Obina hat-trick helps Palmeiras crush Corinthians
Reuters - Monday 27 July 2009, 00:44
RIO DE JANEIRO - A hat-trick by Obina
gave Palmeiras a 3-0 win in their Sao Paulo derby on Sunday
against Corinthians, who lost Ronaldo with a suspected broken
hand.
Palmeiras joined Atletico Mineiro, shock 1-0 losers at home
to Goias, at the top of the Brazilian championship standings
with 28 points from 14 matches.
Atletico lead by a difference of one goal.
The two teams are four points ahead of Vitoria, who beat
Coritiba 1-0 at home, and Internacional, who went down 3-2 away
to Botafogo on Saturday.
Palmeiras, unable to fly due to poor visibility on
Saturday, had to make a 570-km bus trip to the city of
Presidente Prudente where the derby was played to avoid crowd
trouble in Sao Paulo but still turned in the better
performance.
Ronaldo, who fell badly on his left arm, had to leave the
field after 20 minutes and Corinthians doctor Paulo de Faria
said he had "a suspected fracture of the hand, he hurts a lot
and cannot play."
The three-times FIFA Player of the Year will undergo tests
on the injury on Monday.
NINE-HOUR JOURNEY
Unlike Corinthians, who managed to fly on Saturday to the
match venue, Palmeiras only arrived at dawn on Sunday after a
journey of almost nine hours.
"Everyone was quite tired, but overcoming that was the
challenge and the team did more than that," said 26-year-old
former Flamengo reserve Obina, who joined Palmeiras in May.
"The afternoon belonged to a battling team...that did the
utmost to get the result," the striker told reporters.
Obina opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when he headed
home a cross from the right by midfielder Pierre and converted
a twice-taken penalty on the hour after a push by Corinthians
captain Chicao on Cleiton Xavier.
The striker, who had two other goals ruled out in marginal
offside decisions, completed his hat-trick with his eighth goal
for the club five minutes later, tapping in a pass from Xavier.
Corinthians had substitute Alessandro sent off 16 minutes
from time.
Former Inter Milan striker Adriano helped Flamengo end a
run of three consecutive defeats in a 2-1 win at Santos, with
his 78th minute shot from outside the box drawing his side
level.
Substitute Robson had put Santos in front and an own goal
by defender Para three minutes from the end gave Flamengo the
points in their first match since they sacked coach Cuca.