Botafogo draws Figueirense 1-1, loses ground to Sao Paulo atop Brazilian league

SAO PAULO, Brazil: Botafogo allowed a 76th-minute equalizer against Figueirense to drop seven points back from leader Sao Paulo at the halfway point of the Brazilian league on Sunday.

Sao Paulo, the defending champion, beat Paranaense 2-0 on Saturday to keep alive a seven-match winning streak and maintain a comfortable lead in the 20-team standings after 19 rounds. It has 40 points, while second-place Botafogo — which has a game in hand — has 33.

Botafogo, winless in three matches, got on the board at Orlando Scarpelli stadium in Florianopolis with a well-struck free kick by veteran striker Dodo in the 49th. He curled a right-footer over the wall and into the left-upper corner of Figueirense goalkeeper Wilson.

Figueirense's equalizer late in the game came in a controversial play in which Botafogo complained of offsides.

After a free kick cross into the area, substitute midfielder Vinicius — apparently offsides — headed the ball back into the box for striker Otacilio Neto's close-range goal.

"You can't avoid being upset after a mistake like this," Botafogo Cuca said, complaining of the refereeing.

Botafogo was coming off a 2-0 loss to Sao Paulo last Wednesday.

The titleholders kept their lead by defeating Atletico Paranaense 2-0 at Morumbi stadium with goals by midfielder Jorge Wagner and striker Borges.

Sao Paulo has outscored its opponents 15-3 in its current seven-match winning streak. The team's last setback was a 1-0 defeat to Fluminense nearly a month ago.

Also Saturday, five-time champion Flamengo rallied to defeat Nautico 2-1 with a 87th-minute winner by defender Leonardo Moura. It was the team's second win in 13 matches. Brazil's most popular club remains second-to-last in the standings with 15 points from 15 matches.

Corinthians, Brazil's second-most popular club, rallied late to beat Copa Libertadores runner-up Gremio 2-1 at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo. The four-time champion scored in the 81st and 83rd minutes to grab the win and leave the relegation zone. It has 23 points from 18 matches in 15th place.

On Sunday, Cruzeiro beat last-place America 2-1 in Natal with an 88th-minute winner by striker Alecsandro to move to third in the standings with 32 points from 18 matches.

Vasco dropped to fourth after drawing Parana 0-0 in Curitiba, while fifth-place Palmeiras got past Atletico Mineiro 2-1 at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte with a pair of goals by midfielder Martinez.

Internacional, last year's runner-up, beat Goias 1-0 at the Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre in the return of coach Abel Braga, who left the club for a short period earlier this year and was rehired last week. The victory, Inter's first in four matches, moved the club to ninth place.

At Maracana stadium, 11th-place Fluminense snapped a five-match winless streak by routing eighth-place Santos 3-0 behind two goals by midfielder Thiago Neves.