half was a reason for conversation. In total, Claus conceded 24 minutes of injury time in the match. In addition, the referee did not call a foul by Maguire, from England, on top of the Iranian defender in the second goal of the Europeans. According to some, in Brazil, VAR interference would happen anyway and Claus would go to the monitor to call a foul.


Another situation in which his work fell short was in the FLA X FLU of that same year. The game for the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil was much commented for having had a total of five expulsions. The handing out of red cards was, in some circumstances, justifiable, but in others not. There was a profound imbalance in the match about what would be a fault and what was not. Complaints from the refereeing team conducted by Claus appeared to be disconnected with faults being ignored and others being applied without reason. In the game there were five fouls by Fluminense and 22 by Flamengo, but only one yellow card was delivered and it was due to a complaint. The VAR interferences didn't help either, being inconsistent and lacking in pattern.

Fans on both sides of next week's clash are hoping these cases aren't a preview of what might come to pass. The game will start at 21:30 (Brasília time) at Arena do Grêmio.




Soccer

São Paulo has a major absence for the game against Flamengo

Even though he has recovered from his knee injury, Lucas Moura will not face Mais Querido this Saturday (13th round of the Brasileirão) as he is still following a physical schedule.

Lucas Moura will not face Flamengo at Maracanã in the 13th round of the Brasileirão, even after recovering from a knee injury - photo: reproduction
Lucas Moura will not face Flamengo at Maracanã in the 13th round of the Brasileirão, even after recovering from a knee injury - photo: reproduction

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São Paulo will have an important absence in the match against Flamengo this Saturday (13), at Maracanã, at 4:30 pm. Although he was expected to return to the team , Lucas Moura will remain out of action. According to the club, the attacking midfielder is still under physical preparation care, despite being clinically recovered from a knee injury.


Lucas Moura hasn't played an official match since May 6th . Although his knee problem has been overcome, the medical department and coaching staff understand that he still needs more time to regain physical conditioning before returning to action. Therefore, his return to action for the São Paulo team will remain postponed.


FIVE OTHER ATHLETES ARE OUT OF THE GAME


In addition to the absence of the number 7, São Paulo will be without Lucas Ferreira (with hip pain), Luciano, Luiz Gustavo, and Calleri, all ruled out by the medical department. The match will also mark Hernán Crespo's return to the team , precisely against the league leaders, in the return of the competition after the Club World Cup.

The São Paulo team's likely starting lineup features significant changes. Crespo is expected to field Rafael; Arboleda, Alan Franco, and Sabino (or Ferraresi); Cédric, Alisson, Bobadilla, Marcos Antônio, and Enzo Díaz; Oscar (or Juan Dinenno), and André Silva. Among the confirmed returns to the squad are Marcos Antônio, Ferreirinha, and Oscar, who have been sidelined since early June.


MATCH BETWEEN SÃO PAULO AND FLAMENGO

The match between São Paulo and Flamengo will be held at Maracanã Stadium at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, part of the 13th round of the Brasileirão. For the Rio de Janeiro club, the match represents a chance to maintain its lead in the standings. Broadcasts will be available on free-to-air channels and streaming platforms.


Soccer

Cruzeiro president opens up about Gabigol, ex-Flamengo: "He was a..."

Even without a guaranteed presence in the starting 11, Gabriel has been praised by the board for his commitment and commercial impact.

Gabigol is experiencing a new phase at Cruzeiro and, even though he is not an absolute starter, he stands out for his commitment in training and marketing return - photo: reproduction
Gabigol is experiencing a new phase at Cruzeiro and, even though he is not an absolute starter, he stands out for his commitment in training and marketing return - photo: reproduction

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Signed with star status, Gabigol is still seeking regular starting positions at Cruzeiro. Unlike what he became accustomed to during his years as a star player at Flamengo, the striker is currently in a transitional phase. Even though he's not a regular in the starting eleven, he's been touted as an important player in Leonardo Jardim's project.


