State Championship Update

Written by Nicholas Savage , 19.02 20h48

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Madureira provided the shock of the round beating Flamengo 4-1 on Saturday and ousted Botafogo from the semifinals of the Guanabara Cup, the first phase of the Rio de Janeiro state championship.

Madureira got the semi final spot with their win and after defending champion Botafogo's 3-2 loss to Boavista. Madureira jumped Flamengo, who have already qualified with ten points.

In group B, America and Vasco advanced with ten points each.

Vasco drew 4-4 at rival Fluminense at Maracana stadium Saturday, while America fell 4-3 to Friburguense at home.

1000 goal seeker Romari played only a few minutes for Vasco in the goal less game.

So the semifinals next weekend will be Vasco vs Flamengo and Madureira vs America.

The winner of the Guanabara Cup plays the champion of the second stage, or Rio Cup, for the 2007 Rio state title. All 12 teams begin the second stage from scratch.

In the Sao Paulo state championship on Saturday, Sao Bento scored two late goals to shock Santos at the Vila Belmiro.

Santos, trying to become the first team to win consecutive state titles since Palmeiras in 1993-1994, were unbeaten in 2007 with nine victories and one draw. They still lead the competition with 22 points from nine matches.

Sao Paulo routed America 4-2 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto and jumped to second place with 21 points.

Corinthians, a four-times national champion, lost 3-2 to Paulista in Jundiai and fell to eighth, while ninth-placed Palmeiras were held by minnow Rio Claro to a 1-1 home draw in Sao Paulo.

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