Ronaldo on target as Corinthians eye Cup glory

Corinthians are on the verge of winning their third Copa do Brasil crown after beating Internacional 2-0 at home in the first leg of the tournament finals.

Ronaldo struck shortly after the half-time break to add to Jorge Henrique's first-half strike, as the Timao set themselves up well for the second leg to be played in Porto Alegre on July 1.

The night started well for the home fans crammed into the Pacaembu stadium as they received the news that arch-rivals Palmeiras had been eliminated from the Copa Libertadores.

The cheers that greeted that news were heard again 25 minutes into the game when Marcelo Oliveira assisted Jorge Henrique, who beat keeper Lucio with a rifling shot.

The hosts stayed a goal in front until shortly after the break when Ronaldo beat his marker to double the lead with his first goal in five games.

Inter's frustration come to the fore as substitute Leonard was sent off shortly before the final whistle after he received two yellow cards in less than 20 minutes, meaning he will be unavailable for the second leg.

Despite the result, however, Corinthians forward Dentinho was quick to urge caution.

"Last year we lost the title to Sport despite taking a 3-1 advantage from the first leg," he recalled.

"Today we also got a similar result, but this year we have more experienced players in Ronaldo, Douglas, Chicao. But we can't commit the same errors twice.

However he added: "I think this year we will have a better end."