São Caetano 2000-2002

São Caetano in the early 2000s had one of the most surprising trajectories in Brazilian football. It was runner-up in the Brazilian Championship in 2000 and 2001 and finalist of the Copa Libertadores in 2002.

History

Associação Desportiva São Caetano was founded on December 4, 1989, in the city of São Caetano do Sul, in Greater São Paulo. In just a few years, the club rose from the lower divisions and reached the elite of national football, in what was considered a meteoric rise. In 2000, Azulão reached the final of the Copa João Havelange, which counted as the Brazilian Championship, and finished as runner-up against Vasco. In 2001, they repeated the campaign and were again runner-up in the Brazilian Championship, this time behind Athletico Paranaense. In 2002, São Caetano reached the final of the Copa Libertadores. They lost the title to Olimpia, from Paraguay, on penalties. It was the club's first continental final in history. In 2004, the team won the Campeonato Paulista. That year the club also experienced a tragic episode: defender Serginho died on the pitch during a match against São Paulo at the Morumbi. The 2000-2002 cycle established São Caetano as one of the most remarkable cases of a small club that reached the top of national football in a short time.