22 January 1973 - When He's Not Saving Them, He's Scoring Them

On 22 January 1973, Rogério Ceni, the world's highest-scoring goalkeeper, was born in Pato Branco, Brazil.

He started his professional career in 1990 with Sinop, but moved to São Paulo in 1992 and has remained there ever since, making 1,050 appearances through the 2012 season. He got off to a great start with the team, winning the Copa Libertadores, the Intercontinental Cup, the Recopa Sudamericana, and the Supercopa Sudamericana in 1993, though he himself made only fifteen total appearances that year.

In 1997, he became the team's starting goalkeeper and went on to be named the Brazilian Série A's best goalkeeper six times between 2000 and 2008, when he was also named the league's best player. Along the way, São Paulo won three league titles (2006, 2007, 2008), another Copa Libertadores (2005), and the Club World Cup (2005).

Apart from being an outstanding keeper, however, Ceni has been an excellent goalscorer, with a world-record career total of 131 goals in all competitions, always through free kicks and penalty kicks. His most prolific year was 2005 when he scored a total of 21 times, including ten league goals.

22 December 2010 - If You Think It Was A Minor Change, You Don't Know Brazilian Football

On 22 December 2010, the Brazilian Football Confederation shook up the Brazilian top flight by officially recognizing the winners of past tournaments as national champions.

Although Brazilian football dates back to the 1890s, a formal national league system did not exist until 1971. Prior to that, teams competed in regional and local leagues, as well as a couple of national tournaments, the Taça Brasil (not to be confused with the Copa do Brasil), played from 1959 to 1968, and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, also known as the Taça de Prata, played from 1967 to 1970.

In 1971, the Taça de Prata became the Campeonato Brasileiro, the current league system, of which Série A is the top flight. Initially, the CFB recognized only the Série A winners as national champions, which meant that, as of 2010, São Paulo's six league titles were the most of any team, followed by Flamengo's five (Flamengo claims a disputed sixth title from 1987, though the CFB does not recognize it).

But in 2010, a handful of clubs, including Palmeiras and Santos, petitioned the CFB to recognize the winners of the earlier competitions as national champions. Not coincidentally, the change meant that Palmeiras and Santos each had a shared-record eight combined titles, ahead of Sáo Paulo, who were still stuck at six. 

Palmeiras won the league in 2016 to extend the record to 9. 

18 December 2005 - Mineiro Gets His

On 18 December 2005, São Paulo won the FIFA Club World Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0 with a goal from Mineiro.

FIFA first held the competition--initially called the Club World Championship--in 2000, but did not establish it as a regular tournament until 2005, when it merged with the Intercontinental Cup. Unlike the Intercontinental Cup, though, which matched the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup/Champions League winners, the 2005 Club World Cup expanded the competition to a six-team mini-tournament that included the winners from similar CONCACAF, Oceania, CAF, and AFC competitions.

While the rest of the teams entered in the quarterfinals, São Paulo and Liverpool received byes into the semis, where they defeated Al-Ittihad and Saprissa, respectively, to set up their meeting in the final, played before a crowd of 66,821 at the International Stadium in Yokohama.

Although Liverpool had just set a club record eight days earlier with their tenth consecutive clean sheet, they were undone in the 27th minute when midfielder Mineiro (pictured) slipped behind the Liverpool defense to reach a lobbed pass, then beat goalkeeper Pepe Reina from just inside the penalty spot.

Liverpool pressed for an equalizer and found the back of the net three times, only for the referee to disallow all three goals. The lone strike from Mineiro proved to be the difference and São Paulo lifted the cup.

27 October 2004 - The Death Of Serginho

On 27 October 2004, São Caetano defender Serginho suffered a cardiac arrest during a match against São Paulo and died later that day. He was 30 years old.

The center back, whose real name was Paulo Sérgio Oliveira da Silva, had joined São Caetano in 1999 after spending the previous four years at six different clubs. While there, according to goalkeeper Silvio Luiz, team doctors discovered that Serginho had an enlarged heart which put him at risk for potential cardiac problems. But, again according to Luiz, they thought the risks of an incident were "less than one percent."

In the 38th week of the season, São Caetano was away at São Paulo when Serginho suffered a seizure and collapsed in the 60th minute. Physicians from both teams attempted to revive him, but with no success. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The match was abandoned with a score of 0-0, but the remaining 30 minutes were played on 3 November, with São Caetano winning 4-2. They were later docked 24 points for allowing Serginho to play with a known heart condition, dropping them from fifth to eighteenth in the final table.

