By Robbie Blakeley, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – There were narrow victories for Botafogo and Flamengo yesterday afternoon as the 2014 Campeonato Brasileiro nears the halfway stage. Fluminense, who are hanging onto the coat-tails of the G-4, managed to earn a valuable point away from home.
A smashing strike from Daniel gave Botafogo a 1-0 win over Santos yesterday afternoon at the Maracanã. The victory left the Glorioso five points above the relegation zone and just one behind their Paulista opponents.
The game had been a slow, scrappy affair for the most part. But the young prospect made all the difference on 62 minutes. A corner fell to Daniel on the edge of the area, and the midfielder struck the ball perfectly on the half-volley. His shot rocketed bast Santos goalkeeper Aranha and into the top of the net to give Fogo a much needed three points.
At the Barradão, Flamengo continued their recent excellent form with a 2-1 win over bottom club Vitória. It was the Rubro-Negro’s fifth successive Brasileirão victory, and lifted the club into ninth place in the table.
Goalkeeper Paulo Victor was the hero, saving a late penalty to preserve the points for Fla. Marcelo had headed the Cariocas ahead just after half an hour from a corner. Caio’s bizarre looping effort equalized for the home side on 39 minutes. Then twenty minutes from time, Alecsandro coolly converted a penalty after the referee pointed at the spot for a handball.
Finally, Fluminense managed to earn a 1-1 draw away to title chasing Corinthians. Fred opened the scoring for the Tricolor from the spot just before the break. Corinthians boss Mano Menezes sent on attacking midfielder Renato Augusto for the second half and it changed the panorama of the match. The home side pressed far more rigorously, and found a leveler on 73 minutes from Romarinho’s low, angled shot.
Campeonato Brasileiro Round 18 Results in Full:
Palmeiras 0-1 Internacional
Cruzeiro 4-2 Chapecoense
Botafogo 1-0 Santos
Sport Recife 2-0 Criciúma
Corinthians 1-1 Fluminense
Coritiba 0-0 Atlético-MG
Figueirense 1-1 São Paulo
Vitória 1-2 Flamengo
Grêmio 1-0 Bahia
Goiás 3-1 Atlético-PR
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