The 2008 Brazil National League runs from May to December, with 20 teams in each of two categories - Série A and Série B. What Brazilians call the National Championship - Campeonato Brasileiro, or Brasileirão ("Big Brazilian") - enters the 2008 season with Ipatinga, from Minas Gerais, as a first-timer in the first division.

In the meantime, Corinthians, one of Brazil's major teams, starts the season in the B series and with a new campaign: Eu nunca vou te abandonar ("I'll never desert you").

The slogan is printed on purple T-shirts as in the Brazil slang for a passionate soccer fan - a "purple fan", or torcedor roxo.

One of the things worth watching for in the 2008 Brazil League will be São Paulo's attempt to be the first team to win three consecutive Brasileirão titles in a row. Other four teams have tried and failed:

• Palmeiras in 1974 and 1995
• Flamengo in 1984
• Internacional in 1977
• Corinthians in 2000

Serie A Standings and Game Schedule:

For standings, go to FIFA.

Brasileirão on UOL

In Brazil, one of the best coverages of the National Championship is on UOL Esporte - Futebol. To see how we keep up, go to:

• Brasileirão Série A
• Brasileirão Série B
• Copa do Brasil - which, for some teams, overlaps with Brasileirão, as does Libertadores

UOL Navigation Tips:

The green tabs (Maio, Junho, Julho, Agosto, Setembro, Outubro, Novembro, Dezembro) are for May-December.

The date includes the day of the week.

Game times are Brazilian style (16h00=4pm)

Each line shows the game with home team first, the stadium and the city.
Brasileirão Série A - List of Teams:

Atlético – MG
(Clube Atlético Mineiro)
Belo Horizonte, MG
Nickname: Galo (Rooster)
Coach: Geninho
Official Site

Atlético – PR
(Clube Atlético Paranaense)
Curitiba, PR
Nickname: Furacão (Hurricane)
Coach: Ney Franco
Official Site

Botafogo
(Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas)
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Nickname: Fogão (Big Fire)
Coach: Cuca
Official Site

Coritiba
(Coritiba Foot Ball Club)
Curitiba, PR
Nickname: Coxa, pronounced COH-sha ("Thigh", from the insult "white thighs" aimed at a German Coritiba player by rival Atlético during two games at the time of World War II. Coritiba won both games and adopted the nickname.)
Coach: Dorival Júnior
www.coritiba.com.br

Cruzeiro
(Cruzeiro Esporte Club)
Belo Horizonte, MG
Nickname: Raposa ("Fox", from a former club president said to be cunning)
Coach: Adilson Batista
www.cruzeiro.com.br

Figueirense
(Figueirense Futebol Clube)
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina
Nickname: Figueira (for the tree symbol and mascot)
Coach: Alexandre Gallo
www.figueirense.com.br

Flamengo
(Clube de Regatas do Flamengo)
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Nickname: Mengo, Urubu ("Black vulture" - a racist insult targeting poor, black fans turned into a proud nickname)
Coach: Joel Natalino Santana
www.flamengo.com.br

Fluminense
(Fluminense F.C.)
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Nickname: Tricolor, Nense
Coach: Renato Portaluppi
www.fluminense.com.br

Goiás
(Goiás Esporte Clube)
Goiânia, GO
Nickname: Esmeraldino
Coach: Oswaldo Alvarez (Vadão)
www.goiasesporteclube.com.br

Grêmio
(Grêmio Foot-Ball Portoalegrense)
Porto Alegre, RS
Nickname: Imortal Tricolor, Tricolor Gaúcho
Coach: Celso Roth
http://www.gremio.net

Internacional
(Sport Club Internacional)
Porto Alegre, RS
Nickname: Colorado, Inter
Coach: Abel Braga
www.internacional.com.br

Ipatinga
(Ipatinga F.C.)
Ipatinga , MG
Nickname: Tigre (Tiger)
Coach: Antonio Giba (Giba)
Official Site

Náutico
(Clube Náutico Capibaribe)
Recife, PE
Nickname: Timbu (a kind of skunk), Alvirubro (White-Red)
Coach: Roberto Fernandes
www.nautico-pe.com.br

Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
São Paulo, SP
Nickname: Verdão (Big Green), Porco (Pig; embraced insult)
Coach: Vanderlei Luxemburgo
www.palmeiras.com.br

Portuguesa
(Associação Portuguesa de Desportos)
São Paulo, SP
Nickname: Lusa
Coach: Vagner Benazzi
Official Site

Santos
(Santos Futebol Clube)
Santos, São Paulo
Nickname: Peixe (Fish)
Coach: Emerson Leão
www.santosfc.com.br

São Paulo
(São Paulo F.C.)
São Paulo, SP
Nickname: Tricolor
Coach: Muricy Ramalho
www.saopaulofc.net

Sport
(Sport Club do Recife)
Recife, PE
Nickname: Leão da Ilha
Coach: Nelsinho Batista
www.sportrecife.com

Vasco
(Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama) Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Nickname: Time da Virada ("The Turnaround Team")
Coach: Antônio Lopes
www.crvascodagama.com

Vitória
(Esporte Clube Vitória)
Salvador, BA
Nickname: Leão da Barra
Coach: Vagner Mancini
www.ecvitoria.com.br