Wow. TheyâÂÂve made it 10.
With the 3-2 away win over Paulista in Jundiai â courtesy of another beautiful Robinho winner â Santos got their 10th consecutive win, including São Paulo State Championship and Copa do Brasil matches.
Robinho's beautiful winner (click to watch)
Now the Santos squad are only two victories shy of the club record â a milestone achieved only four times in the 97-year club history, the last time being in 1968 by the legendary PeléâÂÂs Santos squad.
ItâÂÂs early, of course: the 2010 version of 'the Village Boys' have won nothing so far. But truth be told, if you prefer to see football as a spectacle rather than a war, itâÂÂs hard not to get carried away by the so-called 'Santastic'.
Led by recuperating ace Robinho, co-starring young sensations Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, with maestro Giovanni as a luxury sub, Santos have been putting the beautiful back in the game.
It seems the biggest challenge to gaffer Dorival Jr, whose competent and discreet style of management drove Vasco da Gama back to the elite last year, is to keep the players clear of the hype around them.
Most of his star players are too young â Neymar has just turned 18, centre-forward André is 19, Ganso is 21 â and, with a truckload of talent in their feet, sometimes exaggerate in the flashy style of play.
This has already enraged some opponents â including the experienced and usually cool Ronaldo, who, after Corinthians lost 2-1 to Santos, blasted the youngsters.
âÂÂSantos have great players, but when we had two men sent off, they started to go trickyâÂÂ, said the Phenomenon.
"You've got to respect the opponent and always play objectively. Most of them didnâÂÂt. They've won nothing yet in football. LetâÂÂs see how they fare when we meet them again in the finals."
(Not a good idea to poke the fat beast, fellas.)
The most trouble-stirring incident came from Neymar; called offside, he chipped the ball over the head of Corinthians captain Chicão â the classic Brazilian chapéu or Spanish sombrero, almost causing an uprising among the opposition.
Cheeky Neymar lobs the oppo captain - click to watch
âÂÂI know it wasnâÂÂt right, but I felt like doing itâÂÂ, Neymar explained candidly after the match â for which Dorival Jr immediately rebuked him. Chicão struck back: âÂÂI felt doing some things to him too after that play, but I didnâÂÂt. HeâÂÂs a spoiled child.âÂÂ
Beefs apart, Santos will look for the 11th triumph against Portuguesa this Sunday â a tough away game in the Canindé Stadium, São Paulo. If they pull it off, the 12th win is almost a sure thing: itâÂÂs the second leg of Santosâ Copa do Brasil clash against lower-division side Naviairense next Wednesday.
If all goes to the Santastic script, the potentially record-breaking match would bring together the two clubs who ruled Brazil in the 1960s: Santos and Palmeiras, in the classic venue of Vila Belmiro.
Palmeiras has a history of spoiling Santos parties â in 1963, the Boys in Green won the São Paulo State Championship to prevent Santos from winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. In fact, from 1958 to 1969, 'PeléâÂÂs era', only Palmeiras dared to challenge Santos.
Just look at the São Paulo State Championship winners table in that span...
1958 â Santos
1959 â Palmeiras
1960 â Santos
1961 â Santos
1962 â Santos
1963 â Palmeiras
1964 â Santos
1965 â Santos
1966 â Palmeiras
1967 â Santos
1968 â Santos
1969 â Santos
So, if it wasnâÂÂt for Palmeiras, Santos could have been an unthinkable and unmatchable 12-time consecutive champion in São Paulo state.
But for the 2010 Santastic, would 13 be a lucky number against Palmeiras?
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