Brazilian League for Beginner's - Serie A Summary from 1st to 10th place

The Brazilian League Serie A in 2006 can be summarised via its clubs performance - as follows from 1st to 10th place:

1) SAO PAULO 78 pts. CHAMPIONS - qualify to Libertadores Cup Group Stage
average attendance: 22,950
official website: http://www.saopaulofc.net/
Best Players: Aloisio (forward), Rogerio Ceni (keeper & captain), Mineiro (midfielder)
Top Scorer: Lenilson & Rogerio Ceni 8 goals each

• Sao Paulo won the Libertadores Cup and World Club Championship (vs. Liverpool) in 2005
• The team lost Ricardo Oliveira (to AC Milan) & Diego Lugano (to Fenerbahce) during the season and Mineiro left for Hertha Berlin recently
  
• This is the best run club in the country
• Won the Brazilian League for the 1st time in 15 years

2) INTERNACIONAL 69 pts. - qualify to Libertadores Cup Group Stage
average attendance: 22,412
official website: http://www.internacional.com.br/
Best Players: Wellington Monteiro (midfielder), Iarley (forward)
Top Scorer: Iarley 10 goals

• 2nd place for second season in a row, but Inter have won the Libertadores Cup and World Club Championship (vs. Barcelona) in 2006
  
• The team lost Rafael Sobis & Jorge Wagner (to Betis), Bolivar (to Monaco), Tinga (to Borussia Dortmund) and more recently Fabiano Eller (to Atletico Madrid)
  
• Their young goalkeeper Renan beat Taffarel's record and went for 795 minutes without conceding a goal
  

3) GREMIO 67 pts. - qualify to Libertadores Cup Group Stage
average attendance: 25,632 - the best attendance in the league in 2006
official website: http://www.gremio.net/
Best Players: Lucas (midfielder), Tcheco (midfielder), Hugo (midfielder), Romulo (forward)
Top Scorer: Romulo 11 goals

• Lucas won the 'Bola de Ouro' by PLACAR Magazine - given to the best player over the course of the season. Lucas is the youngest ever winner at 19 years of age
• Super sub German Herrera (now at Real Sociedad) scored 9 goals in total, including 6 of which were scored in the final 5 mins of games
• Gremio had the opportunity to surpass its historical rival Internacional on the final day of the season, after Inter had lost its game, but lost it also. However, 3rd place still meant a triumphant return to Serie A by Gremio

4) SANTOS 64 pts. - qualify to Libertadores Cup Qualifier Stage
average attendance: 9,056
official website: http://www.santosfc.com.br/
Best Players: Ze Roberto (midfielder), Kleber (full-back)
Top Scorer: Wellington Paulista 9 goals

• Vanderlei Luxemburgo returned back to Brazil from Real Madrid to manage Santos
• Santos had the best home performance in the league with 82.5% (15 w/ 2 D/ 2 L) and the 2nd best defence

5) PARANA 60 pts. - qualify to Libertadores Cup Qualifier Stage
average attendance: 10,919
official website: http://www.paranaclube.com.br/
Best Players: Leonardo (defender), Cristiano (forward)
Top Scorer: Cristiano 11 goals

• The manager Caio Junior has now moved to Palmeiras and taken with him a number of the Parana players with him - Zetti has taken over the reigns of the club
  
• This is the best ever position for Parana in the Brazilian league
• Parana lost one of their best players, full-back Angelo (to Arabian football) during the season

6) VASCO DA GAMA 59 pts. - qualify to the South American Cup
average attendance: 13,483
official website: http://www.crvascodagama.com/
Best Players: Morais (midfielder), Andrade (midfielder)
Top Scorer: Morais 8 goals

• Renato Gaucho is the longest serving manager in the league - having taken over the club in July 2005
  

7) FIGUEIRENSE 57 pts. - qualify to the South American Cup
average attendance: 10,692
official website: http://www.figueirense.com.br/
Best Players: Cicero (midfielder), Soares (forward), Schwenk (forward)
Top Scorer: Schwenk 14 goals

• This is the best ever position for Figueirense in the Brazilian league
• Figueirense lost their full-back Fininho (to Lokomotiv Moscow) during the season
• Cicero, Schwenk and Soares scored an outstanding 40 goals between them during the season - unsurprisingly all three have now moved on with both Cicero and Soares going to Fluminense
• Their midfielder, Carlos Alberto, was suspended for flasifying his age (he was 5 years older than documented) - he had been one of their best players and due a move to Sao Paulo

8) GOIAS 55 pts. - qualify to the South American Cup
average attendance: 10,305
official website: http://www.goiasesporteclube.com.br/
Best Players: Jadilson (full-back), Harlei (goalkeeper), Souza (forward), Welliton (forward)
Top Scorer: Souza 17 goals - Brazilian League Top Scorer

• The League's Top Scorer, Souza, has now moved on to Flamengo whilst Jadilson has been sold to Sao Paulo

9) CORINTHIANS 53 pts. - qualify to the South American Cup
average attendance: 15,703
official website: http://www.corinthiansfutebol.com.br/pt-br/
Best Players: Marinho (defender)
Top Scorer: Rafael Moura 7 goals

• After winning the Brazilian League last season (with Carlos Tevez & Javier Mascherano), Corinthians struggled from the very beginning this season even flirting with relegation until coach Leao came in - ending the season on a high after a 10-match undefeated run
  
• Corinthians had the most players sent off over the season (17!!)
• Corinthians lost 10 players during the season - either because of injuries or being sold by the club (Tevez, Mascherano, Ricardinho, Carlos Alberto, Nilmar, Marcelinho, Xavier, Wendel, Igor, Gustavo Nery)

10) CRUZEIRO 53 pts. - qualify to the South American Cup
average attendance: 15,213
official website: http://www.cruzeiro.com.br/
Best Players: Wagner (forward), Gladstone (defender)
Top Scorer: Wagner 11 goals

• Cruzeiro lost some key players during the season: defender Edu Dracena (to Fenerbahce), Moises & Alecssandro (to Sporting Lisbon) and Gil (to Gimnastic)
• Cruzeiro lost only one game at home - against Fluminense 2x3