São Paulo's Maracanã humiliation shows they don't deserve Libertadores | OneFootball

São Paulo was humiliated at Maracanã this Thursday against Fluminense, in the penultimate round of the Brazilian Championship. The São Paulo team suffered a 6-0 thrashing, but – believe it or not! – still has a chance to secure the much-dreamed-of spot in the Pre-Libertadores.

Yes, São Paulo had not been playing football worthy of appearing in the next edition of the most important tournament on the South American continent, but this Thursday it went beyond the acceptable level. Not even the numerous injuries serve as justification for what was seen on the field.

The mediocrity, however, does not change the fact that the São Paulo team might end up playing the preliminary phase of the Libertadores, if they finish the Brasileirão in eighth place and Fluminense or Cruzeiro wins the Copa do Brasil, which would open an extra spot in the continental tournament. One of those things that only national football provides.

The match between Fluminense and São Paulo seemed like children facing professionals. The home team created numerous goal opportunities and it was no surprise they were already winning 3-0 within 24 minutes of the game. A real thrashing.

It's true that Crespo had 15 absences for this Thursday's game, but the attitude of his team, especially in the first half, was unacceptable for the standards of a traditional club like São Paulo, which could have gone into the break losing by, easily, 5-0, without exaggeration.

In the second half, with changes in the team, the São Paulo team was left to play for their honor. São Paulo had no prospect of seeking a draw or a comeback in the style that their rival Palmeiras has become accustomed to in recent years.

The fact is that not even with Crespo's changes could the São Paulo team stop Fluminense, which turned the elastic victory into a humiliating thrashing in the second half, pushing the opponent to the bottom of the pit in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship.

Fluminense's ease in reaching São Paulo's goal throughout the 90 minutes was frightening. The team led by Luis Zubeldía, who faced São Paulo for the first time since leaving the club, showed no mercy to their battered opponent. Definitely, the 6-0 thrashing was a cheap outcome for the São Paulo team.

From the management's point of view, the setback has been and will continue to be very costly. The pressure on Julio Casares' management at São Paulo is increasing. A large part of the fans understood that to start solving the complex problems of the team, a true financial austerity policy will be needed for the coming years. Is anyone willing to do that behind the scenes at Morumbi?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.