Brazil. If Colombia sunk into scandalous disorder, Brazil went the other way – after years of chaos, finally order was shaping in. It was a good year – the national team won Copa America at last and there was crop of bright young stars. True, the best players were players in Europe and the exodus was only increasing. It could be that in 1989 the scales finally tipped in favour of the national championship – no more good play in the state championship provided a spot in the top level national championship, thus changing the focus of both clubs and fans. The top national level was reduced from 24 to 22 teams and the last 4 were to be relegated to the second level. There was further reduction to 20 teams, so only 2 teams were promoted from second level. The top level was becoming a real league, soon to play classic league championship as well. The second level was shakier – 24 teams played in it in 1988, but in 1989 the number increased to 96! Second level was still in transitional period – the first order was to stabilize top league, Second Division after that, naturally suffering at the moment. But something was firm: promotion/relegation exchange was established and the top 2 teams were promoted to First Division. However, it was enormously huge and complicated championship this year and even simplification of the championship formula did not help grasping the stages of the season. First level was structured better already. Taming local pride, ambitions, and illusions was never easy in Brazil, but now these problems were ate least removed from the top level – and, for the moment, concentrated in the second level. It was obvious that some team from the Amazonian jungle was inferior even to third-rate teams from Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, but such a club was located in a state, which demanded equality – if Rio should have 5 teams in the national championship, so the jungle state should have the same number . Thus, obscure clubs popped up, mostly to play their single season in the second national level.
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 1989, the second level of Brazilian National League, was played from September 9 to December 20, 1989. The competition had 96 clubs and two of them were promoted to Série A. The participants were divided into 16 groups of 6 teams in the opening stage. The top 2 teams in each group continued to the next round – from there to the final it was cup-style direct elimination, thus, 1/16, 1/8/ ¼. Semifinals, and final. Many obscure teams played their single season on that high national level. The formula was simple, but the sheer size of the championship… and the obscurity of most teams, combined with similar names of clubs from different states made it both exciting and difficult to follow.
Group A
1
Rio Branco