Pedro Junio, vice president of the Minas Gerais club, emphasized in an interview with the program Donos da Bola that the number 9 did not disappoint. According to the director, the striker has fulfilled everything agreed upon at the time of his signing, both on the field and in marketing. " He delivers everything we agreed on, both in the sporting and commercial and marketing aspects . Gabriel was a package deal we signed, and he delivers," he noted.


BOARD DEFENDS GABIGOL'S PARTICIPATION


Since arriving at Toca da Raposa, Gabigol has started 11 matches, initially under Fernando Diniz and later under Leonardo Jardim. Following the 1-1 draw with São Paulo on April 13th, in the third round of the Brasileirão , the striker has lost his place in the starting lineup. Even so, management emphasizes that there is no dissatisfaction or bad blood behind the scenes.

" Cruzeiro's advantage is that everyone understands that Cruzeiro is the top priority. Regardless of who's playing or not," explained Pedro Junio, highlighting the positive internal atmosphere at the club and the players' maturity in accepting coaching decisions.


GABIGOL REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO CRUZEIRO

Despite recurring speculation that he's unhappy about not being a regular starter, Gabigol has publicly expressed his composure about this new phase. After the 2-0 victory over Vila Nova on May 1st in the Copa do Brasil , the striker addressed the issue directly.

" I'm very calm about it. I know the pressure there is , and there are a lot of people who say things without realizing it. I try to work hard, show my football skills on the field," he said. On that occasion, the striker also highlighted the welcome he received at the club and reinforced his desire to continue contributing.




Soccer

Flamengo vs São Paulo - where to watch, probable lineup and time of the Brasileirão game

With the Brasileirão leadership at stake and Maracanã expected to be full, Mengão hosts the São Paulo team this Saturday (12), at 4:30 pm, for the 13th round

Brasileirão leader Flamengo hosts São Paulo this Saturday at Maracanã. See the likely lineups, where to watch, and details - photo: reproduction
Brasileirão leader Flamengo hosts São Paulo this Saturday at Maracanã. See the likely lineups, where to watch, and details - photo: reproduction

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Flamengo returns to the national stage this Saturday (12), after a stint at the Club World Cup, with full focus on the Brazilian Championship. The team led by Filipe Luís leads the table with 24 points, despite having played one game less, maintaining the best attack and the tightest defense in the competition so far. The ball rolls at 4:30 pm, at Maracanã, with broadcast on TV Globo and Premiere.


Flamengo will be without midfielder Erick Pulgar, who suffered a fractured right foot, and Pedro, who was sidelined by Filipe Luís . This will also be the first match without Gerson, who recently left the club to Zenit in Russia.


SAO PAULO SEEKS REACTION


On the other side, São Paulo is undergoing a period of restructuring. After a 3-1 loss to Vasco and the departure of Luis Zubeldía , the club has decided to bring back Hernán Crespo as coach. The São Paulo team will have important reinforcements who recovered during the break: Lucas Moura, Oscar, Marcos Antônio, and Ferreirinha are available again.

PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS


The red-and-black fans promise to once again fill the stadium. As of last Thursday (10), more than 46 thousand tickets had already been sold. With the removal of free tickets, the expectation is that around 60 thousand fans will attend Maracanã to support Mengão in its search for three more points.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO WATCH: FLAMENGO X SÃO PAULO

📆 Date: July 12 (Saturday)

🕓 Time: 4:30 pm (Brasília time)

📍 Location: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

📺 Broadcast: Globo and Premiere

👤 Referee: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO)

👥 Assistants: Bruno Boschilia (PR) and Bruno Raphael Pires (GO)

🎥 VAR: Braulio da Silva Machado (SC)

Probable lineups:

Flamengo : Rossi; Wesley, Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Jorginho and De la Cruz; Luiz Araújo and Arrascaeta; Plata and Bruno Henrique.

Sovereign: Rafael; Sabino, Ferraresi and Alan Franco; Cédric Soares, Alisson, Marcos Antonio, Oscar and Enzo Díaz; Luciano and André Silva.




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