19 October 1974 - Independiente Takes Five

On 19 October 1974, Independiente won their third straight Copa Libertadores--and fifth overall--beating São Paulo in a playoff, 1-0.

Going into the final, Independiente were already the tournament's most successful team, winning it in 1964, 1965, 1972, and 1973, while São Paulo were in the final for the first time. But they split the two legs, with São Paulo winning 2-1 in Brazil and Independiente taking the honors in Argentina, 2-0. Level on points, they met at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago for a playoff.

There, 60,000 people looked on as Independiente left back Ricardo Pavoni scored in the 37th minute. It was the only goal of the match, giving Independiente the win, their fifth title in five final appearances for the Argentinians.

They continued their perfect record in the final, winning it again in 1975 and 1984. São Paulo, meanwhile, reached the final five more times, lifting the cup in 1992, 1993, and 2005.

14 July 2005 - We Knew The Brazilians Were Going To Win

On 14 July 2005, São Paulo won their third Copa Libertadores, beating Atlético Paranaense in the tournament's first all-Brazilian final.

Eight days earlier, the teams met at Atlético's Estádio Beira-Rio for the first leg, where the hosts were unlucky not a claim a win. After taking a 14th-minute lead, they surrendered an own-goal in the 52nd minute to draw 1-1. But their luck was even worse in the second leg.

Playing before a crowd of 71,986 at the Morumbi inSão Paulo, the two-time champions went up with a header from forward Márcio Amoroso in the 16th minute and held a 1-0 lead at the break. Another header in the 52nd minute--this time from center back Fabão--doubled the lead, then an easy tap-in by forward Luizão extended the margin eighteen minutes later.

With one minute remaining, substitute forward Diego Tardelli delivered the final goal (and the final insult) when he beat a defender in the box and sent the ball toward goal where it should have been an easy save for Atlético keeper Diego Costa Silva. He was caught off-guard, though, and the ball trickled through at the near post to cap the day as a 4-0 victory for São Paulo.

Not only was it the first all-Brazilian final in tournament history, it was the first one in which both teams came from the same country.

26 May 1993 - A Hill Too High To Climb

On 26 May 1993, São Paulo repeated as Copa Libertadores champions despite losing the second leg of the final to Universidad Católica, 2-0.

The Brazilians won the tournament for the first time in 1992, beating Newell's Old Boys on a penalties. For the 1993 final, they did their best to prevent going to another shootout, winning the first leg against Católica by the score of 5-1 (including an own goal by Católica defender Daniel López). The Chileans' only goal that day was a penalty kick by forward Juan Carlos Almada (pictured) in the 85th minute.

In the second leg, played at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Católica did their best to overcome the deficit, going up 1-0 with a 25-yard blast from midfielder Ricardo Lunari in the 9th minute that beat the keeper to the top corner. Then, just six minutes later, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Católica and Almada again converted. The keeper, diving to his right, did well to get a hand to it, but the shot was too strong.

Despite the rapid 2-0 lead, that would prove to be day's last goal, as São Paulo clamped down on defense and prevented Católica from narrowing the aggregate margin any further. It remains Católica's only appearance in the final, while São Paulo went on to win it for a third time in 2005.

31 August 1994 - Vélez Topples The Brazilian Giant

On 31 August 1994, Vélez Sársfield won the Copa Libertadores, defeating two-time defending champions São Paulo in a penalty shootout. 

Embodying the joga bonita philosophy of their manager, Tele Santana, São Paulo were in the midst of a tremendous five-year run of success that included one league title (1991), two Campeonato Paulistas (1991, 1992), two Intercontinental Cups (1992, 1993), as well as the 1992 and 1993 Copa Libertadores. They were heavily favored over Vélez Sársfield, who by that point had won a handful of amateur trophies and two league titles (1968, 1993). 

But it was Vélez who took the advantage in the Copa final, winning the first leg 1-0. In the second leg, played on 31 August in São Paulo, the hosts evened the aggregate score with a 33rd minute penalty from striker Luís Antônio Corréa da Costa, better known by his nickname, Müller. 

Still level at the end of regulation, the match went to a penalty shootout. After Vélez defender Roberto Trotta scored with the first kick, keeper José Luis Chilavert guessed correctly, diving to his left to parry the attempt from Sao Paulo's Palhinha. Immediately afterward, Chilavert stepped up to the spot and converted his own attempt as Vélez claimed the trophy by a 3-5 margin in the shootout. 

16 August 2006 - Internacional Liberates The Copa

On 16 August 2006, Internacional won their first Copa Libertadores, beating São Paulo on aggregate over two legs. 

