Today’s Latin America sports news is headlined by a seismic upset in São Januário: Vasco stunned league leaders Palmeiras 2-1 on Renato Gaúcho’s debut, ending a near-eleven-year winless run, while São Paulo capitalised by beating Chapecoense to claim the top spot in the Brasileirão. Across the continent, the Indian Wells Masters 1000 quarter-finals produced a Big Four semi-final lineup, the Copa do Brasil’s third phase wrapped up with 24 teams advancing, and Liga MX Clausura Jornada 11 opens Friday with Cruz Azul still commanding the table. This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of Latin American sports, providing comprehensive Latin America coverage across football, tennis and continental tournaments.
Renato Gaúcho could not have scripted a better São Januário homecoming. The Vasco managerial returnee watched his side trail at the break after Flaco López’s 40th-minute golaço — the Argentine cutting in from the right past two defenders and finishing with his left foot — before engineering a second-half transformation that ended the club’s decade-long winless drought against Palmeiras.
Thiago Mendes equalised on 62 minutes with a crisp tabela involving David, then Cuiabano completed the turnaround on 74 minutes, receiving a one-two from Paulo Henrique inside the area and firing past Carlos Miguel. Léo Jardim sealed the three points with a crucial stoppage-time save from Allan, denying Palmeiras a share of the spoils.
The result lifts Vasco off the bottom to 15th on four points, while Palmeiras — still on ten — surrender the Brasileirão lead to São Paulo. It was Renato’s third spell in charge of the Colina Histórica, and his first match ended with the São Januário faithful in raptures.
KEY STAT: Vasco had not beaten Palmeiras since 2015 — a drought spanning nearly 11 years and 16 meetings across all competitions.
02
Sao Paulo 2-0 Chapecoense: Roger Machado Debut Takes Tricolor to the Summit
Football
Roger Machado’s first match as São Paulo head coach delivered instant results — and the Brasileirão leadership. A scoreless first half at the rain-drenched Canindé gave way to a clinical second-period display, with Luciano heading home from a Marcos Antônio delivery just seconds after the restart, before Calleri added the second on 59 minutes following a Bobadilla assist.
Bobadilla himself twice went close to a third, hitting the crossbar in the process, before a brief blackout on one of the Canindé floodlight towers interrupted the proceedings at the 76-minute mark. With Palmeiras losing at São Januário, São Paulo moved to 13 points — three clear at the top — and extended their unbeaten league run to five matches.
Calleri’s goal was his eighth of the 2026 season across all competitions. Luciano’s header was his 106th career goal for São Paulo, making him the club’s leading active scorer.
KEY STAT: São Paulo lead the 2026 Brasileirão after five rounds with 13 points (4W 1D) — the best start by any club this season. Only Bahia (2W 3D) also remain unbeaten.
Latin America Sports Daily for Friday, March 13, 2026. Photo: Internet reproduction / The Rio Times
03 Fluminense Cruise Past Remo 2-0 in Belem to Enter Brasileirao G4
Fluminense Cruise Past Remo 2-0 in Belem to Enter Brasileirao G4
Football
Fluminense traveled 2,500 km north to the Mangueirão in Belém and controlled proceedings from start to finish, running out comfortable 2-0 winners over promoted Remo. John Kennedy opened the scoring on 15 minutes, diverting a Renê cross at the near post, before Agustín Canobbio doubled the advantage at 62 minutes with a well-placed header from a Lucho Acosta delivery.
The victory was the Tricolor’s first away win of the Brasileirão campaign under Luís Zubeldía. Veteran keeper Fábio, 45, made a crucial first-half save from Vitor Bueno’s header to preserve the clean sheet. Fluminense climbed to third on 10 points, level with Palmeiras but inside the G4 on goal difference.
Remo slipped to 17th with three points and remain winless in five league outings. The Leão Azul will need to find form quickly with fixtures against Coritiba and Santos coming next.
KEY STAT: Fábio has kept three clean sheets in five Brasileirão starts this season. At 45, he is the oldest starting goalkeeper in the competition’s history.
04
Gremio 1-1 Bragantino: Carlos Vinicius Header Not Enough as Rodriguinho Strikes
Football
The Gauchão champions could not translate early dominance into three points at the Arena do Grêmio. Carlos Vinícius headed in from an Enamorado corner on 6 minutes to put the hosts ahead, and the striker nearly doubled the lead shortly after when his close-range effort was cleared off the line by Pedro Henrique.
