Palmeiras, Olimpia close in on championships, more South America news

Title challenges are coming down to the home stretch in Brazil, Paraguay and Colombia. Here are the big stories from soccer in South America this week.

While several domestic leagues are still in the earlier stages of their seasons, there are title races worth watching around South America that are getting close to their conclusion. This week, let’s focus on those title races.

Palmeiras maintain stranglehold on Serie A lead in Brazil

A 1-1 draw at Flamengo proved sufficient on Saturday to preserve the four-point lead Palmeiras currently enjoys atop the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table. The draw kept Flamengo, currently sitting in second in Brazil’s national league, from gaining any ground in the standings.

Palmeiras seemed happy to concede the bulk of the possession, as Flamengo ended up holding the ball for 71 percent of the match. The showdown at the Maracana yielded 22 scoring attempts for the hosts and only eight for the visitors. But the match remained scoreless through the first half, and it was Dudu who put Palmeiras up 1-0 shortly after the intermission.

Flamengo preserved a point at the Maracana on Saturday thanks to an 81st-minute equalizer from Marlos Moreno. But Palmeiras seems content to string out their opponents, and it very nearly yielded a seven-point lead in the Serie A table with only seven matches left to play in the season.

None of the other contenders could take advantage of the draw between the two teams atop the standings. Internacional, sitting in third, fell 1-1 on the road Friday night against Vasco da Gama. A second-half stoppage time penalty allowed the home side to equalize in the 92nd minute, preventing Internacional from the opportunity to climb back up into second ahead of Flamengo.

Sao Paulo did earn a victory, taking down Vitoria 1-0 on Friday night. But the Tricolor are seven points adrift even with the win, and their opportunity for the club’s first national title in a decade are quickly falling by the wayside.

Olimpia edging closer to Primera title in Paraguay

With seven matchdays left in the Primera Division in Paraguay this season, Olimpia now finds that they have a seven-point lead in the Clausura standings over Cerro Porteno after their respective results over the weekend.

Just a few weeks ago, Cerro Porteno found themselves taking a one-point lead in the Clausura standings. Three matches later, Olimpia earned all nine possible points and outscored their opponents by a combined 14-3 score over the ensuing stretch. Their latest win came on Sunday at Deportivo Capiata, as Roque Santa Cruz scored a hat-trick in the first half and added a fourth goal in the first minute after the intermission.

Cerro Porteno, on the other hand, did at least manage to secure a point on Sunday after two straight defeats. Santiago Arzamendia Duarte earned a yellow card just before halftime, and a second bookable offense brought out the red card in the 59th minute. The hosts scored a go-ahead goal eight minutes later, and Cerro Porteno were lucky to get an equalizer in second-half stoppage time from Diego Churin.

But it was another disappointing result, as the recent leaders slid further behind Olimpia in the Clausura table. The two clubs are on divergent paths as they prepare next to face one another in a head-to-head showdown on Nov. 4. An Olimpia win at home would put the leaders up by 10 points with six matches remaining, all but sealing up the Clausura. If Cerro Porteno can steal all three points, however, it would tighten things back up down the homestretch.

Five teams separated by three points in Colombia

With only two matchdays left to play in Colombia before the Clausura champion is crowned, five teams are separated by only three points. Anything could happen over the next two matches, but there is a variable that changes things some in the race.

Caldas and Deportes Tolima were forced to postpone their early October match against one another, and they will play things out on Nov. 7 in their make-up date. The two teams currently sit first and second in the Primera table in Colombia, and the match could potentially serve as the decisive contest in the title race.

Of course, both clubs must win in the first weekend of November to set that de facto title game up properly. Midtable sides Santa Fe and América de Cali host Caldas and Deportes Tolima respectively. They also need current leader La Equidad to lose or draw at Atletico Nacional on Nov. 4 to ensure the match becomes a championship decider.