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.