Bragantino grew into the contest, seeing a Lucas Barbosa equaliser ruled out by VAR for offside on the 22-minute mark. The Massa Bruta finally found the net in the 65th minute when substitute Rodriguinho unleashed a spectacular drive from outside the box, the ball deflecting past Weverton to make it 1-1. Despite late pressure from both sides, neither could find a winner.
Grêmio climb to ninth on seven points; Bragantino sit fifth with eight. The draw extended Grêmio’s winless streak against Bragantino to eight matches since 2021.
KEY STAT: Carlos Vinícius has now scored 9 goals in 15 matches in 2026 across all competitions — comfortably Grêmio’s top marksman this season.
05
Indian Wells QFs: Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev and Medvedev Sweep Into Semis
Tennis
The BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals delivered a dominant day for the tour’s elite as all four top seeds swept into the semi-finals in straight sets. Jannik Sinner was the most emphatic, dismantling 20-year-old American Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 in just 64 minutes, striking 10 aces and never facing a break point. Alexander Zverev dispatched Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-3 in a controlled hour-long display.
Daniil Medvedev ended defending champion Jack Draper’s title defence 6-1, 7-5 in a match marred by a late hindrance controversy — a disputed call at 5-4 in the second set that drew boos from the crowd but ultimately did not change the outcome. Medvedev reaches his fourth consecutive Indian Wells semi-final.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz completed the lineup with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie, extending his 2026 winning streak to 16 matches. The semi-final draw: Alcaraz vs. Medvedev, Sinner vs. Zverev — a rematch of the 2023 and 2024 finals on one side, and a potential coronation on the other.
KEY STAT: Sinner has won 5 of 6 ATP Masters 1000 titles. Indian Wells is the only one missing — a win on Sunday would make him just the third man after Federer and Djokovic to complete the set.
06
Copa do Brasil Phase 3 Wraps Up: 24 Teams Advance to Fourth Round
Football
The Copa do Brasil’s third phase concluded on Thursday night with 10 single-leg matches completing the round of 48. Among the most notable: Sport defeated Anápolis at the Ilha do Retiro, Juventude advanced in Belém against Tuna Luso, Ceará progressed past Maranhão in São Luís, and América-MG survived in Itajaí against Série D champions Barra-SC. Novorizontino — fresh from reaching the Paulistão final — eliminated Mixto away in Cuiabá.
The 24 surviving teams now enter the fourth phase next week (March 18-19), still in single-leg format. The Série A clubs — including Flamengo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, and the rest of the top flight — only enter at the fifth phase in late April, when the competition shifts to two-legged ties.
This year’s revamped format features 126 clubs, a record for the tournament, with the final set for a single match in December. For investors tracking Latin American financial news, the Copa do Brasil’s prize pool exceeds R$500 million — making it the most lucrative domestic cup competition in South America.
KEY STAT: The Copa do Brasil 2026 features 126 participating clubs — 34 more than 2025 — in the most expansive edition in the tournament’s 38-year history.
07
Brasileirao Standings Shaken: Sao Paulo Lead as Palmeiras Stumble
Football
After Thursday’s four matches, the Brasileirão table has a new look. São Paulo sit alone on 13 points after five matches, three clear of Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Coritiba on 10. Bahia are fifth on nine points. The big movers on Thursday were Vasco (up to 15th on 4 points, off the bottom) and Fluminense (into the G4 at third).
Coritiba, who beat Corinthians 2-0 on Wednesday, also sit on 10 points in fourth. The Athletico-PR vs. Botafogo match has been postponed to March 29 due to Botafogo’s Copa Libertadores preliminary commitments. Rodada 6 begins Sunday, with Fluminense hosting Athletico-PR and Palmeiras receiving Mirassol among the headline fixtures.
For analysts tracking LATAM market analysis and emerging market intelligence Latin America, the Brasileirão’s new continuous calendar — running from January to December — has significantly altered the commercial cadence of Brazilian football’s broadcast and sponsorship revenues.
KEY STAT: After Palmeiras’ shock loss at Vasco, only two clubs remain unbeaten in the Brasileirão: São Paulo (4W 1D, 13 pts) and Bahia (2W 3D, 9 pts).