The all-Brazilian event was Internacional's first appearance in the tournament final since 1980, when they lost to Uruguay's Nacional. São Paulo, meanwhile, were the defending champions, having won their third title that year. 

Internacional won the first leg, played in São Paulo one week earlier, by the score of 1-2, with both of their goals provided by forward Rafael Sóbis. They met for the second leg at the Estádio Beira-Ro. Playing before a crowd of 55,000, São Paulo pressed for a goal and came close a couple of times, but failed to finish. The first break fell to Inter, when São Paulo keeper and captain Rogério Ceni failed to corral a corner kick. It dropped to Inter's captain, striker Fernandão (pictured), who drove it into the net with a sliding kick. 

Shortly after the break, São Paulo defender Fabão scored from a 50th-minute free kick, but Inter midfielder Tinga restored the margin 16 minutes later when he headed the ball into an open net. That was his last contribution, however, as he received a second yellow for excessive celebration and left the match. But São Paulo failed to take advantage of the ejection until the 85th minute when they got a consolation goal from midfielder Lenílson. The match ended 2-2, giving Inter the aggregate win, 3-4. 

Internacional were the ninth team from Brazil to win the tournament, the highest number of winning clubs from any country. 

17 June 1992 - No Cup For Old Boys

On 17 June 1992, São Paulo won their first Copa Libertadores, beating Newell's Old Boys on penalties. It was an appropriate ending, as the only goals scored over both legs of the Final were penalties.

Newell's Old Boys hosted the first leg one week earlier and won, 1-0, with a 39th-minute penalty kick from midfielder Eduardo Berizzo. The teams met at São Paulo's Estádio do Morumbi for the second leg, where the match somehow remained scoreless deep into the second half despite constant end-to-end runs and flowing attacks from both teams.

The balance finally tipped in the 65th minute when the referee awarded a dubious penalty to the hosts. Midfielder Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira (younger brother of Brazil's legendary Sócrates) converted the kick, blasting it into a bottom corner to even the series. The match ended 1-1, requiring a shootout to determine the winner.

The first attempt fell to Berizzo, who hit the post. Later, with the teams level at 2-2, Old Boys keeper Norberto Scoponi saved the shot from São Paulo defender Ronaldão, but Old Boys were unable to capitalize, as forward Alfredo Mendoza then sent his attempt over the bar. São Paulo scored on their next try, which meant that defender Fernando Gamboa needed to convert his shot in order to keep the shootout going. But São Paulo keeper Zetti guessed correctly, diving low to his left to swat the ball away and give the trophy to São Paulo.

São Paulo successfully defended their title in 1993 and won it once more in 2005. Old Boys, meanwhile, who were losing finalists in 1988, have yet to make it back to the final.

12 December 1993 - Milan Gets Stuck In Second

On 12 December 1993, São Paulo won their second consecutive Intercontinental Cup, beating European Cup runners-up AC Milan at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

First contested in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup generally pitched the reigning Copa Liberatadores champion against the current European Cup holder. But Marseille, who had won the 1993 European Cup, were banned from international competition for a bribery scandal, so runner-up AC Milan took their place.

São Paulo, who had won the previous Cup over Barcelona, took the lead with a 19th-minute goal from striker Palhinha, who had been the Capeonato Paulista's top scorer the previous season. Milan equalized after the break with a 48th-minute goal from forward Daniele Massaro, but the Brazilian side quickly regained the lead 11 minutes later with a goal from midfielder Toninho Cerezo.

Milan striker Jean-Pierre Papin scored a late equalizer in the 81st minute, but as extra time loomed, São Paulo forward Müller scored the match winner with only 2 minutes remaining.

After the 2004 Final, the Intercontinental Cup was replaced with the Club World Cup, which São Paulo won in 2005 and Milan won in 2007.

24 November 1874 - Brazil's Prometheus Unbound

On 24 November 1874, Charles William Miller, the man who introduced football to Brazil, was born in São Paulo, Brazil to a Scottish father and a Brazilian mother.

In 1884, like many children in Brazil's British community, Miller was sent by his parents to England for his education. He enrolled in a public school on the outskirts of Southampton, England, where he was introduced to football. While overseas, he played for Corinthian FC in London and St. Mary's, the forerunner of Southampton FC.

He returned to Brazil in 1894 with a football and a set of rules and set about organizing matches among the British expatriates. He was one of the founding members of São Paulo AC and also helped organize Brazil's first football league. With Miller at striker, São Paulo won the first three league championships (1902, 1903, 1904).

