Filed under: UEFA Champions League | Tags: Alex, Chelsea, Fábio Aurélio, Liverpool, Lucas
Alex runs to score the equaliser
Bernardo Pires Domingues
You know you are before a historic game of football when, besides the main story, you can identify a number of subplots within it. That was precisely the case of last night’s dramatic 4-4 draw between Chelsea and Liverpool. After the game, at the mixed zone, the subplot of my interest was the part played by the Brazilians, who were accountable for nearly half of the eight goals.
Footballers from Brazil playing leading roles in European matches is not something that come as a surprise but it is curious that Fábio Aurélio, Alex and Lucas, who all got on the score sheet on this magic Tuesday, have been overlooked by Brazil and its national team lately.
Fábio Aurélio, the Liverpool left-back, has never won a single cap for the senior squad. Alex used to be frequently called up by Dunga, but has lost some ground for not being a regular starter at Chelsea. Curiously, he may be better off now that Guus Hiddink took over after Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari’s dismissal by the London club as the defender won three consecutive league titles under Hiddink at Holland’s PSV Eindhoven.
And his goal yesterday may shed some light over him again.
“Every time we get free kicks from a longer distance the lads ask me to take them, Lampard told me to take this one. I managed to hit the ball well and it made a curve away from the goalkeeper. It was one of the most beautiful goals in my career, yes”, said Alex.
Lucas (left) leaves the pitch at half time
Lucas has been going through a similar situation. Once a regular feature in Dunga’s squad, he has been dropped by the Brazilian coach after some poor performances and a lack of opportunities in Liverpool’s starting 11. But he played both legs against Chelsea, coming on for Javier Mascherano last week and Steven Gerrard yesterday, and contributed with an assist for Liverpool’s fourth goal against Blackburn on Saturday as a second half substitute.
His performance at Stamford Bridge earned him compliments from boss Rafael Benítez: “Credit to all the players, especially Lucas in the middle in Gerrard’s position”.
The Brazilian admits the national team is still a short-term goal: “I have a huge desire to come back to the Seleção. But there’s no point in me talking a lot about it. I have to fight for my space at the club. You can see the competition is very hard here; there are so many great players.
“This night I played a new role, with more freedom, could play further forward; get close to the box every time. Gerrard has been playing further forward so that he can have the energy to get close to the box. It’s not that simple. Brazilian football is not like English football. I hear some times some people saying I’ve been timid, I’ve forgotten the way I play, but I’ve been gaining my space at Liverpool, this is already my second season and tonight was my tenth Champions League appearance”.
It was also his second goal for the club.
HISTORIC GAMES
Lucas and Alex were asked whether they had been involved in such an epic, thrilling game before. Lucas acknowledged the famous Battle of the Afflicted played in 2005 at the Aflitos (Afflicted in Portuguese) Stadium, in Recife, in the Northeast region of Brazil, as one of them.
Also from his time at Brazilian club Grêmio, he recalled the second leg of the 2007 Rio Grande do Sul State League semi-final, when they beat Caxias 4-0 at home after losing 3-0 away in the first leg.
As for Alex, the defender was keen to point out the Brazilian Serie A final in 2002. Having beaten Corinthians 2-0 in the first leg, his and Robinho’s Santos found themselves 2-1 down six minutes from time in the second leg and at risk of losing the title if they conceded again (Corinthians had a better campaign in the league’s first stage and would be champions if the tie ended up levelled in goal difference).
But then Santos scored twice in the final moments of the game, with Elano and Léo, securing the trophy.
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FC Brazil 
[…] He started his career at Grêmio FBPA labeled as new Ronaldinho, coming from the same ranks and because of his talent and hairstyle. He won the Brazilian Second Divison with Grêmio, scoring in the historic Batalha dos Aflitos (”Battle of the Afflicted”) against Náutico, a match also mentioned by Liverpool midfielder and former Anderson teammate Lucas in one interview to FC Brazil. […]
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