2024-09-29 13:13:34
The year 1993 was the year in which Tricolor played the most games in history: 97! And the record was established even when the club refused to participate in two competitions: the Rio-São Paulo Tournament and the Inter-American Cup (São Paulo should face Saprissa, the Concacaf champion, but refused the invitation and surrendered the position of runner. – up in Libertadores 1993, Universidad Católica).
Due to the absurd number of games and competitions, and the resulting lack of dates, the solution found to hold the 1993 Recopa Sul-Americana was to take advantage of the fact that the dispute would be between two Brazilian clubs, Tricolor and Cruzeiro, and make it even the two matches of the short competition also for the Brazilian Championship. Or vice versa.
Explaining better. The match that took place on September 26 between São Paulo and Cruzeiro, in Morumbi, originally scheduled for the Brazilian Championship, was also valid for the 1993 Recopa decision regarding the calendar and South American football.
The Recopa was a real new competition. Established by Conmebol alone in 1989 to pit the champions of the main competitions that the entity against each other: the winner of the Copa Libertadores and the winner of the Supercopa João Havelange, known as the Supercopa da Libertadores or even Supercopa Sul-Americana. (which brought together all the champions in the history of the Copa Libertadores). In other words: it was a duel of titans, of the heavyweights of South American football: São Paulo, champion of the 1992 Libertadores, and Cruzeiro, champion of the 1992 Super Cup.
For the first match, Telê was missing four athletes: right back Jura, midfielder Luís Carlos Goiano and all Matosas players, injured in the previous match, the win against Flamengo; and Müller, injured for the longest period. It was the duty of the São Paulo boss to set up the team in 3-5-2 and try to make quick plays on the wings, with Valdeir, and deep with the center forward Guilherme.
In practice, it didn’t work out very well. The game ended with a pragmatic zero, mainly due to the lack of cohesion in the new tactical formation and the fatigue of Palhinha, who could not sustain the attack as expected. On Cruzeiro’s side, the highlight was the young Ronaldo, 17 years old, who gave trouble to the Tricolor defense system, even hitting Zetti’s post.
After the São Paulo coach gave many scoldings and demanded seriousness from the squad, in the period between games, and lunch among all the players, to show unity and commitment, the team traveled to Belo Horizonte the same day as the final game. So, on Wednesday, the 29th, it was Mineirão’s turn to host the clash between the two clubs. Tricolor went on the field with two nominal changes and three tactics: Guilherme, absent in the first match, gave way to the midfielder Juninho, which made Palhinha take a position in the attack. André Luiz also took Leonardo’s position, at left back.
The changes improved the team, which was ahead of the game in the first minutes. Juninho almost opened the scoring, after a cross from Cafu, at the start of the game. However, playing at home, Cruzeiro tried to impose themselves and began to control the pace of the confrontation. Dinho saved a ball on the line, in the 25th minute. In the second half, the striker Ronaldo hit the São Paulo post again. Despite the pressure, the Tricolores knew how to position themselves on the pitch and reduce Cruzeiro’s risk. With the final whistle from the referee, the title was decided on penalties.
The home team started trying for two kicks right away. Paulo Roberto, out, and Ronaldo – who hit the post once in each game, in regulation time – goalkeeper Zetti saved his shot. Therefore, as the entire São Paulo team was hit by the first four penalties (Dinho, Cafu, Válber and Ronaldão), there was no need to make the last attempt: 4-2 on the scoreboard and another international cup to give to Morumbi!
One Way Game Sheet
26.09.1993
São Paulo (SP)
Stadium Cícero Pompeu de Toledo – Morumbi
SÃO PAULO Futebol Clube 0 X 0 CRUZEIRO Esporte Clube
SPFC: Zetti; Cafu, Válber, Ronaldão/captain and Leonardo (André Luiz); Gilmar, Dinho, Toninho Cerezo and Palhinha; Valdeir and Guilherme (Juninho). Trainer: Telê Santana
CEC: Sergio; Paulo Roberto/captain, Robson, Luizinho and Nonato; Ademir (Douglas), Rogério Lage, Boiadeiro and Luís Fernando; Macedo (Careca) and Ronaldo. Trainer: Carlos Alberto Silva
Referee: Renato Marsiglia
Income: CR$6,798,900.00
Public: 12,974 paying
Game sheet back
29.09.1993
Belo Horizonte (MG)
Governor Magalhães Pinto Stadium
CRUZEIRO Esporte Clube 0 X 0 SÃO PAULO Futebol Clube
On penalties, 4 x 2 for São Paulo.
SPFC: Zetti; Cafu, Válber, Ronaldão/cap. and André Luiz; Gilmar, Dinho, Toninho Cerezo and Juninho; Palhinha (Catê) and Valdeir (Jamelli). Trainer: Telê Santana.
CEC: Sergio; Paulo Roberto/captain, Robson, Luizinho (Célio Lúcio) and Nonato; Ademir, Rogério Lage, Boiadeiro and Luís Fernando; Macedo (Careca) and Ronaldo. Trainer: Carlos Alberto Silva.
Referee: Jorge Luis Nieves Parra (Uruguay)
Assistants: Saul Feldman and Eduardo Rodrigues
Income: CR$7,616,400.00
Public: 20,018 paying
Penalties:
Paulo Roberto – missed / Dinho – goal
Ronaldo – missed / Cafu – goal
Luís Fernando – goal / Válber – goal
Ademir – goal / Ronaldão – goal
By Michael Serra / João Farah Historical Archive
#Recopa #South #America