08
Indian Wells WTA: Svitolina Stuns Swiatek as Sabalenka Rolls On
Tennis
The women’s draw at Indian Wells produced its biggest upset of the fortnight as Elina Svitolina toppled former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in a gripping three-set encounter. The Ukrainian showed remarkable resilience after dropping the second set, breaking Swiatek twice in the decider to advance to the semi-finals.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka held off a spirited challenge from 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, winning 7-6(0), 6-4 to remain unbeaten in sets through the tournament. Elena Rybakina dismissed Jessica Pegula 6-1, 7-6(4), while Linda Noskova continued her breakthrough run with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Talia Gibson.
Friday’s semi-final draw: Sabalenka vs. Noskova, Svitolina vs. Rybakina.
KEY STAT: Svitolina’s win ended Swiatek’s run of consecutive hard-court victories dating back to the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year.
09
Liga MX Preview: Jornada 11 Opens Friday With Nine Matches on Tap
Preview
The Liga MX Clausura 2026 returns from its FIFA-date pause with Jornada 11 kicking off Friday night. Cruz Azul lead the table on 25 points after last weekend’s commanding 3-0 win over Atlético de San Luis, with Toluca (22 pts) and Chivas (21 pts) in pursuit following the Rojiblancos’ 2-1 Clásico Tapatío triumph over Atlas.
Friday’s headline fixture pits Toluca against Atlas at the Nemesio Diez (7 PM CT), while Saturday features the marquee clash of Pumas vs. Cruz Azul at the Estadio Olímpico and América hosting Mazatlán. The action wraps Sunday with two more encounters.
Key storyline: América, Mexico’s most decorated club, have struggled for consistency in the Clausura with just four wins from ten games. A loss to Mazatlán could pile further pressure on manager André Jardine ahead of the Club World Cup in June.
KEY STAT: Cruz Azul have won 8 of 10 Clausura matches, scoring 21 goals — comfortably the best attack in the league this season.
10
Brasileirao Rodada 5 Midweek Recap: Flamengo and Coritiba Win Big on Wednesday
Football
Wednesday’s earlier Rodada 5 results — covered in full in yesterday’s Latin America Sports Daily — set the stage for Thursday’s drama. Flamengo beat Cruzeiro 2-0 at the Maracanã in Leonardo Jardim’s first match against his former club, while Coritiba stunned Corinthians 2-0 at the Neo Química Arena to climb level on 10 points with the early leaders.
Earlier in the week, Mirassol and Santos drew 2-2 on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s Ba-Vi derby ended 1-1 at the Fonte Nova. Atlético-MG edged Inter 1-0 at the Arena MRV in a match that saw Everson make a string of saves to preserve the narrow victory.
With the Athletico-PR vs. Botafogo fixture rescheduled for March 29, the Brasileirão table will not be fully complete until then. Rodada 6 fixtures run from Sunday through Wednesday next week.
KEY STAT: Coritiba’s 2-0 win at Corinthians marked their first victory in São Paulo since 2019 — snapping a lengthy away winless run in the city.
Brazil sports news today — Brasileirao Rodada 5 standings and Indian Wells 2026 semi-final preview
Thursday Scoreboard — March 12, 2026
COMPETITION
RESULT
NOTE
Brasileirão R5
Remo 0-2 Fluminense
J. Kennedy 15′, Canobbio 62′
Brasileirão R5
Vasco 2-1 Palmeiras
T. Mendes 62′, Cuiabano 74′; F. López 40′
Brasileirão R5
São Paulo 2-0 Chapecoense
Luciano 46′, Calleri 59′
Brasileirão R5
Grêmio 1-1 RB Bragantino
C. Vinícius 6′; Rodriguinho 65′
Indian Wells QF
Zverev d. Fils
6-2 6-3
Indian Wells QF
Medvedev d. Draper
6-1 7-5; hindrance controversy
Indian Wells QF
Sinner d. Tien
6-1 6-2; 10 aces
Indian Wells QF
Alcaraz d. Norrie
6-3 6-4; 16th straight win in 2026
Copa do Brasil 3ª
10 matches played
24 teams to Phase 4 (Mar 18-19)
Liga MX Cl. J11
Opens Friday
Toluca vs Atlas headline
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