A few short years after Miller's return from England, football had become Brazil's most popular sport.

12 December 2012 - The Copa Sudamericana Goes South

On 12 December 2012, São Paulo won the Copa Sudamericana after Tigre, their opponents in the final, refused to play the second half.

The final was scheduled to be played over two legs, with the first ending in a scoreless draw in Buenos Aires on 5 December. When the teams reconvened in São Paulo for the second leg a week later, the hosts went up 2-0 in the first half with goals from Lucas Moura (22') and Osvaldo (28').

But when São Paulo stepped out for the second half, they were the only team there. Tigre refused to come out of the locker room, claiming that they were attacked during the break by group of about twenty men, including police officers. Tigre manager Nestor Gorosito said that the police pulled guns on his players and even pointed one directly at goalkeeper Damian Albil, while other players were beaten with sticks. Video of a blood-stained locker room appeared to confirm Gorosito's account.

Tigre lodged a formal complaint, but the Copa Sudamericana organizers handed the title to São Paulo.

10 December 2004 - FIFA Goes Clubbing Again

On 10 December 2004, FIFA announced the restoration of the Club World Championship, replacing the Intercontinental Cup.

Dating back to 1960, the Intercontinental Cup matched the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup/Champions League winners, with the winner claiming the unofficial title as world champions. Originally played as a two-legged home and away series, in 1980 it rebranded as the Toyota Cup and switched to a single-game format, with the match played in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, in 2000, FIFA held a separate competition called the Club World Championship. Eight teams participated--one each from CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, and OFC, plus two from both UEFA and CONMEBOL. Although FIFA planned it as a continuing tournament, they eventually canceled the 2001 edition due in part to the loss of their marketing partner.

But in 2004, they decided to revive it, merging their earlier concept with the Toyota Cup. Played in Tokyo, the tournament included the winners of each of the six confederation championships in a knockout-round format. São Paulo won the first one, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

Now known as the Club World Cup, FIFA holds the tournament every year, with Corinthians winning the most recent one in 2012.

7 June 1970 - With That Many, He Could Open His Own Millinery

On 7 June 1970, Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, better known as "Cafu," was born in São Paulo. He went on to become Brazil's all-time appearances leader with 142 caps.

A right back, Cafu started his professional career with São Paulo in 1990 and played there for five seasons before moving to Spain in 1994 to play for Real Zaragoza. But after only one season in La Liga, he returned to Brazil, joining Palmeiras in 1995. Two years later, he was back in Europe, this time in Italy, where he spent the remainder of his career, first with Roma (1997-2003), then with Milan (2003-2008).

He won silverware at each step along the way, including multiple league titles in Brazil and Italy, the 1992 and 1993 Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups with São Paulo, the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup with Zaragoza, and the 2007 Champions League with Milan. (His only trophy with Palmeiras was a local one, the 1996 Campeonato Paulista).

But despite those successes, he is best known for his time with the Brazilian national team. After earning his first cap in 1990, he was a member of the teams that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups (appearing primarily as a substitute in the former), as well as two Copa América titles in 1997 and 1999. His last appearance, however, came during their disappointing 2006 World Cup, as a 1-0 loss to France eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals.

22 April 1982 - He Really Didn't Merit That Nickname

 On 22 April 1982, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known as Kaká, was born in Gama, Brazil. He went on to win the Ballon d'Or and World Player of the Year award in 2007.

An attacking midfielder, he started his career with São Paulo, joining their youth academy in 1994, then signing with the club as a professional in 2001. He remained there for a little over two seasons, making 59 league appearances and scoring 23 goals. That attracted the interest of AC Milan, who signed him in the summer of 2003 for a transfer fee of €8.5 million.

An accomplished provider of assists in addition to goals, Kaká helped Milan to the league title in his first season there. In 2005, they reached the Champions League final, but lost to Liverpool. Both teams returned to the final in 2007, with Milan winning 2-1. Kaká was the tournament's top scorer. Later that year, Milan won the Club World Cup and Kaká claimed the Ballon d'Or and the World Footballer of the Year award.

In the summer of 2009, he moved to Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €68.5 million, an amount that, at the time, was the second-highest in history after the €76 million Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001. (It dropped to third after the club signed Cristiano Ronaldo for €94 million in later in the summer of 2009).

At Madrid, has battled through injuries, but has still made made over 80 appearances there and helped them win the league title in 2012.

22 January 1973 - When He's Not Saving Them, He's Scoring Them

On 22 January 1973, Rogério Ceni, the world's highest-scoring goalkeeper, was born in Pato Branco, Brazil.

