A taste of Palmeiras

Flávio walks into the noisy cantina. It's Sunday afternoon and the restaurant, located in the centre of one the most traditional Italian neighbourhoods in São Paulo, is absolutely packed.

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Throughout the month of August, the Bixiga quarter celebrates its Virgin, Our Lady of Achiropita. Every single weekend of this month its trattorias and shops attract a large crowd of Italian descendents and tourists alike.

But Flávio knows this is not just another August Sunday. Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, Flavio's team and that of 99% of the large Italian community in São Paulo, play a very challenging derby against São Paulo Futebol Clube. After 21 matches, Palmeiras lead the Brazilian Championship (a.k.a. the Brasileirão), and have the chance to increase their four-point advantage over third place archrivals São Paulo.

Flávio hugs old Piero, the owner of the cantina, who is wearing a throwback Palmeiras shirt from the 1993 Brazilian champions (Roberto Carlos, Edmundo, Zinho and Evair were just a few stars of that amazing team). "Is my table still available?" Flávio said. "You're late, but I kept it for you," answers Piero.

The table in question, the only empty one in the whole restaurant, sits in front of a 50 inch plasma screen hanging on the wall, a piece of technology that stands out awkwardly in an otherwise stereotypical Italian cantina decoration. "Brilliant, you're the man. The others will arrive soon," says a delighted Flávio.

The table looks gorgeous, and not only because of its proximity to the TV screen: all kinds of mouth-watering Italian appetizers are waiting for Flávio and his friends, plus a bucket full with ice cold beers. The food offering shows the well-known Italian preference for pork-based products, which is also the reason for one of Palmeiras' nicknames: o Porco (the pork).

Palmeiras took control of the table seven matches ago, and now they are the most convincing candidate to win the title. With the support of Traffic (read Sam Kelly's piece to understand this Brazilian version of MSI), o Porco have managed to retain their best players during the European transfer window, while other title contenders were forced to sell their stars to make ends meet.

Palmeiras' only serious loss during this spell was striker Keirrison, sold to Barcelona, and then loaned by the Catalans to Benfica. The young forward was recently replaced with supporters' favourite and former CSKA player Vagner Love.

However, the current idol of the pork eaters and arguably the best player in Brazil right now is Diego Souza. The 24-year-old carioca is a tall, strong offensive midfielder, surprisingly fast for his size and with an amazing gift to kick the ball masterfully with either foot.

Despite a certain tendency to lose his temper when provoked by nasty defenders, some of Diego's recent performances have been so astounding he looked like a man playing with kids. "Diego deserves a place in the national team, the sooner the better," his coach Muricy Ramalho stated last week.

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Muricy himself also adds some spice to this derby, as he was São Paulo's coach until less than two months ago, an icon among their fans. After years of success, his failure to deliver in the Libertadores and the poor start to this year's Brasileirão got him the boot, and Palmeiras went immediately after him.

Since Muricy's dismissal, São Paulo have recovered their form, and they are now the main obstacle between o Porco and the league title. During the last few years, the sãopaulinos have developed the curious habit of getting better and better as the season advances, and that is how they ended up winning the last three Brazilian Championships: poor start, terrific finish.

Their supporters nicknamed the team Jason (from Friday 13th) due to this uncanny ability to resurrect from the dead. Sao Paulo's recent streak, nine matches undefeated and seven straight wins, took them once again back from close to the relegation positions to their current third place, among "Jason is back!" chants from their faithful.

The key to São Paulo's consistency over the last few years relies on their well structured team planning and management, unparalleled among clubs in Brazil. They own the best youth team structure in the country and complement that with a hiring policy that goes after hidden talent and invests in players more shrewdly and patiently than any other Brazilian side.

"It's a must-win for São Paulo, they play at home," says Flávio. "If we beat them, half of the title is ours." With another 16 matches to go, Flávio's assessment seems a bit over-optimistic, but the psychological impact of an away win, killing Jason once more, can't be underestimated. "Just ask Enzo, he's scared to death," says Flávio.

Against all odds, Enzo, the white-haired, Italian-looking waiter serving Flávio's table, admits he supports São Paulo. "The boss says many regulars keep coming just to argue with me. Not that I see it reflected in their tips or my salary in any shape or form..."

The match starts. As expected, São Paulo come out very aggressive. Their midfield takes control of proceedings quickly and manages to create a few chances in the first 25 minutes. However, Palmeiras' defence handles all of them with ease. Both teams have built their success based on a solid defensive structure, supported by two goalies, Rogério Ceni and Marcos, who have deservedly earned legend status in Brazilian football.

Palmeiras improve slightly at the end of the first half, but Flávio is not happy: "This is not looking good. São Paulo own the midfield, Muricy has to do something during half-time." The gaffer must have heard this, as he substitutes his second striker Ortigoza with Souza, a combative midfielder that makes an immediate impact on the match.

Thanks to his tireless work, Palmeiras get more of the ball, and start to play like they're the home side, with plenty of touches and ball possession. However, their offensive players are having an off day and can't get past São Paulo's consistent centre backs.

Among faults, bookings and substitutions the match loses its rhythm. "The two best defences in the country, we should have known this would end 0-0," says Enzo. And that is exactly the result when the referee blows the final whistle. "There goes a great chance to kill Jason, here's hope we don't regret it later on," comments a slightly disappointed Flávio.

Slowly, the patrons leave the cantina. Owner Piero grabs Flávio by the arm and whispers in his ear, godfather style: "You have to come back next Saturday. We will take care of Argentina then. Can you imagine them out of the World Cup? And Maradona being the guilty part? It'd be too sweet..." His voice raises in ecstasy: "We HAVE to beat the Argentineans!!"

Enzo overhears his boss, and while nodding, calmly states: "This is the first time we agree on something since I started working here."