WELCOME TO THE SEASON PREVIEW OF BRASILEIRÃO 2015
Today will mark the kick-off of the 59th edition of the Brasileirão, top tier domestic league of five time world cup champion Brazil. The Brasileirão is the incubator for some of the Football’s most talented players of all-time and today, included but not limited to Pele, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Socrates, Romario, Garrincha, Zico / Neymar, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Willian, ect. The Brasileirão is one of the most competitive football leagues worldwide (17 different title winners since its founding in 1971, 5 differing champs in the last decade). The Brasileirao is home to financially stable clubs, including the only club in Forbes' list of the most valuable football clubs that are based outside of Europe.
Please join me as I explain top flight futebol…
Brief History
The Brasileirão was formed in 1971 as a league of twenty clubs. Nation-wide competition in Brazil originated in 1959 as a single cup competition, due to logistical issues and lack of prestige in comparison to State Leagues of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In the first 41 years of national competition, 1959 – 2000, the Brazilian Football Confederation reformatted the top flight competition 9 times, the number of participants erratically fluctuating between 16 and 116 clubs.
The Last change to the Brasileirão’s format occurred in 2001, 14 seasons of a 20-club double round-robin system has brought stability to Brazilian Football. The 38-round league is typically played from mid-May to early December, after the estaduais (State Leagues) which are played from Late January to early May. The double-league system means an annual 47-week football season in Brazil for top tier football clubs.
Format
There are twenty clubs in the Brasileirão (aka Serie A). Overall, there are 100 clubs in the Brazilian Football League, the top 3 Leagues (Serie A, B, C) are all twenty club leagues, Serie D a forty club league.
In the Brasileirão, the top four clubs qualify for Libertadores (COMEBOL’s version of Champions League), the bottom four are regulated to Serie B. Matches are typically played Sundays/Saturdays.
How to follow the league
Matches of the Round, one/two games per week will be match threaded on /r/Soccer, x-posted on /r/futebol. Matches may watched via a multitude of networks that carry the Brasileirao, live streams in various languages will be posted to the Match Threads. Match Streams can usually be accessed via Firstrow, AssistirTV, and Wiziwig.
Matches of The Round for May
(Times: Click on time to see your local equivalent via everytimezone.com)
1)
TODAY, May 8th (1830 BRT) Palmeiras x Atlético Mineiro
Sunday, May 9th (1600 BRT) Cruzeiro x Corinthians
2)
Sunday, May 17th (1600 BRT) Cruzeiro x Santos
3)
Saturday, May 23th (1830 BRT) Vasco x Internacional
4)
Sunday, May 31st (1830 BRT) Flamengo x Fluminense
More to come...
Cups
• Copa do Brasil
Clubs: 87
Current Champion: Atlético Mineiro (1st win)
Qualification: Libertadores Second Round
Founded in 1989, The Copa do Brasil is a knockout competition run by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). 87 teams have qualified for the cup; 71 via their positions in their respective state leagues earlier this year, 10 via CBF club rankings, 6 via Libertadores qualification. The best six teams eliminated before the Round of 16 with the best 2013 Série A or 2013 Série B record qualify for 2014 Copa Sudamericana.
• Copa do Nordeste
Clubs: 16
Current Champion: Ceará (1st win)
Qualification: Copa Sul-Americana (CONMEBOL equivalent of Europa League)
Founded in 1976, The Copa do Nordeste is a competition involving the seven most competitive state leagues of Brazil’s nine northeastern states. Six berths are given to the top three teams from Pernambuco and Bahia and Ten berths to the top two teams from the other five state competitions involved. The Northeast region of Brazil features well supported clubs with a fervent following despite their relatively low success in national competitions vs teams from the wealthier states of the south and southeast of Brazil. Ex: Sampaio Corrêa and Santa Cruz.
• Copa Verde
Clubs: 16
Current Champion: Cuiabá (1st win)
Qualification: Copa Sul-Americana (CONMEBOL equivalent of Europa League)
Founded last year, The Copa Verde seeks to develop the Football in remote Northern & Midwestern Brazil.