He started his professional career in 1990 with Sinop, but moved to São Paulo in 1992 and has remained there ever since, making 1,050 appearances through the 2012 season. He got off to a great start with the team, winning the Copa Libertadores, the Intercontinental Cup, the Recopa Sudamericana, and the Supercopa Sudamericana in 1993, though he himself made only fifteen total appearances that year.

In 1997, he became the team's starting goalkeeper and went on to be named the Brazilian Série A's best goalkeeper six times between 2000 and 2008, when he was also named the league's best player. Along the way, São Paulo won three league titles (2006, 2007, 2008), another Copa Libertadores (2005), and the Club World Cup (2005).

Apart from being an outstanding keeper, however, Ceni has been an excellent goalscorer, with a world-record total of 107 goals in all competitions through 2012, always through free kicks and penalty kicks. His most prolific year was 2005 when he scored a total of 21 times, including ten league goals.

Going into the 2013 season, the 40-year old Ceni remains São Paulo's starting goalkeeper and is also the club's captain.

22 December 2010 - If You Think It Was A Minor Change, You Don't Know Brazilian Football

On 22 December 2010, the Brazilian Football Confederation shook up the Brazilian top flight by officially recognizing the winners of past tournaments as national champions.

Although Brazilian football dates back to the 1890s, a formal national league system did not exist until 1971. Prior to that, teams competed in regional and local leagues, as well as a couple of national tournaments, the Taça Brasil (not to be confused with the Copa do Brasil), played from 1959 to 1968, and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, also known as the Taça de Prata, played from 1967 to 1970.

In 1971, the Taça de Prata became the Campeonato Brasileiro, the current league system, of which Série A is the top flight. Initially, the CFB recognized only the Série A winners as national champions, which meant that, as of 2010, São Paulo's six league titles were the most of any team, followed by Flamengo's five (Flamengo claims a disputed sixth title from 1987, though the CFB does not recognize it).

But in 2010, a handful of clubs, including Palmeiras and Santos, petitioned the CFB to recognize the winners of the earlier competitions as national champions. Not coincidentally, when the confederation announced its decision, both Palmeiras and Santos each had a shared-record eight combined titles, ahead of Sáo Paulo, who were still stuck at six.

The 2012 season recently ended and those three teams remain the top three with an unchanged tally.

18 December 2005 - Mineiro Gets His

On 18 December 2005, São Paulo won the FIFA Club World Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0 with a goal from Mineiro.

FIFA first held the competition--initially called the Club World Championship--in 2000, but did not establish it as a regular tournament until 2005, when it merged with the Intercontinental Cup. Unlike the Intercontinental Cup, though, which matched the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup/Champions League winners, the 2005 Club World Cup expanded the competition to a six-team mini-tournament that included the winners from similar CONCACAF, Oceania, CAF, and AFC competitions.

While the rest of the teams entered in the quarterfinals, São Paulo and Liverpool received byes into the semis, where they defeated Al-Ittihad and Saprissa, respectively, to set up their meeting in the final, played before a crowd of 66,821 at the International Stadium in Yokohama.

Although Liverpool had just set a club record eight days earlier with their tenth consecutive clean sheet, they were undone in the 27th minute when midfielder Mineiro (pictured) slipped behind the Liverpool defense to reach a lobbed pass, then beat goalkeeper Pepe Reina from just inside the penalty spot.

Liverpool pressed for an equalizer and found the back of the net three times, only for the referee to disallow all three goals. The lone strike from Mineiro proved to be the difference and São Paulo lifted the cup.

27 October 2004 - The Death Of Serginho

On 27 October 2004, São Caetano defender Serginho suffered a cardiac arrest during a match against São Paulo and died later that day. He was 30 years old.

The center back, whose real name was Paulo Sérgio Oliveira da Silva, had joined São Caetano in 1999 after spending the previous four years at six different clubs. While there, according to goalkeeper Silvio Luiz, team doctors discovered that Serginho had an enlarged heart which put him at risk for potential cardiac problems. But, again according to Luiz, they thought the risks of an incident were "less than one percent."

In the 38th week of the season, São Caetano was away at São Paulo when Serginho suffered a seizure and collapsed in the 60th minute. Physicians from both teams attempted to revive him, but with no success. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The match was abandoned with a score of 0-0, but the remaining 30 minutes were played on 3 November, with São Caetano winning 4-2. They were later docked 24 points for allowing Serginho to play with a known heart condition, dropping them from fifth to eighteenth in the final table.