Monday, February 01, 2021
Club World Cup with Corona Risk?
Palmeiras party makes FC Bayern prick up their ears
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He is the hero of the Libertadores Cup final – and at the same time the great troublemaker: Breno Lopes from SE Palmeiras throws himself into the arms of the fans. Without a mask, although the corona virus is raging in Brazil. That puts FC Bayern in distress thousands of kilometers away. Because the Club World Cup is coming up.
What a celebration! When “Joker” Breno Lopes threw himself unrestrained into the arms of the fans without protective masks after his knockout blow in the ninth minute of stoppage time, in the midst of a deadly virus, broadcast live in 191 countries, the slogan of the purely Brazilian libertadore got -Cup finals unintentionally have a different meaning.
“Una final del otro mundo” trumpeted South America’s football association Conmebol. The finale from another world. Contrary to the promise, the derby in the Maracana of Rio de Janeiro was boring, poor quality and left a bland aftertaste at the end of the 1-0 (0-0) success of SE Palmeiras from São Paulo against neighboring rivals FC Santos.
Despite the isolation of the two finalists: The intimate contact with the 2500 admitted fans raises doubts. Because the PCR test required for the invited guests 96 hours before kick-off, which detects the corona pathogen, does not measure the last three days before the “Gran Final”, given all the freedom in the final location.
At risk to the Club World Cup
Nevertheless, Palmeiras is planning the flight to Qatar, where South America’s champion will meet the winner of the quarter-finals between Tigres / Mexico and Ulsan / South Korea in the semifinals of the Club World Cup next Sunday (February 7th). But the focus is on the final on February 11th and the possible duel with Europe’s triumphant Bayern Munich, who will face African champions Al Ahly or hosts Al Duhail in the semi-finals.
Only one seemed to think of the consequences at the wild winner’s party. “I am holding back from celebrating among the fans. There are too many here and I have not yet contracted Covid-19,” noted Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton, reminding him: “We have a Club World Cup next week . “
And so a team arrives from a country in which just one percent of the population – as of Saturday – is vaccinated. In which a coronavirus mutation in the Amazon region causes horror, which is why many countries have already issued an entry ban for all of Brazil. Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Minister of Health at the beginning of the corona crisis, nevertheless predicts a mega-pandemic in the next 60 days. Because the infected are transported from the collapsing Amazon to all corners of Brazil, and with them the mutated virus.
calm before the storm
The calm before the storm. Just like the finale, which after an endless yawning run-up saw wild minutes in stoppage time. In the 94th the ball rolls out of bounds, Santos coach Cuca reaches for him cunningly, Palmeiras defender Marcos Rocha too, both of them roll across the lawn. Cuca is banished to the stage, a good three minutes later the ball rolls again, 26 seconds later it is in goal. Gone stupid.
Palmeiras is Weverton, who was the only shooter to fail in the 2016 Olympic final against Germany, Nils Petersen, is also Luiz Adriano and Felipe Melo. But since Saturday Palmeiras has also been the winning goal scorer Breno Lopes. Signed in November from the second division club EC Juventude from Caxias do Sul. The final was his 17th game in the Greens’ shirt, his knockout goal was the second goal for the new club.
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