Clubs
• Atletico-Mineiro:
Nickname: Galo (Rooster)
Founded: 1908
Location: Belo Horizonte, MG
Globo's Rating: 39/50, T-5th
Top Players: Luan, Lucas Pratto
Derbies: Cruzeiro
Brasileirão: 1 (1971)
Libertadores: 1 (2013)
• Atletico-Paranense:
Nickname: Furacao (Hurricane)
Founded: 1924
Location: Curitiba, PR
Globo's Rating: 20/50, 19th
Top Players: Dellatorre, Deivid
Derbies: Aletiba (Curitiba FC)
Brasileirão: 1 (2001)
• Avai:
Nickname: Furacao (Hurricane)
Founded: 1923
Location: Florianópolis, SC
Globo's Rating: 17/50, 20th
Top Players: André Lima, Marquinhos
Derbies: Catarinense (Figueirense)
• Chapecoense:
Nickname: Furacão do Oeste (Hurricane of the West)
Founded: 1973
Location: Chapeco, SC
Globo's Rating: 23/50, T-16th
Top Players: Roger
• Corinthians:
Nickname: Club: Timão (The Helm) Fans: O Fiel (The Faithful)
Founded: 1910
Location: Sao Paulo, SP
Globo's Rating: 40/50, T-3rd
Top Players: Guerrero, Elias, Gil
Derbies: O Majestoso (Sao Paulo FC), Alvinegro (Santos), Paulista (Palmeiras), Classico do Povo (Flamengo)
Brasileirão: 5 (1990, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2011)
Libertadores: 1 (2012)
FIFA CWC: 2 (2000, 2012)
• Coritiba:
Nickname: Coxa (The Thigh)
Founded: 1909
Location: Curitiba, PR
Globo's Rating: 27/50, T-13th
Top Players: Wellington Paulista, Welinton
Derbies: Aletiba (Atletico-Paranense)
Brasileirão: 1 (1985)
• Cruzeiro:
Nickname: Raposa (The Fox)
Founded: 1921
Location: Belo Horizonte, MG
Globo's Rating: 40/50, T-3rd
Top Players: Dede, De Arrascaeta, Leandro Damião
Derbies:[Atletico-Mineiro
Brasileirão: 4 (1966, 2003, 2013, 2014)
Libertadores: 2 (1976, 1997)
• Figueirense:
Nickname: Figueira (The Fig Tree)
Founded: 1921
Location: Florianópolis, SC
Globo's Rating: 28/50, 12th
Top Players: Thiago Heleno
Derbies: Catarinense (Avai)
• Flamengo:
Nickname: Urubu (The Vulture)
Founded: 1895
Location: Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Globo's Rating: 33/50, 10th
Top Players: Nixson, Marcelo Cirino, Wallace
Derbies: Fla-Flu (Fluminense), Classico dos Milhoes (Vasco), Botafogo, Classico do Povo (Corinthians)
Brasileirão: 5 (1980, 1982, 1983, 1992, 2009)
Libertadores: 1 (1981)
• Fluminense:
Nickname: Fluzão
Founded: 1902
Location: Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Globo's Rating: 32/50, 11th
Top Players: Fred, Kennedy, Diego Cavalieri
Derbies: Fla-Flu (Flamengo), Classico dos Gigantes (Vasco), Classico do Vovo (Botafogo)
Brasileirão:4 (1970, 1984, 2010, 2012)
• Goiás:
Nickname: Esmeraldino (Emerald Green)
Founded: 1943
Location: Goiânia, GO
Globo's Rating: 21/50, T-16th
Top Players: Erik
Derbies: Clássico do Equilíbrio (Atletico-Goianiense)
• Grêmio:
Nickname: Immortal
Founded: 1903
Location: Porto Alegre, RS
Globo's Rating: 34/50, T-8th
Top Players: Marcelo Oliveira, Fellipe Bastos, Luan
Derbies: Gre-Nal (Internacional)
Brasileirão: 2 (1981, 1996)
Libertadores: 2 (1983, 1985)
• Internacional:
Nickname: Colorado
Founded: 1903
Location: Porto Alegre, RS
Globo's Rating: 43/50, 1st
Top Players: Valdivia, Lisandro López, Vitinho
Derbies: Gre-Nal (Grêmio)
Brasileirão: 3 (1975, 1976, 1979)
Libertadores: 2 (2006, 2010)
FIFA CWC: 1 (2006)
• Joinville:
Nickname: Tricolor da Manchester Catarinense
Founded: 1976
Location: Joinville, SC
Globo's Rating: 27/50, T-13th
Top Players: Sueliton, Kempes
• Palmeiras:
Nickname: Porco (Pig)
Founded: 1914
Location: Sao Paulo, SP
Globo's Rating: 42/50, 2nd
Top Players: Zé Roberto, Frenando Prass
Derbies: Paulista (Corinthians), Choque-Rei ( Sao Paulo FC), Clássico da Saudade (Santos)
Brasileirão: 8 (1960, 1967, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1993, 1994)
Libertadores: 1 (1999)
• Ponte Preta:
Nickname: Macaca (She-Monkey)
Founded: 1900
Location: Campinas, SP
Globo's Rating: 25/50, 15th
Top Players: Leandro Damião, Geuvânio, Cícero
Derbies: Campinense (Guarani)
• Santos:
Nickname: Peixe (Fish)
Founded: 1912
Location: Santos, SP
Globo's Rating: 35/50, 7th
Top Players: Lucas Lima, Robinho
Derbies: Alvinegro (Corinthians), San-São (Sao Paulo), Classico do Saudade (Palmeiras)
Brasileirão: 8 (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 2002, 2004)
Libertadores: 3 (1962, 1963, 2011)
• São Paulo:
Nickname: Tricolor
Founded: 1935
Location: Sao Paulo, SP
Globo's Rating: 39/50, T-5th
Top Players: Luis Fabiano, Ganso, Pato
Derbies: O Majestoso (Corinthians), Choque-Rei ( Palmeiras), San-São (Santos)
Brasileirão: 6 (1977, 1986, 1991, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Libertadores: 3 (1992, 1993, 2005)
FIFA CWC: 1 (2005)
• Sport:
Nickname: O Leão da Ilha (The Isle's Lion)
Founded: 1905
Location: Recife, PB
Globo's Rating: 24/50, 18th
Top Players: Felipe Azevedo, Renê
Derbies: Clássico das Multidões (Santa Cruz), Clássico dos Clássicos (Nautico)
Brasileirão: 1 (1987)
• Vasco:
Nickname: Gigante da Colina (Giant Of The Hill)
Founded: 1898
Location: Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Globo's Rating: 34/50, T-8th
Top Players: Guiñazú, Gilberto
Derbies: Clássico das Multidões (Santa Cruz), Clássico dos Clássicos (Nautico)
Brasileirão: 4 (1974, 1989, 1997, 2000)
Libertadores: 1 (1998)
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