I have no interest in early group stage European Championship qualifiers, so that only leaves this fixture at present, but thankfully we have two rounds from Brazil this week, one from J-league and the Gold Cup and Copa America starting this coming weekend so plenty of interest there.

 

 

 

 

 

Fortaleza played in midweek and now make the incredibly long trip down to Chapeco, that is circa 3,800 km. I have already in this new campaign spoken about how it is all about home form for them and so far from from home against a team who know what you have to do to survive, which is make the most of winable games on home soil, this will be tough. Ahead of Fortaleza's road opener my notes included .........

 

 

 

 

 

The visitors did us a favour at the weekend with a 3-2 defeat of Corinthians .............

 

 

 

Brazilian Serie A football restarted last weekend and is one of our main "summer leagues", along with MLS and J-League 1 and that will form the basis of the daily notes from June-July, but we also have European football this month, restarting in August and, this summer, we have three major international tournaments...........Copa America ( June 14-July 7), CONCACAF Gold Cup (June 15-July 7) and the African Cup of Nations (June 21-July 19). On top of which we have golf each week and all the big tennis events ! A huge summer of sport !

 

 

 

 

 

I spoke in midweek about Sao Paulo's poor form , but change of head coach earlier this week............

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sided with America at home to Cruzeiro last week............

 

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Parana will soon be relegated, probably next weekend, they sit bottom of Serie A , 17 points from safety and 16 adrift of the team immediately above them, who is today's visitor, Vitoria. The host appear to have timidly accepted their fate and have lost their last four by a combined 13-1 we have opposed them for two of those and notes on both are included in the preview of their last home start, a visit from Flamengo...............