10
6
0
4
11
10
+1
12
2
Rio Negro
10
5
2
3
9
3
+6
12
3
Nacional
10
4
3
3
9
5
+4
11
4
Dom Bosco
10
5
0
5
13
11
+2
10
5
Mixto
10
4
0
6
9
13
−4
8
6
Princesa do Solimões
10
3
1
6
12
21
−9
7
Mixto
Group B
1
Anapolina
10
6
1
3
15
10
+5
13
2
Ceilândia
10
5
2
3
11
9
+2
12
3
Sobradinho
10
4
1
5
11
16
−5
9
4
Vila Nova
10
3
3
4
12
11
+1
9
5
Taguatinga
10
3
3
4
12
13
−1
9
6
Atlético
10
3
2
5
11
13
−2
8
Vila Nova
Taguatinga
Atletico Goianiense
Group C
1
Moto Clube
10
5
4
1
17
7
+10
14
2
Remo
10
5
3
2
11
7
+4
13
3
Paysandu
10
4
4
2
10
6
+4
12
4
Maranhão
10
2
4
4
11
17
−6
8
5
Sampaio Corrêa
10
2
3
5
6
13
−7
7
6
Tuna Luso
10
1
4
5
7
12
−5
6
MAC – Maranhao Atletico Clube
Group D
1
Fortaleza
10
4
5
1
9
5
+4
13
2
Ceará
10
4
4
2
9
6
+3
12
3
Flamengo
10
4
4
2
11
10
+1
12
4
River
10
4
3
3
8
8
0
11
5
Ferroviário
10
3
2
5
9
10
−1
8
6
4 de Julho
10
1
2
7
10
17
−7
4
Ferroviario
River
Group E
1
ABC
10
5
4
1
10
4
+6
14
2
Treze
10
3
6
1
12
6
+6
12
3
América
10
4
3
3
13
11
+2
11
4
Nacional de Patos
10
4
2
4
11
13
−2
10
5
Botafogo
10
3
1
6
9
14
−5
7
6
Baraúnas
10
1
4
5
4
11
−7
6
America (Natal)
Group F
1
Central
10
7
3
0
14
3
+11
17
2
Santa Cruz
10
6
3
1
14
2
+12
15
3
CRB
10
4
4
2
9
5
+4
12
4
Capelense
10
2
4
4
7
8
−1
8
5
CSA
10
3
1
6
5
14
−9
7
6
América
10
0
1
9
2
19
−17
1
CSA
Group G
1
Catuense
10
5
4
1
12
4
+8
14
2
Confiança
10
4
5
1
11
5
+6
13
3
Fluminense de Feira
10
3
6
1
8
6
+2
12
4
Leônico
10
3
3
4
7
8
−1
9
5
Sergipe
10
1
6
3
6
9
−3
8
6
Lagarto
10
0
4
6
2
14
−12
4
Sergipe
Fluminense de Feira
Group H
1
Itaperuna
10
5
4
1
11
4
+7
14
2
Americano
10
5
3
2
14
5
+9
13
3
AA Cabofriense
10
4
3
3
9
9
0
11
4
Rio Branco
10
3
5
2
9
5
+4
11
5
Desportiva
10
3
1
6
7
17
−10
7
6
Colatina
10
1
2
7
7
17
−10
4
Cabofriense
Desportiva
Colatina
Group I
1
Botafogo
10
5
3
2
9
7
+2
13
2
Catanduvense
10
4
5
1
11
5
+6
13
3
Uberlândia
10
2
5
3
8
9
−1
9
4
Goiatuba
10
1
7
2
3
4
−1
9
5
Goiânia
10
3
2
5
10
14
−4
8
6
América
10
1
6
3
3
5
−2
8
Goiatuba
Goiania
Group J
1
Bragantino
10
8
2
0
17
3
+14
18
2
São José
10
3
4
3
6
6
0
10
3
Volta Redonda
10
3
4
3
6
13
−7
10
4
Novorizontino
10
2
5
3
9
7
+2
9
5
Esportivo
10
2
3
5
2
7
−5
7
6
Santo André
10
2
2
6
7
11
−4
6
Novorizontino
Esportivo (Passos)
Group L
1
América
10
5
3
2
15
10
+5
13
2
União São João
10
4
3
3
13
9
+4
11
3
Democrata-SL
10
4
3
3
12
16
−4
11
4
Bangu
10
4
2
4
12
12
0
10
5
Valeriodoce
10
3
2
5
9
10
−1
8
6
Tupi
10
2
3
5
7
11
−4
7
Tupi
Bangu
Group M
1
Juventus
10
4
6
0
13
7
+6
14
2
XV de Piracicaba
10
4
4
2
9
6
+3
12
3
Rio Branco
10
4
4
2
9
9
0
12
4
Mogi Mirim
10
2
5
3
7
11
−4
9
5
América
10
2
3
5
9
9
0
7
6
Ponte Preta
10
2
2
6
7
12
−5
6
Ponte Preta
Group N
1
Grêmio Maringá
10
6
3
1
13
7
+6
15
2
Londrina
10
5
2
3
8
5
+3
12
3
Operário
10
3
5
2
14
11
+3
11
4
Douradense
10
2
4
4
7
11
−4
8
5
Ubiratan
10
2
4
4
9
14
−5
8
6
União Rondonópolis
10
1
4
5
4
7
−3
6
Operario (Campo Grande)
