The World Cup of Clubs may not be a big thing in England, but it’s totally the opposite in South America. The games are still much remembered by the clubs, especially those who won it.
That’s why when interviewed by ESPN Brasil this week, former São Paulo midfielder Alê had one or two things to say about a match from 2005, when the Brazilian side beat Liverpool 1-0.
São Paulo were clearly underdogs at the time, especially because the Reds hadn’t conceded a goal for eleven straight matches before facing the Tricolor.
And Alê claims that Liverpool didn’t take it very seriously, as the Premier League side thought they could just win the match at any time they wanted.
“Sometimes they (Europeans) think we don’t have tactical discipline, but we taught a lesson that day, they came in thinking they were going to score when they wanted, and we showed that things were not going to work out that way,” Alê told ESPN Brasil.
São Paulo found a winner with an unexpected hero, Mineiro, who was a defensive midfielder and even ended up making a move to Chelsea a few years alter.
“We closed ourselves well and won with Mineiro’s goal. Rogério Ceni, as always, gave the word before the game. He encouraged us all the time and did not let us down ever. São Paulo are as big as Liverpool, and we showed it on that day. It was a great match, certainly one of the most disciplined games the team has ever done in history.”
