Sao Paulo beat JCT 3-0 in Super Sooccer series

New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) Sao Paulo pumped in three second half goals to blank a tenacious JCT 3-0 in the final match of the Super Soccer Series here today.

The Brazilian champions dominated most part of the match, but the Punjab side held them at bay till the 65th minute and even came close to finding the net in the later part of the first half.

Sao Paulo, however, continued their relentless atttack, with neat ball control, precise passing and clinical finish to take the full honours at Ambedkar Stadium under overcast conditions and scrappy turf due to overnight rain.

They wound up the five-match Series -- the brainchild of Indian Footbal Association -- on a winning note, having beater. East Bengal (3-0), Mohmmedan Sporting (6-0), Mohun Bagan (2-0)and Kerala XI (3-0) in their earlier four ties.

Young Francisco Alex scored twice in the 65th and 74th minutes while Gustavo Calil Cazao netted the third forSaul Paulo.

In the first half, JCT denied the Brazilians with goalkeeper Karanjit Singh making a couple of fine saves and Sunday Ambrose and Anwar Singh playing brilliantly in deep defence.

Karanjit dived full-length to his left to block a Cicero Da Silva powerful right footer in the 14th minute and another by Jean Raphael in the 43rd minute.

JCT made a couple of forays in the later part of the second half.

In the 28th minute Baldip Singh (Jr) fed captain Chidi Edeh near the right top corner of the box. The Nigerian outsprinted his marker, darted towards the touchline, cut through two defenders but faiiled to take a left footer to the disapointment of a sizeable crowd.

But JCT's best chance was at the stroke of half time when Renedy Singh's 30-yard free kick beat the diving Sao Paulo goalkeeper but missed the bar by a whisker.

After resumption, it was Sau Paulo which did all the attacking and JCT defending desperately in their own half.

In the 60th minute, Anderson Hernane's powerful shot was saved by JCT goalkeeper who also punched out Jean Raphael's long ranger in the next minute.

But a diving Karanjit was beaten all ends up in the 65th minute by a perfectly-placed left footed grounder from Alex from the top of the box.

Seven minutes later Sao Paulo captain Marcos Antonio's shearing right-footer from outside the box also beat Karanjit but came back to play after hitting the woodwork.

Alex scored his second goal in the 74th minute with a left footer after collecting a pass from Paulo Gomes.

The 2-0 cushion did not stop the Brazilians' hunger for goal and tall defender Cazao completed the tally connecting a corner kick six minutes from the final whistle.

Sau Paulo caoch Carlos D'Silva later told reporters that he was happy with the performance of his boys in the Series.

''This is not the first side of Sao Paulo, but a mixture of a few experience players and some junior players,'' Carlos said, when asked the Indian fans had not seen the Brazilian brand of football in the Series.

The touring side has four players which won the Brazilian League in 2006 and the remaining were from the junior division.

UNI