Group O
1
Blumenau
10
6
3
1
10
5
+5
15
2
Juventude
10
5
2
3
14
10
+4
12
3
Brusque
10
5
2
3
16
14
+2
12
4
Glória
10
4
4
2
13
9
+4
12
5
Marcílio Dias
10
3
1
6
11
15
−4
7
6
Esportivo
10
0
2
8
5
16
−11
2
Gloria
Marcilio Dias
Esportivo (Bento Goncalves)
Group P
1
Joinville
10
6
2
2
9
2
+7
14
2
Operário
10
4
5
1
10
5
+5
13
3
Noroeste
10
3
4
3
7
5
+2
10
4
Foz do Iguaçu
10
3
4
3
7
9
−2
10
5
Caxias
10
2
4
4
4
7
−3
8
6
Pinheiros
10
1
3
6
4
13
−9
5
Caxias
Pinheiros
Group Q
1
Criciúma
10
5
4
1
22
8
+14
14
2
Figueirense
10
4
4
2
8
10
−2
12
3
Novo Hamburgo
10
2
6
2
6
6
0
10
4
Santa Cruz
10
2
5
3
13
15
−2
9
5
Pelotas
10
2
4
4
6
11
−5
8
6
Avaí
10
2
3
5
8
13
−5
7
Second phase to the final:
Rio Negro
2–2 (p. 3–2)
Anapolina[3]
1–1
1–1
Ceilândia
0–1
Rio Branco-AC
0–0
0–1
Fortaleza
0–2
Remo
0–0
0–2
Ceará
2–2 (p. 5–4)
Moto Clube
1–1
1–1
ABC
1–5
Central
1–4
0–1
Treze
2–2 (a)
Santa Cruz
0–0
2–2
Confiança
1–2
Itaperuna
0–0
1–2
Americano
2–2 (a)
Catuense
1–2
1–0
São José
1–0
Botafogo-SP
1–0
0–0
Catanduvense
1–2
Bragantino
0–1
1–1
XV de Piracicaba
1–0
América-RJ
1–0
0–0
União São João
1–2
Juventus
1–0
0–2
Operário-PR
3–2
Grêmio Maringá
2–0
1–2
Londrina
1–2
Joinville
1–1
0–1
Figueirense
2–5
Juventude
0–2
2–3
Blumenau
1–1 (p. 2–4)
Criciúma
1–0
0–1
Eliminated:
Londrina
ABC (Natal)
Americano (Campos)
Moto Club – or Moto Clube (Sao Luis)
Botafogo (Ribeirao Preto)
Rio Negro (Manaus)
Uniao (Sao Joao)
1/8
Remo
1–0
Anapolina
1–0
0–0
Ceará
4–0
Rio Branco-AC
3–0
1–0
Catuense
2–2 (a)
Central
1–0
1–2
Treze
2–2 (a)
Itaperuna
2–2
0–0
São José
1–1 (a)
XV de Piracicaba
0–0
1–1
Juventus
2–4
Bragantino
0–1
2–3
Operário-PR
3–3 (a)
Juventude
2–2
1–1
Criciúma
2–1
Joinville
2–1
0–0
Eliminated:
Anapolina
Central
Juventus (Mooca)
Treze
Operario (Ponte Grossa)
Rio Branco
XV de Novembre (Piracicaba) – also known as XV de Piracicaba
¼
Ceará
1–2
Catuense
1–1
0–1
Itaperuna
1–2
Remo
0–0
1–2
São José
0–0 (p. 6–5)
Juventude
0–0
0–0
Criciúma
1–3
Bragantino
1–0
0–3
Eliminated:
Ceara
Itaperuna
Criciuma
½
Remo lost to Bragantino 0-0, 0-0, and 1-4 in the penalty shootout.
Catuense was eliminated by Sao Jose 1-1 and 0-1.
Finals – so far the semifinals winners earned promotion to First Level and they played 2 legs to decide the Second Level champion. At home Sao Jose lost 0-1 and they also lost the second leg 1-2. Bragantino won the championship.
Sao Jose (Sao Jose de Campos) lost the final, but had excellent season and earned promotion to the top Brazilian level – quite an achievement for a small club.
Bragantino (Braganca Paulista) won the championship.
The champions were happy, of course: it was not often Bragantino won a trophy. As for the team, it is hard to tell how good they were, since transfers in Brazil were frequent. The emblematic Biro-Biro played at least in the finals, but he also played for first-level team this very year.